For essential workers, going out into this uncertain world can heighten anxiety. For those working from home, adjusting to a new routine can be exhausting. Perhaps someone you work with has had a family member affected by the virus. The truth is, we never truly know what people are going through unless we check in and see how they are doing. 

After the global pandemic was declared in mid-March due to COVID-19, it was a difficult moment when Indigenous Relations team members realized they couldn’t spring into action, load up a truck with supplies and deliver it to the communities they work closely with. The very next day, after we transitioned to work from home, our team members were all talking about how this was going to affect the Indigenous groups we work with. Everyone wanted to immediately reach out to see how they were doing and ask how we could help. Within the first two weeks of the pandemic being declared, the Indigenous Relations team had proactively reached out to all Indigenous groups who live near or along our operations and projects in Canada and the U.S. – more than 200 groups in total.