CN’s New Indigenous Advisory Council Holds Inaugural Meeting and Announces Members

Ten new members drawn from Canada’s First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities join Council

The Council will provide advice and guidance to the board and CEO of CN on deepening its relationship with Indigenous peoples

MONTREAL, Nov. 24, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The co-chairs of CN’s (TSX: CNR) (NYSE: CNI) new Indigenous Advisory Council (“IAC”), Ms. Roberta Louise Jamieson, OC, Kanyen’kehà:ka, and the Hon. Murray Sinclair, C.C., M.S.M., Mizhana Geezhik, today announced the successful conclusion of their first meeting and its membership. The Council comprises accomplished and respected representatives of Canada’s First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities who will provide advice to CN’s Board and to the company’s President and Chief Executive Officer on issues that are relevant to CN’s relationship with the more than 200 Indigenous communities in which CN operates in Canada.

The new IAC members are:

• Mark Podlasly – Nlaka’pamux Nation, (British Columbia)
• Dr. Marie Delorme – Métis (Alberta)
• Leanne Bellegarde – Peepeekisis Cree Nation (Saskatchewan)
• Phil Fontaine – Sagkeeng First Nation (Manitoba)
• Stephen Augustine – Mi’kmaw Nation [Mi’kmaq Grand Council] (New Brunswick)
• Denise Pothier – Mi’kmaw Nation (Nova Scotia)
• Kateri Coade – Abegweit First Nation [Mi’kmaq] (Prince Edward Island)
• Udlu (Udloriak) Hanson – Inuit (Nunavut)
• Tabatha Bull – Nipissing First Nation (Ontario)
• Ricky G.L. Fontaine – Uashat mak Mani-utenam Innu First Nation (Québec)

Detailed biographies of the IAC members and the Terms of Reference can be found here.

“The appointment of these knowledgeable members is an important step in establishing an honest and constructive dialogue between CN and the communities in which it has operated for decades. We are confident that we will have a significant impact on protecting our environment, achieving economic inclusion and promoting reconciliation.”

– Roberta Louise Jamieson, OC, Kanyen’kehà:ka, Co-Chair

“We are proud of what the ten members announced today bring to the CN Indigenous Advisory Council. With such a wide scope of origin, we will better represent the vast diversity that characterizes the Indigenous people in this country. I look forward to working with all of them in order to create meaningful relationships based on respect, education, and mutual benefit.”

– The Hon. Murray Sinclair, C.C, M.S.M., Mizhana Geezhik, Co-Chair

“CN’s goal in creating this new advisory council is to provide a modern, respectful forum in which to engage Indigenous people in Canada. We very much appreciate the work already done by our two co-chairs, Ms. Roberta Jamieson and the Honourable Murray Sinclair. The guidance they will continue to provide, along with the IAC members, will be another step in strengthening our commitments to CN’s environmental, social and responsible governance objectives.”

– Robert Pace, Chair of the Board of CN.

The goals of the IAC include reinforcing diversity and inclusion through policies and procedures that reflect these values, as well as fostering meaningful and long-lasting relationships between the railway and Indigenous peoples.

The creation of the IAC will in no way affect or be a substitute for CN’s continuing responsibility to directly engage with First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities on issues relevant to the company’s operations across its network.

The creation of the IAC is one of a series of measures that will reinforce CN’s goal to be at the leading edge of ESG best practices among North American Class 1 railroads and across the transportation sector. This includes improvements to the effectiveness, transparency and accountability of the Board in line with emerging best practices.

About CN
CN is a world-class transportation leader and trade-enabler. Essential to the economy, to the customers, and to the communities it serves, CN safely transports more than 300 million tons of natural resources, manufactured products, and finished goods throughout North America every year. As the only railroad connecting Canada’s Eastern and Western coasts with the U.S. South through a 19,500-mile rail network, CN and its affiliates have been contributing to community prosperity and sustainable trade since 1919. CN is committed to programs supporting social responsibility and environmental stewardship.