Indigenous Reconciliation

As identified in our five-year strategic plan, EfficiencyOne is committed to reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples. Since our early days we have worked directly with Mi’kmaw communities, businesses, organizations, and individuals across Nova Scotia. This included hiring community members to deliver a project, more than 10 years ago, in all 13 Mi’kmaw communities to complete energy efficiency installations in homes. We’ve since had many other initiatives, including the launch of our Mi’kmaw Home Energy Efficiency Project in 2018.

In 2024 we hired Balsam Inc., an Indigenous-owned consulting company, to help us create an Indigenous Reconciliation Action Plan for EfficiencyOne. This action plan is an evergreen plan, beginning in 2024 and evolving over time. At inception, it included 18 specific actions that EfficiencyOne committed to take over the course of two years (2024 and 2025). The plan is scheduled for review and updates via our Indigenous Reconciliation Action Plan Working Group, consisting of staff from various departments across the organization.

Guiding our evergreen Indigenous Reconciliation Action Plan is a leadership commitment statement from our Board of Directors and Executive Leadership Team. As our Indigenous Reconciliation Action Plan is updated and evolves over time, the leadership commitment will remain constant and will help ground our future efforts.

Leadership Commitment

We acknowledge that we operate on the traditional and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq People, as outlined in the Treaties of Peace and Friendship of 1760-1761. Central to our reconciliation journey is our commitment to listening to, and learning from, Indigenous communities. We recognize the importance of acknowledging historical injustices, confronting uncomfortable truths, and actively listening to Indigenous Peoples. We commit to continually integrating the following concepts into our reconciliation efforts:

1. Dialogue & Relationship Building: We are committed to engaging in ongoing dialogue and relationship building with Indigenous communities. This includes listening to the ideas, concerns, stories, perspectives, and aspirations related to EfficiencyOne’s work. We will nurture relationships with Indigenous communities, recognizing that they open doors to new insights and opportunities for collective growth and prosperity.
2. Collaboration & Reciprocal Partnerships: We will actively seek out opportunities to collaborate with Indigenous communities, organizations, businesses, and individuals. This recognizes the value of equitable and reciprocal partnerships.
3. Indigenous Rights: We recognize Indigenous Peoples have specific rights. We will continue to educate ourselves on these rights, and will integrate into our dealings with Indigenous Peoples.
4. Indigenous Culture & Traditions: We are dedicated to fostering an authentic understanding and appreciation of Indigenous culture, history, and traditions. We will educate our staff and consider how to incorporate Indigenous knowledge, perspectives, and practices into our organizational culture and decision-making processes.

These commitments serve as a basis for our path forward, towards a future where reconciliation is embedded within the foundation of EfficiencyOne. We will use a Reconciliation Action Plan as a means to establish transparency in EfficiencyOne’s progress towards reconciliation.

Our reconciliation journey is ongoing and will continuously evolve. We recognize that it requires humility, perseverance, and collaboration. Let us all actively participate in this journey.

- EfficiencyOne Board of Directors and Executive Leadership Team

Nikana’tasik melkuktasik

Nemituwek na ninen elukwutiek ta’n na Teleyimk aqq mu alsutasiktnuk maqmikew ta’n na Mi’kmawe’k mimajuinu’k, na tel-wikasik ta’n na Treatyel ukjit Wksankewo’ti aqq Kitaptultimk na 1760-1761. Mekwaye’kuo’kuo’ml ukjit Kinu apiksiktuaqneminu telteskmu’k na kinu melkuktmu’k ta’n jiksitmu’k, aqq weji-kina’masulti’k, L’nue’kati’l. Ninen na mikuaptmek ta’n nuta’q ukjit mikuaptasikl sa’qewe’l ewpla’luksinn, kelusa’simkl mu welkawektnukl teliaql, aqq pemien jiksitajik L’nu’k mimajuinu’k. Ninen melkuktmek na siawita’mk sa’se’wa’timk na wejkukwekl teltekl Kinu ta’n apiksiktuaqn wetnu’kwatmu’k:

1. Ewikasik aqq Tela’matultimk Elukwatmk: Ninen ma melkuktimek na toqo’mamk na elukwatmk ewikasik aqq tela’matultimk eltmk elt L’nue’kati’l. Ula wiaqtek jiksitmn ukjit na kisite’tasikl, sespite’temkl, a’tukwaqnn, telaptmkl, aqq tel-lukwemkl Tela’matultimk ta’n EfficiencyOne wktlukwaqn. Ninen kelo’tmek tela’matultimkl elt L’nue’kati’l, mikuaptmk na ta’n panta’tujik ka’qnk ukjit pile’l nemitasikl aqq tel-lukwutimkl ukjit mawte’min nikwemk aqq siawtaqa’timk.
2. Toqi-lukwemk aqq Apaja’sikl Toqo’mamkl: Ninen na purities kwiliminen tel-lukwutimkl ukjit toqi-lukwutimk elt L’nue’kati’l, toqi-lukwutikl, lukwaqnn, aqq e’tasiw wen. Ula mikuaptek ta’n telawtik na tepawtikl aqq apaja’tikl toqo’mamkl.
3. L’nueye’l Tetpaqa’qewe’l: Mikuaptmek L’nu’k mimajuinu’k ala’tu’titl piltuwamu’kl tetpaqa’qewe’l. Siawita’tisnrn ukjit kinu’tmasultinen ula ninen tetpaqa’qewe’l, aqq na sa’se’wa’siktitew ta’n na kinu tela’matulti’k elt L’nu’k mimajuinu’k.
4. L’nu’k Tel-lukwutimk aqq telo’ltimk: Ninen na melkuktimek na klo’tmnen ta’n ketloqoey nestmk aqq welte’tasik ta’n L’nuey Telo’ltimkl, sa’qewey aqq tel-lukwutimkl. Ninen na kina’muwa’titisnen ninen lukewinu’minaq aqq mikuaptmn ta’n tl-toqa’siktitew L’nuey Kjijitaqn, telaptmkl, aqq amal-lukwasikl ta’n Kinu tel-lukwutimk telo’ltimk aqq kisite’tmk-eltmk tel-lukwekl.

Ula melkuktasikl iknmuetoq na ta’n etek ukjit kutawtinu nikantek, eliaq na elmi’knik ta’n apiksiktuaqn na nasipiska’tasik elt ta’n melkitasik na EfficiencyOne. Kinu na we’wtesnu Apiksiktuaqney Tel-lukwek kisitasik na ta’n teluek ukjit we’jitun saputaptmk na EfficiencyOne nikana’sit eliet apiksiktuaqniktuk.

Ki’l apiksiktuaqney elteskmk na miawiaq aqq siawi kito’qa’siktitew. Mikuaptmek na ta’n nuta’q wanqwajite’taqn, westawiatmk, aqq toqi-lukwemk. Asite’tminen msit lukwutinen i’mu’tinen ta’n ula elteskmk.

- EfficiencyOne Toqkopultijik na Ila’kwenawutijik aqq Espi-Nikanusk Toqo’ma’tijik.

In 2023 EfficiencyOne hired local Mi'kmaq artist Loretta Gould to create paintings that would make up a mural for our office. Featuring bright, bold colours and captivating imagery, Loretta describes her art as a way to convey her spiritual feelings on canvas. Working closely with members of the EfficiencyOne team, Loretta created our custom mural by weaving together elements that reflect traditional Mi’kmaq art and culture with the vibrant landscapes, ecosystems, and biodiversity of Nova Scotia. The mural serves as a reminder of the positive impacts of our work and a celebration of living in unison, both with each other and our environment.