Spotlight:

Jason Prno

From working with Inuit elders in remote Arctic communities, to investigating the impacts of climate change on mining operations in Canada and reporting on deliverables in metropolitan boardrooms Jason’s consulting and research experience spans a variety of topics and has taken him to many unique locations.

Publications

 

Impact and Benefit Agreements: Are they working?
Paper presented at the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum Annual Conference, Vancouver, British Columbia, May 11, 2010.

Prno, J., B. Bradshaw and D. Lapierre (2010).

 

Climate Change and Canadian Mining: Opportunities for Adaptation
Report prepared for the David Suzuki Foundation.

Pearce, T., J. Ford, J. Prno, F. Duerden (2009).

 

Hearing the elders: Traditional knowledge and mining in the north. 
Up Here Business, November 2009: 47-53.

Prno, J. (2009).

 

Program evaluation in a northern, Aboriginal setting: Assessing Impact and Benefit Agreements.
Journal of Aboriginal Economic Development, 6(1): 59-75.

Prno, J. and B. Bradshaw (2008).

 

We’re breaking up: Climate change and the northern mining industry.
Up Here Business, November 2008: 24-29.

Prno, J. (2008).

 

Have IBAs worked?
Canadian Diamonds, Fall 2007: 32-40

Prno, J. (2007).

 

Stormy days ahead: Weather changes pose many threats to mining industry.
Canadian Mining Journal, September 2008: 22-25.

Ford, J., T. Pearce, J. Prno, F. Duerden, L. Berrang-Ford, and D. Marshall (2008).

 

Aboriginal/Stakeholder Engagement

Aboriginal peoples possess a unique knowledge of the land, water and environment, and for generations have relied on the sustainable use of local resources. Aboriginal peoples thus have an integral role to play in resource development, and should be engaged from early on. Traditional knowledge studies can provide added perspective into Aboriginal values, needs and land uses, and are often fundamental to ensuring resources are sustainably developed in Aboriginal lands.

Services offered:

• Traditional knowledge studies
• Public consultation
• Stakeholder engagement planning
• Workshop design and facilitation
• Impact and Benefit Agreement (IBA) consulting
• Evaluation

Project Experience:

Traditional Knowledge Study

Design, management and implementation of traditional knowledge studies in five Nunavut communities, in support of the environmental assessment process for an advanced exploration mineral development project on Baffin Island, Nunavut.  Major tasks included interview co-ordination, workshop facilitation, traditional knowledge map production, design of a traditional knowledge database, community consultation, and managing the project’s translation program. These results will contribute to the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement.

Assessing the Effectiveness of Impact and Benefit Agreements in the Canadian North

Project design, implementation and results analysis for a research study on the effectiveness of Impact and Benefit Agreements (IBAs) in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. Tasks included conducting interviews and focus groups with regulators, mining project proponents and Aboriginal community representatives over a two year period. Two three-month field seasons were spent in the communities of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories and Kugluktuk, Nunavut.

Inuktitut Translation Program

Oversight of the Inuktitut language translation program for an advanced exploration mineral development project on Baffin Island, Nunavut. This work included organization and execution of a three day Inuit translator workshop in Iqaluit, Nunavut; development of an Inuktitut mining glossary; recruitment and management of a Canada-wide translating team, and; meeting client translation deadlines.

IBA Office Support

Provided volunteer support for a First Nation’s IBA implementation office in the Northwest Territories.

Review of Aboriginal Consultation, Traditional Knowledge and Socio-Economic Considerations

Review of existing Aboriginal consultation initiatives for a mineral exploration project in the Northwest Territories and development of recommendations for future consultation activities. Also reviewed existing traditional knowledge and socio-economic research in the project area and developed recommendations for future research.

Community Engagement and Consultation

Participation in presentations, regulatory hearings, workshops, interviews, focus groups, and training sessions for various projects in a number of community settings.