November 9th 2022
Title: Emergency Response and Training Opportunities
Description: Emergency response needs are increasing across industries and communities. Understanding that Indigenous communities are often negatively affected by emergency events (e.g. due to climate change, increasing operational needs of industry facilities and operations, changes or gaps in policy, etc.), being involved at all levels of emergency response is important to addressing the event. Communities have hold tremendous amounts of knowledge experience that play a vital role in support efforts. Being prepared is key to mobilizing your community and your members to ensure response is effective. We will discuss some case studies that will show how communities can be prepared to be involved with emergency events.
Speaker: Kear Porttris
Kear Porttris is the Director of Indigenous Relations for QM Environmental. In this role he heads partnership development as well as supports Indigenous initiatives and program on projects across Canada. Kear is a Métis-Chinese professional who has been walking in multiple worlds since he was born. His Father is Métis and his mother is a Chinese immigrant from Hong Kong. He grew up in Treaty Four Territory in Regina, Saskatchewan. With a civil engineering background, holding an undergraduate and Master of Applied Science Degrees in Civil Engineering from the University of Victoria, he merges education, personal, and professional experience with a solutions-based lens. He has extensive experience developing partnerships between industry and Indigenous Communities – working within consulting, construction and academia. He focuses on using a collaborative approach to bolster and support Indigenization and engagement across disciplines and find unique and effective solutions for stakeholders, partners, collaborators and clients. He is able to combine his professional training with his unique perspectives and network to support operational needs but also as an advocate. He is involved with a number of interesting and innovative projects that are pushing the limits of Indigenization in industry.
CandoEDO