TIMMINS, ON – April 7, 2021: CreeQuest Corporation and Aramark Canada today announced the renewal of their eight-year-long partnership agreement – that has fostered CreeQuest's growth to a regional Indigenous business from sole proprietorship – to provide Detour Lake Mine with catering and janitorial services.
Aramark Canada president Andy Siklos said the renewal reinforces Aramark's commitment to providing services to the mine and keeping its employees safe.
"I am very proud that Aramark Canada can keep helping Kirkland Lake Gold meet its commitment to building Indigenous communities through our longstanding business partnership with CreeQuest. Our partnership has kept the mine safe and clean, especially during the COVID crisis," said Siklos.
Since founding CreeQuest in 2010, Tina Sheridan, a Taykwa Tagamou First Nation member, said she has sought to leverage the corporation's successes to benefit Indigenous communities through economic reconciliation.
"Economic reconciliation is a corporate recognition that Indigenous communities – to be healthy – must have economic opportunities. I have looked to grow our business for our employees and community," said Sheridan, who is president/director of CreeQuest Corp.
"Through our partnership with Aramark Canada, CreeQuest is proud to be one of the largest employers of women at the Detour Lake Mine, and one of the contractors with the largest percentage of Indigenous employees as well. Through our partnerships with companies like Aramark Canada, we can continue that success."
Said Greg Sutherland, CreeQuest director and Moose Cree First Nation member: "CreeQuest's goal is to build a sustainable business with partners like Aramark Canada that acknowledge the importance of hiring and promoting Indigenous people."
Virginia Forsythe, CreeQuest director and Wahgoshig First Nation member, added that: "Our business success lets us contribute back to our communities through programs, and, in the case of Wahgoshig, the building of a community basketball court."
About CreeQuest Corporation
CreeQuest Corporation is owned by Greg Sutherland, Virginia Forsythe and Tina Sheridan, who are members of Moose Cree, Wahgoshig and Taykwa Tagamou First Nations, respectively. CreeQuest is a registered Aboriginal business in each of the communities.
The corporation's current agreements include providing camp management, catering, janitorial and laundry services, as well as exploration drilling. CreeQuest's goal is to grow into a multi-service company that provides extraordinary services to mining companies in the region. The CreeQuest/Aramark Canada partnership employees 120 people of which 40 per cent are Indigenous and 51 per cent are women.
About Aramark
Aramark (NYSE: ARMK) proudly serves the world's leading educational institutions, Fortune 500 companies, world champion sports teams, prominent health-care providers, iconic destinations and cultural attractions, and rigs and remote sites in 19 countries around the world. Our 280,000 team members deliver innovative experiences and services in food, facilities management, and uniforms to millions of people every day.
Aramark Canada is proud to have achieved Gold Level Certification from the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business' Progressive Aboriginal Relations Program. This certification affirms that we are good business partners, a great place to work, and committed to the prosperity of Indigenous communities.
