Spreading Roots for Future Ambitions
AIOC looks forward to expanding on the efforts of the past year to build powerful links that support Indigenous Nations and groups to prosper together under a new, collaborative economic partnership in our province.
Investment Announcements
Discussions continue to progress on a series of partnerships which are expected to close throughout the upcoming fiscal year. There are also several more in the earlier stages. We anticipate that these opportunities will extend into new areas of our mandate, to drive economic growth for Indigenous Nations and groups, and throughout Alberta.
While we cannot commit to when final agreements will be reached, the feeling is positive at the time of writing. We will share announcements on our website, when available.
AFOA Courses
Building on ongoing engagement and feedback received from Indigenous Nations and groups, AIOC partnered with the AFOA Canada to deliver project financing training for Indigenous partners. This initiative focused on strengthening financial literacy and governance, while building awareness of equity ownership and risk to support leadership and administration in assessing and pursuing complex investment opportunities and enhancing transaction readiness. Following a successful pilot, AIOC intends to expand this offering to further support informed decision-making and strengthen capacity across Indigenous Nations and groups.
Program Stacking with Other Loan Guarantee Programs
AIOC’s success and leadership have helped inform other jurisdictions in the development and implementation of loan guarantee programs.
With the introduction of the Canadian Indigenous Loan Guarantee Corporation (CILGC), and the recent launches of programs in Saskatchewan, British Columbia and Manitoba, along with the recent evolution of Ontario’s program, there is a real opportunity to stack loan guarantees across multiple partners.
AIOC is working with these partners to develop efficient structures that enable the stacking of multiple loan guarantees to support projects. This approach will support the development of larger Nation-building projects, including those that cross provincial boundaries. We also continue to collaborate with financing partners such as the Canada Infrastructure Bank, the First Nations Bank of Canada and the First Nation Finance Authority to find creative solutions that stack additional funding mechanisms alongside loan guarantees.
Memorandum of Understanding
As the Government of Alberta and the Federal Government continue to explore efforts to expand pipeline capacity through the West Coast Oil Pipeline project, AIOC is excited and prepared to support Indigenous investment through our program. AIOC was named as the entity that will facilitate Indigenous ownership with the assets covered by the MOU in coordination with the CILGC. This is an area where loan guarantees from multiple organizations and jurisdictions may come into play, hence our focus on program stacking.