Indigenous Business Leader Justin Bourque: ‘Canada's Economic Opportunity is the Indigenous Economic Opportunity’

Third Episode of Bush to Boardroom Podcast Series Explores True Equity vs. Performative Inclusion in Resource Development

FORT MCMURRAY, AB, CANADA, January 6, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- As Canada grapples with being the slowest-growing economy in the G7, Justin Bourque, founder and CEO of Âsokan Generational Developments, is making a bold case: the path forward for Canadian resource development runs directly through meaningful Indigenous partnership, not around it.

In the newly released third episode of the Bush to Boardroom podcast series, Bourque draws on his experience facilitating approximately $3 billion in transactions across 40+ Indigenous communities to explain why projects that failed to include Indigenous peoples as genuine partners (Northern Gateway, Teck Frontier) faced delays and opposition, while those building relationships before breaking ground are moving forward.

"Indigenous groups have historically been viewed as a risk to the project, not an opportunity to the project," Bourque states. "And I think that's shifted now. The conversation has evolved from 'Why should we partner?' to 'How do we do this right?'"

The conversation tackles practical realities corporate leaders face when structuring Indigenous partnerships, including the critical distinction between "facilitated equity" and "true equity." Bourque argues both models have value but serve different purposes in the evolution toward genuine economic reconciliation.

Bourque is direct about performative inclusion: "If it's the only way we're gonna do this project is if we have an Indigenous partnership, so let's go find a couple of nations, wrong reasoning. Indigenous communities can distinguish between genuine commitment and performative inclusion."

Key insights include why "consultation" alone no longer works, what "seat at the table" actually means, the biggest barriers to meaningful partnership, and policy models that enable partnership without dictating terms.

"I'm not doing the work that I'm doing for reconciliation," Bourque explains. "I'm doing the work to ensure inclusion of Indigenous people. Reconciliation becomes an outcome of Indigenous inclusion, not an input."

The article and video interview offer practical guidance for corporate executives, policymakers, and Indigenous community leaders navigating resource development partnerships in Canada.

Read the full article and watch the complete interview here

About Âsokan Generational Developments
Âsokan, meaning "bridge" in nêhiyawêwin (Cree), specializes in building sustainable partnerships between Indigenous communities and industry. With nearly 50 years of combined team experience and approximately $3 billion in facilitated transactions benefiting 40+ communities, Âsokan focuses on Indigenous governance, ESG development, and partnership negotiations. Visit agdev.ca.

Ryan O'Donnell
CIPR Communications
+ +1 403-978-6000
ryan@ciprcommunications.com
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