Aboriginal Partnerships

Inco has a particular responsibility, we believe, to respond to the needs, expectations and concerns of aboriginal people whose communities are affected by our business. We strive to work in partnership with our indigenous neighbours in a spirit of openness, respect, mutual understanding and goodwill on issues of common interest, including employment, business and community development, health, and environmental stewardship.

Our commitment to our aboriginal partners takes many forms, including stewardship of the land and community development, providing training to help community members gain employment at our operations and creating new business opportunities for aboriginal-owned enterprises. Our goal is to maximize positive impacts and minimize the negative impacts of our operations and growth projects on our aboriginal neighbours.

Through the Ontario Mining Association, Inco supported the creation of a "Mining New Opportunities" educational program describing opportunities for aboriginal people in the mining industry. The program is being widely distributed throughout Ontario and beyond.

This summary details our 2004 activities with our aboriginal partners in communities across our Canadian operations.