January, 2013 — Cenovus joined a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Whitefish Lake First Nation to celebrate the inauguration and raising of Pimee Well Servicing’s newest rig. The new rig will be in service at our Christina Lake facility. Whitefish First Nation elders performed a smudging ritual, traditional drumming and singing before the ribbon was cut.
Pimee Well Servicing is an oilfield service company in northeastern Alberta. It’s owned and operated by a partnership of six First Nation bands, including Saddle Lake, Kehwewin, Frog Lake, Beaver Lake, Heart Lake and Whitefish Lake.
Alberta’s Minister of Aboriginal Relations Robin Campbell was also there and congratulated Pimee and Cenovus for the partnership we’ve built and maintained for the past several years.
“We strive to ensure that the communities where we live and work are stronger and better off as a result of us being there, and we want communities to share in the benefits associated with our operations,” says Trent Zacharias, Group Lead, Community Relations. “It’s exciting to see something that started out as a discussion in a meeting room transform into a new rig that will service our Christina Lake operations.”
Whitefish Lake First Nation’s Chief James Jackson praised the partnership between Cenovus and Pimee. He said that the training and employment for community members employed by Pimee are making a positive impression on the community’s younger generation by showing the benefits of education, training and having industry as a neighbour.
Since 2009, Cenovus’s Aboriginal business spend has tripled, rising from $86 million to $245 million, or nine percent of our total capital expenditures. Our efforts to engage Aboriginal businesses and entrepreneurs are considered to be a win-win for Cenovus and community members.
Source: http://www.cenovus.com/news/our-stories/christina-lake-new-rig.html
