News Release: Construction Safety Nova Scotia partnering with Glooscap Ventures to offer safety training to Indigenous Peoples

Sept. 29, 2022

‘We are doing our small part for reconciliation,’ says CSNS CEO MJ MacDonald

DARMOUTH, NS — Construction Safety Nova Scotia (CSNS) acknowledges the injustices suffered by Indigenous communities across Canada this Truth and Reconciliation Day. In light of this important day of awareness and education, CSNS is announcing a special partnership with Glooscap Ventures, based in Hantsport, N.S., to provide occupational health and safety (OHS) training to Glooscap individuals through its Train the Trainer program. Once those individuals are fully trained by highly-skilled CSNS OHS advisors, they will be able to conduct widespread safety training in their community.

“It was brought to our attention that there will be greater success of the students being engaged and passing the courses if they are taught by a member of a First Nation’s community,” said MJ MacDonald, CEO of Construction Safety Nova Scotia. “A big part of CSNS’ mission is to make safety accessible. It’s important for us to foster partnerships so we make sure we are reaching Indigenous workers, such as those in the Glooscap community.”

Glooscap Ventures seeks to support the members of their community who are currently working or considering working in the construction field. Glooscap wants to ensure that these workers are trained as it relates to OHS given the risks involved with working in this area. Currently the Glooscap community members who want or need to attend OHS training must travel to take these courses. The travel costs and time away from home is a barrier to taking OHS courses and therefore injury incurring by these workers is more of a probability. Glooscap wants to reduce barriers for OHS training by offering these courses in the Glooscap community and having these courses conducted by members of the community while meeting their cultural needs.

To facilitate this opportunity, CSNS will provide Glooscap trainers the training to allow for certification to provide our courses. In addition, our team of advisors have been made available for their trainers to engage for any support they require.

“Glooscap Ventures recognizes the importance being safe at work and that the provision of good training is crucial to our members remaining safe while at work and addressing obstacles to career development due to the lack of training options for rural communities,” said Travis Woodworth, health and safety consultant at Glooscap Ventures. “Glooscap Ventures endeavours to develop the capacity to provide Indigenous lead training for our and other Indigenous communities. In these efforts Construction Safety Nova Scotia has been an active partner in these efforts providing the training, mentoring, and consultation allowing us to develop the ability to provide safety training to our communities.”

From a reconciliation perspective, there are barriers to members of the Glooscap community in having the right training and support to safely work in the construction industry. CSNS is doing our small part in supporting Glooscap to have the materials, skills, and support/mentoring to successfully train members in their community.

“This is also an opportunity for CSNS to learn from working with Glooscap to improve our courses to better meet their cultural needs and reduce barriers,” said MacDonald. “And that’s something that is extremely important in achieving CSNS’ mandate going forward.”

ABOUT CONSTRUCTION SAFETY NOVA SCOTIA

Construction Safety Nova Scotia (CSNS) is an industry funded not-for-profit association focused on improving occupational health and safety in the construction sector. All companies with a current WCB account under the construction industry classification codes 4011-4499 and 3551 are automatically members of the association due to the levies they pay to the WCB. CSNS is a highly regarded leader in occupational health and safety (OHS) services with over 300,000 students trained in health and safety and over 1,150 firms attaining the association’s COR® Safety Certification. Members receive subsidized training and access to free mentorship for all aspects of their OHS programs. The board of directors, trainers, OHS advisors, and CSNS staff work towards a safer construction industry by engaging with its membership to reduce injuries and improve safety culture. https://constructionsafetyns.ca/

ABOUT GLOOSCAP VENTURES

Established in 2014, Glooscap Ventures is focused on helping our Glooscap family thrive.  As a company that is 100% owned by the Glooscap First Nation community, our role is to manage community businesses on behalf of Chief and Council, with the goal of facilitating growth and increased community capacity. The profit from those businesses is reinvested in ways that enable the community and its members to become more spirited and full of life with each passing year. Every day, we put our mandate first:

  • “Do something today that makes our community more prosperous than it was yesterday”
  • ​Our Core Values:
  • ​Do No Harm (to self, to others, the earth)
  • Carry the Good Forward (our heritage, skills and ideas)
  • Leave No Member Behind (young, old, near, or far)
  • Honour Nature’s Gifts (land, animals, sea) Be Considerate Partners (communicate, understand, share, compassion)

​Our vision and contribution extends far beyond our own community. Through our efforts at home, we are working to create a model for First Nations’ economic development that honours heritage, resurrects ancient wisdom and provides case studies that other communities can learn from and follow. https://www.glooscapventures.com/