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Leigh ClarkeCalgary, Alberta, November 29, 2016 — Communica Public Affairs (Communica) and Leigh Clarke are pleased to announce that Leigh will be joining the Communica team in Calgary as Senior Associate, Strategy and Development, effective January 1, 2017. “I’ve watched as Communica has developed itself into western Canada’s largest and most progressive Aboriginal and stakeholder engagement firm and I am thrilled to be bringing my skills, knowledge and experience to the table. It’s a perfect combination and I look forward to working with the team to serve and grow the firm’s impressive client base,” said Leigh. A regulatory lawyer by training, Leigh leveraged this experience to become one of industry’s most effective engagement leaders, most recently in the Aboriginal relations realm with Canada First Management and prior to that as Senior Vice President, External Engagement and General Counsel for AltaLink. At AltaLink, Leigh had sole responsibility for designing and leading the numerous complex engagement campaigns that enabled AltaLink to permit and build over $5 billion of new transmission infrastructure. “We are delighted to be able to work with Leigh,” said Doug Ford, Principal and Senior Consultant of Communica. “A seasoned executive, Leigh brings an excellent combination of strategic and tactical experience related to Aboriginal and Stakeholder engagement, communications, government relations and political and social risk management. This is a superb addition to our senior team and Leigh will be instrumental supporting the continued growth of Communica. His track record speaks for itself.” Leigh is a hands-on and motivated engagement professional with over twenty-five years of experience in the North American energy and utility sectors. Comfortable on the front line and in the boardroom, Leigh has supported the execution of major capital projects such as pipelines, electric transmission lines, power generation facilities and mines in a time of ever-increasing social and political uncertainty. His expertise also includes community relations and investment, facilitation and negotiation, regulatory affairs and change management. Leigh will support the Communica executive and management teams in growing the firm’s business, as well as supporting Communica clients in a strategic capacity. The ultimate ‘people person’, Leigh will work alongside client teams to develop and implement engagement and communication strategies that will reduce project risk and build project support. Leigh can be reached at lclarke@communica.ca or 1-403-700-7428. Continued

Communica’s Communication Expertise – what we can do for you! All of our clients know that strategic communication is vitally important in the execution of stakeholder and Aboriginal engagement programs. But what does that actually mean? By definition, communication is the “act or process of using words, sounds, signs, or behaviors to express or exchange information or express ideas” (Miriam Webster). At Communica, we think that it’s the integration between different communication mediums, for the right audiences, at the right time, that make up a complete communication strategy. If you don’t know who you are talking to and why, how do you know what to say? A communication strategy cannot be developed in isolation of a stakeholder or Aboriginal engagement plan, and communication approaches will, in large part, be determined by the interests and concerns of key audiences. How you incorporate public input and address concerns is critical in building trust. While traditional forms of written communication such as display boards, presentations, editorials or press releases are still important, there are many other tools that we encourage our clients to explore, especially when it comes to relaying technical information about complex issues. Here is a look at four communication methods that, depending on your audience, Communica recommends. 1. Augmented Reality Have you witnessed people walking around with their smartphones pointed at random objects and areas? Are you wondering what all this Pokemon Go talk is about? This is augmented reality in action. Through the use of smartphone technology, animators have found a way to incorporate real life into game play and it is taking the world by storm. While all in good fun recreationally, augmented reality (AR) can actually be an innovative and interactive communication tool that can bring a project’s technical design to life. Using AR can help stakeholders visualize early project designs and potential impacts well before the project has made major design decisions. It’s an effective means to encourage and implement stakeholder feedback early in the project planning phase. Wouldn’t it be great to know that a majority of your key stakeholders prefer that the building be painted green instead of brown before you actually paint it? 2. Emergency Response Communication Safety is a big part of our work culture at Communica. Not only have we worked closely with clients to write internal emergency response plans, internal tsunami protocol documents, and earthquake, fire and flood policies, we have firsthand expertise in the development of external crisis or emergency communications planning. Communica can support organizations in the development of their own Emergency Response Communication Plans, including: Any and all communication requirements such as content writing, planning, messaging and strategizing; Liaising both proactively and during an incident, with affected stakeholders such as local communities, First Nations, customers, local and national media, governments, regulators, employees and chain-of-command throughout an organization; Internal crisis media training, including the creation of response protocols; and Risk management and leadership coaching. 3. Ambassador Training Knowing the ways to appropriately interact with different stakeholder and Aboriginal groups is critical to good communication. Ambassador training allows teams who engage with the public or in project communities to become aware and understand the differing nuances between groups. Additionally, it is a way for project groups to become equipped with the skills and tactics required to address queries in a professional and uniform way. Our training program assures clients that everyone on the team is aligned in their public messaging, as well as with their behavior while out in the community. 4. Local Media Monitoring/Issues Analysis While many of our clients have provincial, national and international corporate media monitoring systems in place, these rarely catch the local community news that is vitally important to understanding the audience where project proponents are planning to construct and operate. Staying up to date with current and local issues and trends is fundamental to a good communication strategy. Communica uses a variety of tools to track important media stories for our clients. Our integrated media dashboard allows us to track multiple media channels with pinpointed keywords that assist us in trend and issues analysis. By taking a micro view on different communities of interest, we have the ability to understand issues early on. This allows us to adapt communication strategies to address what is “bubbling up” in the media and is an important strategic communication practice in issues management. What is your experience with any of the above communication methods? Let us know in the comments below. For more information on the complete suite of communications offerings we are able to provide, please see our website and get in touch with us. Shannon O’Byrne Continued

Updates to the ACO Proponent Guide: Impacts to Stakeholder Information Management (SIM) It’s been about one month since the Alberta Consultation Office (ACO) released the updated The Government of Alberta’s Proponent Guide to First Nations and Métis Settlements Consultation Procedures, also known as the Proponent Guide, and part of those updates include a redesigned and quite specific Record of Consultation (ROC) Log. Typically, the ROC Log is a table that includes summaries of the engagement activities, the issues or concerns raised by the First Nation and Métis Settlement, and how the proponent plans to follow-up or mitigate the issues or concerns. As one of Western Canada’s leading regulators that provides stringent expectations, the ACO has now increased their requirements by requesting clarity within the ROC Logs and by stipulating how the ROC Logs are shared with First Nation and Métis Settlements. “Proponents must ensure that each ROC Log submitted to the ACO contains a complete, detailed, and accurate chronological account of the consultation activities, including all successful and unsuccessful efforts to engage and/or consult. Additionally, proponents are expected to gather, and maintain any supporting documentation (emails, letters, meeting minutes, memos, etc.) needed to substantiate entries made in the ROC Log.” The Government of Alberta’s Proponent Guide to First Nations and Metis Settlements Consultation Procedures (June 2016) Section 3.5 Record of Consultation (ROC) Log. pp. 16. What does this mean for proponents in Alberta? Basically, it means they are required to record and provide evidence for every conversation or attempt at engagement in order to show due diligence to mitigate First Nation and Métis Settlements issues and concerns. This isn’t an easy task and, let’s face it, it’s time consuming -especially when resources are limited and Aboriginal groups require ongoing consultation. However, this type of record keeping has increasingly become a requirement by all the regulators in Canada. With the updates to the Proponent Guide, the ACO has also stipulated that within each ROC Log, a proponent must include: A PDF document with labeled activities (emails, meeting minutes, letters, phone calls, text messages, etc.) in chronological order mirroring the ROC Log. A written reference within the ROC Log to the supporting document, which proves the consultation activity. The ACO is aiming to ensure the ROC Logs are easy to read while aligning how proponents, Aboriginal groups and the ACO define consultation as complete. Once the ROC Log is finalized, the proponent must also send the ROC Log to the First Nation or Métis Settlement for review, accompanied by “a notice explaining intent of the review, the timelines associated with the review, and the proponent’s future plans to request an Adequacy Assessment” (2016 Proponent Guide: Overview of Major Changes, Section 3.6). Proof of consultation combined with an honest and transparent engagement strategy has become the norm for regulatory application success. The economic downturn and cost-saving environment has not exempted proponents from meaningful engagement with Aboriginal groups and stakeholders impacted by their project. The political context, regulatory framework, case law and precedent setting agreements are changing, and the standard of consultation and documentation is continually increasing. As Canada’s largest information management team, Communica’s SIM team leads the industry in effective and efficient information management practices. Contact us at info@communica.ca to set up a presentation on these new requirements or SIM best practice to learn what you and your team can do to make sure you’re not setting yourself up for unnecessary non-technical delays. Continued

CAPP’s overview of Canada’s Energy Future: lack of infrastructure and opportunity for energy innovation Canada’s Energy Future was the topic of a recent Greater Vancouver Board of Trade event by Jeff Gaulin, Vice President of Communications for the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP), a not-for-profit organization representing upstream oil and gas producers. From the outset of the presentation Gaulin established the need for a serious and sensible discussion about the oil and gas industry in Canada. Sunken oil prices and a high number of job losses are a tough reality for many Canadians, and CAPP believes that the underlying issue that is hindering Canada’s ability to emerge as a world energy leader is a lack of transportation infrastructure. Oil producers worldwide have increased their production capacity, growing market supply and driving down oil prices. In fact, the US has added the equivalent of Canada’s annual oil and natural gas production in under 6 years and several new international competitors have emerged after policy changes re-opened their trade to international markets, stated Gaulin. As a result, Canada’s only customer for oil and gas, the US, is no longer dependent on Canada’s resources and Canada’s current situation is increasingly more concerning. Here’s why: Canada does not currently have the pipeline infrastructure to export oil and gas to any customer other than the US. Canada does not currently have the infrastructure to transport oil and gas from west to east. Eastern Canadian refineries are importing oil from the US, and Ontario is importing 2/3 of its natural gas – despite abundant resources in western Canada. Between Northern Gateway, TransMountain Expansion and Energy East, Canada has over $30 million in corporate investment held up by regulatory and social roadblocks. This inability to build projects has in turn discouraged capital investment in Canada. If there was a slight increase in Canadian oil sands production, Canada’s current infrastructure would not have the capacity to transport it. Looking Forward CAPP emphasized that while some organizations continue their efforts to block pipelines, and oil and gas extraction in Canada, the worldwide demand for energy resources continues to increase and other countries are eagerly filling this demand. These oppositional efforts are detrimental to worldwide industry improvements as Canada is a world leader in safety and innovation for resource extraction. Oil sands producers are on the leading edge of numerous technologies to better extract, utilize and remediate the resource. Canada has the ability to become a world energy leader if pipeline infrastructure is built and Canada continues to lead the way in energy innovation that reduce both costs and emissions. CAPP invites interested citizens to visit www.energycitizens.ca and spread the word! Continued

Workplace Wellness At Communica, we do our best to ensure health and wellness is a priority, and we encourage one another to practice healthy choices in all aspects of our lives. However, in a world where we are faced with endless content through social media, radio, television and the 24 hour news cycle, how do we decide what is beneficial to our health, both at home and at work? Most of us turn to health experts for advice on wellness, and studies show that one of the most prevalent modern conditions is our inability to address mental health issues and cope with stress. Stress can cause people to make unhealthy choices and create feelings of guilt for doing so. Committing to making healthier choices then becomes a burden. “One in five Canadians experiences mental illness or psychiatric conditions of one type or another, and the other four may have a direct experience through someone in their life – a family member, a friend, a co-worker, or a neighbor” http://www.mentalhealthcommission.ca/English/initiatives-and-projects/working-mind It is important to remember that the end game for health is not just mastering the common components of diet and exercise. Research shows that in order to address our health concerns, we must also acknowledge and understand what may be negatively impacting our mental health. According to the University of Oxford and the Mental Health Foundation, practicing mindfulness is known to reduce stress, anxiety and depression. Combine this practice with healthy food choices, a realistic work/life balance and incorporating physical activity, and the results have been reported to combat various diseases, assist with weight management, improve your mood and boost your energy levels. Communica has four pillars of service offerings, Stakeholder Engagement, Aboriginal Engagement, Communication and Stakeholder Information Management, but we also support four pillars of health: mindfulness, physical activity, healthy eating and work/life balance. Shown below are some examples of how we strive to incorporate these at Communica. Staff from our Calgary office recently tested out stand-up desks. There are many documented benefits of stand-up desks including better blood circulation and reduced risk of cardio-vascular disease.Standup desk Communica’s social committee meets every six weeks to come up with fun and engaging activities for all employees. These activities are designed to support our four pillars of health, and to promote work/life balance. As an example, members of our Calgary team participated in a bowling competition. Check out that form! Bowling sunrun Our Vancouver office also likes to get in on the fun and took part in the annual Vancouver Sun Run. Look at those smiling faces pre-run! While running or bowling may not be for everyone, the most important factor is that you are always being mindful of your personal health and wellness. For more information on mental health and wellness in the workplace, check out The Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC). On the last Wednesday of every month at noon E.T., they host workplace webinars designed to create awareness around the importance of mental health! Continued

Vancouver recently held two events geared towards empowering women in the public relations and resource sectors. Maybe it was just my “lucky week” because I am heavily involved in both of those industries, but regardless, I walked away from last week feeling more motivated and empowered than I have in the last month. Sometimes it’s hard to break away from the office or from other commitments for a couple of hours– or twice in one week for that matter – but the following events reminded me of the importance of “saying yes” to invitations when they arise, especially if you are feeling unmotivated or need a little inspiration. On May 11, I attended the launch party for The Organization for Women in PR Canada. The organization “is an influential network of leading business women striving for excellence in the field of public relations [who is] partnering with businesses across Canada to promote opportunities for women to learn and to share resources in a supportive community.” (http://womeninpr.ca/about-us/) It was great to hear a few words of advice from fellow colleagues in the industry about their paths to success, but at the same time I found myself wondering, why do we need this organization? There are others similar to it (e.g. the Canadian Public Relations Society). But then I thought, why not? It’s kind of refreshing to attend an event where women are promoting each other in this industry, rather than feeling like you’re always competing. C’mon, I’m sure many of us have felt negative competitiveness from other women at some point in our life and career. You might have thought, what’s she doing that I’m not? How come she always lands the clients? She never looks like she’s breaking a sweat, and here I am nervously perspiring at the thought of my next pitch! Ultimately, the creation of support networks amongst peers is something that I will gladly endorse and participate in any day! Later in the week I attended SheTalks Resources, hosted by Resource Works. In the second edition of this forum, SheTalks Resources featured “stories of women and their connection to and journey through the resource sector in BC” (http://www.shetalks.life/). It was enlightening to see a full crowd of approximately 200+ women who are either leading, managing or contributing to the way in which resource development is taking place in communities throughout BC. Stories of environmental, social and economic connection shaped the conversation, with examples of challenges each woman faced. I think my best take-away from the day was to create a “5 a.m. club”. While not necessarily having to occur at 5 a.m., the concept of this idea is to take the first hour of every day when you wake up to spend time on yourself, to get focused and positive. Stay off social media for this first hour! Refrain from scrolling through your emails. Instead, have a coffee and journal; go for brisk 20-minute walk; listen to an uplifting podcast; or mentally create your day’s priority list. I’m starting my 5 a.m. (ok, 7 a.m.) club this week – who’s with me? I was pleased to connect with many of you at these events. Not sure if it’s just me, but I had a pretty empowering week. Let’s do it again soon. Empowered blog “5 a.m. club” inspirations… Continued

Communica’s Aboriginal Engagement team works hard to stay on top of new policy, legislation, cultural and legal developments in the Aboriginal relations field. We have a strong understanding of various legal, cultural and political terms used to identify Aboriginal peoples and generally default to the preference of the particular Aboriginal community that we are working with. At the company-wide level though, we currently use the legal term of Aboriginal to include First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities. Recently, I’ve noticed how different organizations seemed to be switching from the commonly used term “Aboriginal” to “Indigenous.” So, I wondered, is it time for a switch? Always needing to talk things out, I approached Communica’s General Manager, Emma Shea, about this issue. Here’s how the conversation played out: Jess: Hey Emma, with the federal government recently re-branding Aboriginal Affairs to Indigenous Affairs, I think Communica should follow suit! Emma: What’s wrong with Aboriginal? Jess: There’s nothing wrong with it. Aboriginal became increasingly popular with its use in the 1982 constitution. A legally-defined term that includes First Nation (Indian), Métis and Inuit people, it is the most commonly used term in Canada today. In 2011, the Conservative government renamed Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) to Aboriginal and Northern Development Canada (AANDC) to reflect the current use of the language. Emma: So then why should we switch? Jess: Well, to reflect the changing times. Indigenous took on a wider usage with the introduction of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). Indigenous as a term has a more international reach, with populations around the globe self-identifying with the term. Various organizations have made the switch, most recently the federal government’s renaming of AANDC to Indigenous and Northern Affairs, a move endorsed by the Assembly of First Nations, as the proper term. Perhaps Communica should follow suit, first, to show respect for the population in question and to show how responsive we are! Emma: Have you thought about what sort of work would go into a company-wide rebranding? Jess: Hmm no. You make a good point. Communica would need to redesign their entire website, marketing materials, style and language guides… even our business cards. Emma: Exactly. If we make a language shift like this, we need to make sure we take the appropriate amount of time to review and make sure we get it right. Also… wasn’t there just a big court case about definitions like this? Jess: Indeed. The Supreme Court of Canada just issued a decision in Daniels v. Canada (Indian Affairs and Northern Development) that found that Métis people and non-status Indians should be considered Indians as described in Section 91(24) of the Constitution. We will have to wait and see how this affects the usage of these terms. Emma: So what you’re saying is that the definition is ever-evolving, depending on the government or legal court cases of the day. Let’s watch for a while, and continue to ask the Aboriginal communities that we interact with what they think. So, there you have it. We at Communica are currently assessing the options and doing our research on the topic. Has your organization or group shifted terms? What are your thoughts? We would love to hear from you! ~ Jessica Davies Senior Advisor, Aboriginal Engagement Continued

Working in Aboriginal relations, we at Communica think it is important to stay up-to-date on current policy, legislative, legal, social and political trends in Canada. Below, we summarize the Aboriginal funding items announced in the 2016 federal budget. Overall, the funding commitments to Aboriginal programs, particularly on-reserve programming, is unprecedented. This signals the federal government’s shift in approaching relationships with Aboriginal peoples in Canada. Introduction On March 22, 2016, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government released the 2016 federal budget. Finance Minister Bill Morneau announced that the federal government would commit a total of $8.2 billion to projects and programs targeted at Aboriginal peoples. Nearly half that amount will go to on-reserve education improvements, including building infrastructure and hiring teachers. With these measures, Prime Minister Trudeau addressed a significant amount of campaign promises. Minister Morneau acknowledged that in building this budget, the federal government looked at the Liberals’ failed $5 billion Kelowna Accord of 2005 as a baseline. Prime Minister Trudeau explained that he consulted with Aboriginal groups on the design of this funding. He intends to allow Aboriginal groups to guide the funding discussions going forward and play more of a leadership role in how the federal government allocates this money. Funding Allocation Notable Aboriginal items in the 2016 federal budget include: $2.6 billion over five years to improve primary and secondary education for First Nations children living on reserve, including investments in language and cultural programming $2.42 billion over five years for green infrastructure in Aboriginal and northern communities $1.8 billion over five years to improve on-reserve water quality $969 million over five years to build and renovate on-reserve schools $96 million over five years to Aboriginal representative organizations $40 million to the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women inquiry $15 million over two years to launch a pilot project that provides opportunities for Aboriginal peoples to train for jobs that support their communities, including in housing construction, water treatment and local administration $16.5 million over three years to the National Energy Board, Natural Resources Canada and Transport Canada to enhance public and Aboriginal consultation for major projects currently under review $14.2 million over four years for the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency $10.7 million for developing renewable energy projects for Indigenous and Northern communities that currently depend on diesel power generation How Will This Affect Resource Development IN BC? Overall, this budget is an indication that the federal government is committed to working with Aboriginal groups to develop mutually-beneficial approaches to long-standing issues. As the federal Liberal Party moves deeper into their four-year term, we can expect more influence, funding and opportunities afforded to Aboriginal groups, not less. Not specifically targeted for Aboriginal populations, the federal government is focusing on infrastructure development with a keen interest in green infrastructure and promotion of clean energy. This could impact resource development in BC by assisting Aboriginal groups in developing small-scale clean energy projects. Additionally, some long-standing infrastructure deficits could be filled in areas around northern BC. Notably, the 2016 budget did not allocate any money for the implementation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 recommendations. This was a major campaign promise from Prime Minister Trudeau’s Liberal Party and how, when and if the federal government implements these commitments will likely have a major impact on all aspects of Aboriginal relations. Communica is awaiting any policy developments on this front. Continued

On January 27, 2016, the government of Canada announced interim guidelines in an effort to “restore confidence” in the environmental assessment (EA) process. These guidelines will apply to proposed projects assessed by the National Energy Board (NEB) and Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (CEAA), and mark the beginning of what is likely to be a series of changes by the Liberal government based on a suite of campaign promises, some of which have the potential to impact Aboriginal and public consultation on new resource development projects. In addition to an immediate review of Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012 (CEAA, 2012), other Liberal campaign commitments include: Adopting recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, starting with the implementation of United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Working with Indigenous communities on a nation-to-nation basis. Establishment of a federal claims process that recognizes Métis self-government and resolves outstanding claims. Many Aboriginal groups have criticized existing EA principles and the Crown’s lack of enforcement over delegating procedural aspects of EA consultation to project proponents, citing their communities are consulted too late and after the decision-making process. In response to this, the Liberal governments’ review of CEAA, 2012, will be undertaken in partnership with Aboriginal groups. The government of Canada released new principles that will guide the EA process in the interim. They are: No project proponent will be asked to return to the starting line — project reviews will continue within the current legislative framework and in accordance with treaty provisions, under the auspices of relevant responsible authorities and Northern regulatory boards. Decisions will be based on science, traditional knowledge of Indigenous peoples and other relevant evidence. The views of the public and affected communities will be sought and considered. Indigenous peoples will be meaningfully consulted, and where appropriate, impacts on their rights and interests will be accommodated. Direct and upstream greenhouse gas emissions linked to projects under review will be assessed. The announcement mandated extensions to the federal review of two petroleum pipeline proposals. Both the Trans Mountain Expansion Project and Energy East Pipeline Project will be subject to immediate steps to ensure consistency with the above noted principles. What does this mean for proponents? No project currently in the EA process will be required to start over, however direct and upstream greenhouse gas emissions must be assessed going forward. Indigenous peoples will also be more fully engaged in reviewing and monitoring, and the EA process will have greater transparency. The principles are just that, and besides the above mentioned projects, the government of Canada has not made it clear how these changes will impact other ongoing or new projects. It appears as though the government of Canada will take a more active, hands-on role in Aboriginal consultation during and after the EA process. The government may not delegate consultation to the proponent in the same manner they previously have. Proponents may see earlier and more direct involvement from Aboriginal groups in the EA process, even on projects that do not require a CEAA review. As has been the case for one LNG facility project, Aboriginal-led environmental assessments could become an expectation that needs to be managed by proponents as part of good relationship management with Aboriginal groups. It is hard to guess the exact outcome of the government of Canada’s new principles, but it is a safe bet to suggest the level of proponent engagement with Aboriginal groups on environmental reviews, whether regulated or not, will only increase. The Liberal government has not announced a timeline for the complete review of CEAA, 2012. Continued

Communica is thrilled to reveal our newly redesigned website! This was an exciting project that we worked hard on with the team at Kone Marketing and are proud to have produced a product that aptly reflects Communica. On a basic level, a website should say “this is us, this is what we do, this is what I know, and this is what I can do for you”. We last updated our website 5 years ago, and we knew it was time for refresh in order to clearly communicate these concepts to external audiences. We hope you’ll take a moment to learn more about who we are as a company and how we got to where we are now. Along with the new site we have updated the look of our Energy News Digest (END). The END delivers the top daily energy news highlights directly to your inbox. Sign-up to learn more. Have a look! Explore! Let us know what you think! Continued