Outreach Award: Hatch and Hatch Mott MacDonald Canadian Outreach Program
October 24, 2015
By Hatch and Hatch Mott MacDonald
“This is a tremendous effort on the company’s part to reach out to their neighbourhoods and the wider world to show the value of engineering and to encourage others to take up engineering as a career. It’s not about the money, it’s about the time. It’s making the effort. That’s a big deal.”– Jury
From the October-November 2015 print edition, p. 35
Hatch employees engage the local community during its annual Sustainability Week. Photo: Hatch
Sustainability is at the core of how Hatch conducts business and delivers value to clients. Whether in mining, energy, infrastructure, or other development sectors, the delivery of successful projects depends on engineering excellence, technological innovation and best practices in corporate social responsibility.
A partnership approach guides Hatch’s commitment to building strong, sustainable communities, which means working together with business, governments, communities, and other stakeholders throughout the project’s lifecycle. Getting it right avoids the heavy costs of conflict and fosters long-term stakeholder support.
Aboriginal engagement matters
In Canada today Aboriginal communities are actively participating in the resource sector and asserting their traditional territories and treaty rights, with the support of governments.
Hatch strives to develop respectful working relationships with Aboriginal communities and build the capacity of these communities to benefit from development projects. Hatch is a member of the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB), and has earned the “Committed” status under the CCAB’s Progressive Aboriginal Relations certification program. Hatch also participates in the Aboriginal Human Resource Council and its Leadership Circle.
Within Hatch, an Aboriginal Engagement Committee implements ways to advance Indigenous inclusion and promote Aboriginal business development and education. Less than 1% of Canadian engineers are Aboriginal, although the demand for them is growing.
In 2013, Hatch and Hatch Mott MacDonald (HMM) established the Northern Communities Outreach Initiative to build a pipeline of Aboriginal talent to support engineering projects in Northern B.C. well into the future. Hatch engineers have so far brought real-life engineering challenges and hands-on classroom experiences to more than 950 students in grades 8 to 12 in those remote communities.
Hatch also provides undergraduate engineering scholarships for Aboriginal students at leading Ontario schools, the University of Toronto, Queen’s University, McMaster University, and most recently, the University of British Columbia. The recipients are invited to work as interns at Hatch offices over the summer months to gain practical experience to complement their academic studies. Hatch also sponsors the Aboriginal Mentorship Program through Lakehead University, pairing science students with Aboriginal high school students from across Northwestern Ontario.
Over two years, Hatch has collaborated with the Chiefs of Ontario to develop and deliver mining and environmental assessment workshop sessions focused on the Ring of Fire mineral belt in Northern Ontario. These workshops are also helping the Matawa Tribal Council contribute to more informed discussions on how to broadly share the benefits of the Ring of Fire development.
Appreciating the needs of our neighbours
Hatch recognizes that employees make the best ambassadors in the community when they build relationships and gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of the needs of neighbours. This spirit of giving creates a high level of mutual trust and employee pride, and it helps Hatch execute projects more effectively with clients.
Some of the causes Hatch supports include:
• Road Hockey to Conquer Cancer. This is a truly Canadian event that supports the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation in Toronto. In 2014, following months of fundraising activities, 10 teams made up of 115 Hatch and HMM employees raised more than $207,000 for critical cancer research. Hatch and HMM have retained the title as corporate cup champion for raising the most funds of any company three years running.
• Engineers Without Borders (EWB). Hatch supports this organization in various projects that benefit under-developed Africa countries, including Silver sponsorship of the 2015 EWB national conference in Montreal. Hatch and HMM participated in two sessions, including “Making Mining Work for Development.” Hatch has also been a lead sponsor of EWB’s annual conferences in 2011 and 2014, as well as fundraising activities. The companies have raised more than $50,000 in two years, and participated in the Run to End Poverty marathon in Toronto in 2013.
• Inside Ride. A fundraiser for the Coast to Coast Against Cancer Foundation, Inside Ride is supported by Hatch and HMM teams, who raised $25,000 in the 2015 event. Hatch has participated in Inside Ride since 2010, managing to raise a total of $240,000.
• Environmental events. Held at Hatch and HMM offices, these events include an annual Sustainability Award as part of the Hatch Global Awards. A Sustainability Week in April coincides with Earth Day and includes lunch and learns and community clean-up initiatives near Hatch’s offices.
Project name: Hatch and Hatch Mott MacDonald Canadian Outreach Program
Award-winning firms: Hatch and Hatch Mott MacDonald, Mississauga, Ont. (Corinne Boone, Eleanor Gill, Doug Hinton, P.Eng., Tina Charalambu, Tony Cesta, P.Eng., Melissa Gallina, Joe Wabegijig, Bruce MacKay, P.Eng., John Pearson, P.Eng., Michael H. Schatz, P.Eng., Mohammed Ali, Tessa Boyle).
