Overview
Willms & Shier helps Aboriginal communities develop corporate structures for partnerships and joint ventures in energy and natural resource projects.
We help Aboriginal communities with their capacity and training needs. This helps them effectively assess and increase business and employment capacity, knowledge about structuring Aboriginal businesses and capacity for environmental monitoring.
Willms & Shier assists Aboriginal communities and businesses with:
- Annual General Meetings
- by-laws and incorporation
- corporate governance matters
- planning for economic development, including assistance with participating in the federal First Nations Land Management regime
- growth opportunities through resource development, renewable energy, infrastructure financing and development and economic development
- developing and structuring partnerships and joint ventures, including First Nations limited partnerships and tax-driven partnerships for First Nations
- private equity investments for First Nations projects
- developing trusts
- First Nations economic development corporations
Canada Not-for-Profit Corporations Act
Willms & Shier helps federally incorporated Aboriginal not-for-profit corporations with the new Canada Not-for-Profit Corporations Act. This Act establishes new rights of members under the Act, has provisions relating to the status of ex-officio directors and creates new financial disclosure and reporting obligations, amongst other requirements.
First Nations Land Management Regime Support
Willms & Shier helps Aboriginal communities with participation in the federal First Nations Land Management regime, which supports sustainable economic development on reserve land:
- we help develop Aboriginal governance and communication policies, prepare for economic readiness, and ramp-up land management experience
- we ensure that Aboriginal community Land Codes will make the community an effective land management authority
- we work with you and other governments to create an environmental legal framework that suits each community’s needs.