New association to be voice, advocate for First Nations business in northern Ontario

A new business association plans to provide support and advocacy for First Nations entrepreneurs and businesses across northern Ontario.

The Anishnawbe Business Professional Association was launched on Friday in Thunder Bay, Ont.

The organization, which will function similarly to a chamber of commerce for Indigenous-led business, will help those businesses to overcome challenges and thrive, said president Jason Rasevych.

"A lot of the time First Nations businesses are overlooked," he said.

"So what we're looking to do over time is we're going to be able to advocate. We're going to be able to go to government and go to companies and promote Anishnawbe inclusion within their procurement processes."

Rasevych, a member of Ginoogaming First Nationwho has worked in the field of economic development in the region for close to 15 years, said he and other founders got the ball rolling last summer, after having some discussions about gaps in services for Indigenous entrepreneurs and corporations.

"We started to talk about, well what can we do?"

The association will be able to provide guidance to businesses seeking contracts, he said. It will also work on developing guidelines for companies, aimed at more inclusive hiring practices.

The association's member organizations will be at least 51 per cent First Nations owned, Rasevych explained, and it will represent businesses across a wide geographical area, stretching from the Manitoba border to Sudbury, and including Treaty 3, Treaty 5, Treaty 9, Robinson-Superior and Robinson-Huron territory.

The association's next steps include a membership drive, and it plans to hold its first event in the spring.