Innovation

Blue Heron Environmental's innovation helps to better Northern Ontario's mining sector. The innovation, Zhashagi, provides assistance to Indigenous people with respect to environmental training, reviews of environmental assessments, and on-site support. By focusing on rising issues within communities and the mining industry, their work allows indigenous communities to learn and understand the impacts of mining within their territory. By doing so, Blue Heron Environmental demonstrates values that correspond to the 11th (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and 16th (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) Sustainable Development Goals. By creating a strong relationship with the indigenous people, Zhashagi allows for communities to flourish rather than conflict with the mining industry.

In all, Blue Heron Environmental's innovation helps with many SDGs such as Sustainable Cities and Communities (11), Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions (16) and Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure (9). They allow communities to succeed as they share their knowledge and expertise.

Inspiration

A fellow employee of Linda was the main source of inspiration when integrating this innovation within her business model. The employee who worked closely with Linda over the years immersed her in the culture and community of his wife who is Indigenous. She was captured by the fact that the environmental tools, knowledge and understanding were not available to the Indigenous communities, and she set out on a venture to change that in every aspect that she was capable of, which is when she started the new branch of the company pertaining to the Zhashagi project. Blue Heron Environmental works for the mining industry which is known to have the stereotype of having bad environmental impacts, making them the bad guys. She wanted to avoid conflict and help implement new standards with new ideas and opinions with Indigenous communities. Although the mining aspects and Indigenous work is kept separate at Blue Heron Environmental, Linda still found it interesting how differently they contrasted.

Besides the initial inspiration, Linda was also very explicit in how passionate she is about her work in the environmental industry and keeping a broad network of communication to continue growing her perspective within the sector. She abides by a personal rule to help make her staff look at sustainability differently, by not just thinking about it as a set of laws, rules and regulations but instead stepping outside of the box to analyze how everything interacts to ultimately not only implement CSR standards, but to sustain them.

Overall impact

The Zhashagi project has goals that aim to have long term positive effects. This is done by serving indigenous communities through long term mentorship. Providing training programs and immersive learning is how Blue Heron Environmental hopes to make a difference within these communities. By helping them gain the tools, knowledge and understanding pertaining to training, environmental monitoring and reviews. This project aims to allow Indigenous communities to voice their opinions on the environment. The support that Blue Heron Environmental is able to offer is what has allowed for this innovation to be impactful.

By giving communities a platform to voice their thoughts, feelings, and opinions, Zhashagi aids in building long-lasting positive relationships between indigenous communities and the mining industry. This innovation has a goal to connect the two and provide an environment in which both sides can learn from one another. This directly correlates with Sustainable Development Goal 10. To effectively reduce inequalities, marginalized communities must be given an opportunity to voice their concerns. Indigenous communities are mainly the first to see the negative impacts of climate change, and as the mining sector greatly contributes to this environmental crisis, innovations such as Zhashagi are needed now more than ever. By integrating the two, there is a possibility of a change within the mining industry that would include both environmental and indigenous values and equity.

Business benefit

Zhashagi has proven to be an asset to Blue Heron in numerous ways. The innovation has allowed Blue Heron Environmental to grow as a company. More employees have had to be hired to sustain the demand for Indigenous/Mining relations. Mining is a booming industry in the North, and plenty of Indigenous communities reside in that area. Indigenous communities want to be aware of the work that is occurring in their area, however, not many companies have the resources that can provide the answers communities find themselves searching for. This is what makes Blue Heron Environmental stand out amongst other environmental consulting companies. Zhashagi has also raised revenue for the company. As they offer a scarce product that is in high demand, communities are willing to pay the price for Zhaghagi’s services. Not only does Blue Heron Environmental have a good and ethical innovation at hand, but they also do very good work. Community satisfaction is high, which keeps Zhashagi coming back.

The implementation of Zhashagi has also benefited the company on an employee scale. It has helped staff create a different view on sustainability and mining, as sustainability encompasses human rights as well as environmental rights. It has also engaged the staff and others within the mining industry to take a different stance on the mining industry. Instead of looking at the rules and regulations surrounding mining, Zhashagi has impacted people to think outside the box and to view mining with a more holistic approach. As they are important and vital to the future of the mining sector, these are outcomes that Blue Heron Environmental hopes will carry on throughout the industry for generations to come.

Social and environmental benefit

This innovation has benefited society and the environment by looking at problems that occur during mining. The first problem they address is the issue of pollution. Mining causes harm to the earth and creates a lot of emissions so Blue Heron Environmental is creating sustainable ways of mining that will allow for fewer emissions and less harm to the earth, also addressing multiple SDGs while doing so. Blue Heron Environmental also works with the indigenous communities in Northern Ontario to review environmental assets, and even to bridge the gap between western science and traditional ecological knowledge. So, there is no conflict between the communities and the people who are mining.

Zhashagi benefits society by looking at the SDGs such as Sustainable cities and communities, industry, innovation and infrastructure, reduced inequalities and peace, justice and strong institutions. These all help benefit society because these SDGs create a better place for people to work, socialize and live. Not addressing these goals within their work can cause conflict within communities and society. The innovation also benefits the environment by providing sustainable equipment and knowledge for customers to use. Establishing a relationship with the indigenous people and bridging the gap between traditional ecological knowledge and western science, allows for knowledge of where to mine and how to be more sustainable in their practices.

By creating a sustainable innovation which prioritizes developing relationships with the indigenous people, Blue Heron Environmental has implemented a business principle that has benefited both society and the environment.

Interview

Linda Byron, Director