What Gord Downie Started: Why Canadian Boards Now Take Notice

Over nine thousand five hundred Canadian schools, all five major Canadian banks, and over one hundred major corporates have signed up to the work of the Gord Downie and Chanie Wenjack Fund, the charity that grew out of a terminally ill rock star's call to his country in August 2016 to do something about the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians.Sarah Midanik, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Fund and a board director at the Canadian Council for Indigenous Business, joins Mark Magnacca and Rob Brant to set out what this cultural shift means for international investors evaluating Canadian assets.Sarah's argument for the Square Mile is direct: companies still treating Indigenous communities as stakeholders rather than rights holders are carrying unpriced execution risk. The Partnership Accreditation in Indigenous Relations framework, administered by CCIB, now gives Canadian boards a four-pillar measurement system. Indigenous consent and partnership, Sarah says, can determine whether a major Canadian project gets built.Starting next week, Drumbeats publishes every Tuesday. We have an exciting new series coming — stay tuned.Learn more about the Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund: https://downiewenjack.ca