Julie Abouchar, B.Sc. (Hons.), LL.B., B.C.L., LL.M., is a Partner at Willms & Shier Environmental Lawyers LLP and is certified as a specialist in Indigenous Legal Issues and Environmental Law by the Law Society of Ontario. Julie is recognized by her peers as an expert in environmental, Indigenous and energy and natural resources law.

Julie has a substantial Indigenous legal issues practice. She negotiates and drafts impact benefit and other agreements for Indigenous, municipal, and industrial clients, and advises on legal duty to consult obligations related to regulatory authorizations, planning policies, archaeology law, and land and resource management and regulation. She facilitates dispute resolution in the mining, infrastructure, and energy sectors.

Julie advises about resource and infrastructure development, providing advice and representation to clients about environmental compliance and due diligence, environmental assessment and approvals, environmental prosecutions, and contaminated land remediation. Julie appears before resource tribunals and assists clients with environmental inspections and investigations and negotiates with regulators.

Julie is called to the Bar in Ontario, New Brunswick, Northwest Territories and Nunavut.

Devin Gambler is the manager of Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc (TteS) Economic & Business Development and KIBDC, responsible for the professional development, delivery, direction, planning, and operational implementation for economic development for TteS and members.  Since 2017, Mr. Gambler has performed various roles in economic development within the organization. His experience extends into not-for-profit work with the Home Free Committee (Indigenous Co-Chair), A Way Home Society (founding society member) & John Howard Society Thompson Region (Bladerunners Program).  Additionally, Mr. Gambler served as the Director of Operations at the Bonaparte Indian Band. Mr. Gambler is a member of the Woodland Cree, Jean Baptiste-Gambler Reserve, Northern Alberta, and moved to Kamloops where he completed his high school education at NorKam Senior Secondary. Currently, he is working towards his Master of Business Administration, Thompson Rivers University (TRU) & Nicola Valley Institute of Technology (NVIT).  Mr. Gambler proudly lives a holistic life with his wife and three amazing sons. Mr. Gambler holds a mastery level in historical sword fighting (side-sword) and enjoys participating in armored combat. Mr. Gambler is a huge proponent of community building.  He is the President of Volunteer Kamloops, and an active volunteer with TRU.  He credits family, community and his high school’s staff for helping him build resiliency and recognize the importance of community support for all.

Natalia Back Gosende, B.C.L/B.Soc.Sc., LL.M., B.C.L./J.D., is an Associate lawyer at Willms & Shier Environmental Lawyers LLP. Natalia practices environmental, Indigenous and energy law. She represents clients with environmental approvals, appeals and prosecutions. Natalia helps clients to understand and meet compliance requirements under federal, provincial and municipal environmental regulatory law. She also advises clients regarding environmental liability and environmental risks arising from  transactional due diligence and compliance. Natalia assists clients with the regulatory process, environmental assessment, and negotiation with regulators in the context of orders and prosecutions.

Natalia is called to the Bar in Ontario and in Brazil.

Dave Kerr is an Independent Consultant with over 35 years of environmental consulting experience in both Canada and internationally. He has spent much of his career consulting in the energy and natural resource management field, working on projects ranging in size, complexity and duration. Dave has worked to establish indigenous partnerships primarily within Canada with a focus on environmental services. Most recently, he has taught Biogeography as a sessional instructor at Mount Royal University in Calgary. Dave is also a Professional Agrologist. P. Ag.

Jerome is a member of Metis Nation BC and is a professional with years of community, stakeholder and industry engagement, management, sales, and proven expertise in marketing products to the oil and gas, mining & pulp and paper sectors throughout Canada. He is the Past Chair of the North Central BC Branch of CIM and a former Board member with AUX Resources.

SNC‑Lavalin’s National Director of Indigenous Relations – Ruby Littlechild, M.B.A., M.Ed., B.A. Ruby is Plains Cree from Maskwacis, Alberta and of Treaty 6 descent. She comes from the Wandering Spirit bloodline, one of Big Bears’ revered spiritual warriors. She is a key and vitally important person for SNC-Lavalin when it comes to building Indigenous communities.  Ruby has an educated, grassroots, lived experience and First Nations understanding of the communities that we build and their approach to community building. She is authentic, sincere and collaborative in her approach to engaging, building holistic, culturally based, stronger, more nurturing and thriving communities! In this presentation, she highlights the importance of Champions, Allies and Influencers for successful Indigenous development.

Gene Ouellette brings with him over 25 years of experience working in various capacities such as; environmental, renewable energy, economic development, residential school survivors, oil/gas just to name a few. Gene also has offered countless hours by sitting on various Boards and committees benefiting those Indigenous communities that he chooses to work with including Misty Ventures where he sat as a board member for 7 years, as he believes in giving back.

Gene’s formal background was grounded in working within restorative justice initiatives throughout North America, realizing that rewards were great and lifetime lasting. This education was used as a foundation for him to work with Research & Development organizations and working with scientists and engineers in understanding what they not only did for a living but having the gift to somewhat “Indigenize” that knowledge in conveying out to communities what opportunities may exist by way of projects.

Gene is a proud Mosom to granddaughter Kaibree, grandson Donald Enzo, daughter Phaedra, sons Seth, Marquis and Ashtin. Gene believes in not only following the culture, but practicing the culture by way of a Men’s Northern Traditional Dancer.

As one of the founders of RenewableU Energy Inc. in 2018, Lionel Robins brings his broad experience in many industries to the team, with 20+ years of senior management and C-suite experience in retail, finance, hospitality, and oil and gas. Mr. Robins, a process and results-driven businessman, is skilled in project management, corporate finance, and recruiting and training high-impact teams.

Throughout his professional career, Mr. Robins has devoted a large amount of his off-work time to community and other non-profit projects, including 7 years as a Board of Director for STARS Air Ambulance for Western Canada, and over 25 years involvement in local youth sport culminating in the Chair of the 2018 Alberta Summer Games.

Zishan Shah is an economic development and strategic partnerships professional with over 17 years of experience in designing and managing collaborative projects across the globe. He supports Indigenous communities and corporations in building and negotiating sustainable economic development projects. He created over 50 project partnerships and negotiated several partnerships between Indigenous communities and corporations. He led several Indigenous communities’ economic development corporations and departments in British Columbia.   He serves as a board of director and advisor to several not-for-profit, Indigenous businesses, and government at various levels. He designs community relations, engagement strategies, and mentors Indigenous entrepreneurs and youth. He manages collaborative projects in oil and gas, mining, forestry, renewable energy, digital economy, education, and skills development.

Besides his professional experience he has Master in International Studies – Regional Relations from University of Northern British Columbia, Master in International Business from Jamia Millia Islamia University, and Project Management Professional (PMP), and Certified International Trade Professional (CITP) designations.

Scott A. Smith is a partner at Gowling WLG with a leading national practice at the confluence of Indigenous, environmental, energy, and natural resource law. Scott has a strong track record of successfully advising clients in high-profile, complex regulatory hearings and related litigation for major energy and natural resource projects across Canada.

Scott has extensive experience in negotiating and structuring Indigenous equity ownership of major projects.

Scott is a recognized thought leader and highly-skilled negotiator. He has negotiated precedent-setting agreements between Indigenous people, proponents, and other governments, including:

• Government-to-government agreements which provide the foundation for comprehensive reconciliation, including the largest agreement ever negotiated between the Province of British Columbia and First Nations outside of the treaty process; and
• Cutting-edge impact benefit agreements for mines, forestry, pipelines and LNG facilities, hydroelectric generation facilities, transmission lines, petrochemical, and other energy and natural resource projects.

Scott regularly advises clients on the Crown’s duty to consult and accommodate Indigenous peoples.

Scott’s Indigenous and environmental advocacy practice includes representing Indigenous peoples in regulatory hearings, judicial reviews and appeals of administrative decisions (such as the Crown’s failure to consult Indigenous peoples), multi-party civil litigation in respect of contaminated sites, and complex tort litigation.

Scott has appeared before the Supreme Court of British Columbia, British Columbia Court of Appeal, Ontario Court of Justice, Ontario Superior Court, Ontario Divisional Court, Federal Court, Federal Court of Appeal, National Energy Board, Ontario Energy Board, British Columbia Utilities Commission, Tax Court of Canada, and the Supreme Court of Canada.

Scott has been repeatedly recognized as one of the top lawyers under 40 in Canada. In 2018, Lexpert recognized Scott as one of its “Rising Stars: Leading Lawyers Under 40,” and Benchmark Canada named him to its 2017/18, 2018/19, 2019/2020, and 2020/2021 “Under 40 Hot List.”

Prior to pursuing a law degree, Scott completed a master’s degree and one-and-a-half years of study in a PhD program in biology at McGill University. He is the recipient of numerous scientific and legal scholarships. His scientific work has been published in high-impact international journals, and has been reported on internationally in the popular press.

Scott’s scientific expertise provides him with a unique perspective through which he provides strategic litigation and regulatory advice to his clients.

Scott is fluent in English and French, and speaks Spanish.

Jacquelyn Stevens B.Sc. (Hons.), M.Sc., M.S.E.L., LL.B., is a Partner at Willms & Shier Environmental Lawyers LLP and is certified as a specialist in Environmental Law by the Law Society of Ontario. Jacquie has significant expertise representing a wide range of clients in environmental civil litigation, defense of prosecutions by environmental regulators, and at administrative appeals and hearings. Jacquie also provides effective advice and solutions for environmental due diligence and compliance, brownfields/contaminated site remediation, and environmental approvals for air, odor, noise and waste. Jacquie advises on cross-boundary migration of contamination and remediation options and has significant expertise involving contamination issues at dry cleaning operations and gas stations. Jacquie is called to the Bar in Alberta and Ontario.