"In B.C. we bought North Star Patrol 4 1/2 years ago and Ken Robertson remained with United. It was Ken who put the deal together with Lyle Leo at T'Musta7 Aboriginal Security Services Inc.," Allen says, "Ken is our business development manager in B.C. and he's a specialist in short-term contracts. We do events in the Resort Municipality of Whistler and with businesses doing special events for everything from business conferences to beer gardens. We know that for the next few months there is a big push to work in security in the Lower Mainland. Our goal is continue procuring other long term contracts."
United Protection Services Inc. has employees in B.C., Alberta, and Saskatchewan, "and 20 percent of our workforce is First Nation and Aboriginal employees." Allen notes, "I am President of Security Officer Career College and Tom Hill is the General Manager. Tom delivers programs to communities that educate about crime to ensure a safe community. Some of these programs are employment oriented, and certificates of Completion issue from the Security Officer Career College.
SOCC is holding a national Aboriginal security services a conference at the River Cree Casino in Edmonton Feb. 10, 2010. "We intend to create empowerment for First Nation communities right across the country. We have a long term goal to help First Nation and Aboriginal groups to reshape the face of security services in Canada. The training services of the college are being promoted with all levels of government including INAC, and the course delivery is based entirely on reaching out to communities. We don't have a campus. We take the program all over Alberta, and we are expanding in B.C. and Saskatchewan."
The SOCC is working with various industries to provide the Aboriginal presence in security at places like First Nation owned and operated casinos in Canada. "River Cree Casino in Edmonton has 10 percent Aboriginal employment and we can improve it with trained personnel in security and other training like housekeeping services." Allen has been providing security services in one capacity or another for 33 years. He explains, "Initially I started the school and soon I branched into the security business itself. A couple of years later I was going out and providing security services with the people we trained." He instituted better training and built his human resources out places like Hobbema and other large First Nation communities in central and southern Alberta. "These jobs give people long term skills and good points on a resume for future employment."
Earl John has spent 10 years building the United First Nation Corp. Presently, "We are trying to find partnerships that will work with us on the east coast, in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland in particular. We have operations in B.C. and Alberta and we are expanding into Saskatchewan," says John. "We want to go further east, both in Manitoba and Northern Ontario as well as the east coast." He says the core of his all-Aboriginal security service has been recruited out of Alberta. "We've hired from all across Alberta as far south as Sun Child and Stoney Creek and we have recruited successfully from the Chipewyan Prairie First Nation, the Conklin Metis, others have been recruited from Big Horn, O'Chiese, Sampson, Louis Bull, Erminskin and Montana Bands at Hobbema."
John says, "We have 160 trained and we will have double that by next year," and he notes the size of the corp. has been doubled over the past year. "We benefit from Tom Hill's six week training course delivered into communities and we are putting it in B.C. with the BC Justice Institute for compliance with Olympic standards. We are looking at partnerships to fulfill long term commitments to provide security services to industries like wood, rail, oil and gas, pipeline, and other transport sectors. We want to run contracts to secure new construction projects. We are working with Douglas First Nation's Chief Don Harris to provide training and employment to Lower Mainland First Nation personnel."
John is proud of the company's Ft. McMurray contracts, "They're our bread and butter in security operations and its a win-win-win situation for everybody when United First Nation Corp. Inc. obtained the contract. It brings training and employment dollars to First Nation families who live on reserves where they need the incomes; it brings joint venture opportunities to First Nation entrepreneurs, and the client gets security services that are trained well beyond industry standards." He says personnel receive the basic security guard training plus conflict resolution management, safety sessions, defensive driving lessons, and life skills. "Plus they receive one week of on-the-job training for the work experience."
These security jobs outside Ft. McMurray come with more than fringe benefits. "These oil camps are well done operations, supplying all the amenities like weight training rooms, satellite TV, internet service, individual rooms with bathrooms, these are PTI Group camps that run like permanent long-established operations through the construction cycle all the way into industrial operations. Having a First Nation presence in these 3,500 man camp operations is our goal." Ultimately United First Nation Corp. is working toward a national goal of 10,000 pairs of Aboriginal boots on the ground.