Most of Hudbay’s northern Manitoba employees will eventually be from First Nations, predicts CEO David Garofalo.
Garofalo made the statement to The Reminder’s Marc Jackson during the recent grand opening of Hudbay’s Lalor mine near Snow Lake.
Jackson, whose full interview is summarized in his regular column on pg. 5, asked Garofalo whether Hudbay’s relationship with area First Nations is
progressing.
“Well, 13 per cent of our workforce self-identifies as aboriginal,” the CEO answered. “Inevitably, given the demographics in northern Manitoba, I would say in due course the majority of our workforce will have to come from First Nations. So it is absolutely in our economic interests, and theirs, to have a very strong relationship.”
In recent times the relationship between Hudbay and segments of the First Nations community has been anything but solid.
Last year, Aboriginal protesters twice formed a blockade near the Lalor mine, insisting Hudbay was operating on their traditional territory without permission.
Led by Chief Arlen Dumas of Pukatawagan-based Mathias Colomb Cree Nation, the protesters similarly demanded Hudbay abandon its Reed mine outside Snow Lake.
Hudbay took the protesters to court and won an injunction to keep them off company property.
