SME Universe | A historic mandate for Seize03, specialist in Aboriginal affairs

It was not yet a year old when the public affairs consulting firm Seize03 obtained, last June, the mandate to accompany the Regroupement Petapan, which brings together the Innu First Nations of Mashteuiatsh, Essipit and Nutashkuan, in the conclusion with the governments of Quebec and Canada of a treaty that has been under negotiation for… 40 years.

“It’s major, because a treaty in Quebec with Indigenous peoples hasn’t happened since 1978,” says the president and co-founder of Seize03, Éric Cardinal. “This is truly historic, and the negotiations are about to conclude. For us, it is a privilege and an honor to work with them to help them with communications. »

But this mandate is not the result of chance. Founded on October 14, 2021, Seize03 specializes in Indigenous affairs. “I think it’s unique, I don’t know of any other companies of its kind,” says Éric Cardinal.

The name of the company refers to the big tobacco shop of 1603, a historic alliance concluded in Tadoussac between the French and the First Nations.

Although the firm seems to be in its infancy, its founders Éric Cardinal and Éric Duguay have accumulated a long and rich experience.

Éric Cardinal was a young law student when the crisis in Oka, in July 1991, made him aware, despite himself, of relations with the First Nations. He lived in Saint-Constant and his student work took him to a factory located in Sainte-Catherine, near the Mohawk territory of Kahnawake. His daily journey took him through police controls, roadblocks of citizens armed with clubs and military barbed wire.

“I was starting my law studies and I said to myself: it seems to me that there is something that is not working! »

Ministerial Advisor

He then oriented his studies towards Aboriginal law — which he still teaches! — and found himself an adviser to the Minister responsible for Aboriginal Affairs, Rémy Trudel.

After the election of the first Charest government, in April 2003, “I decided not to return to the practice of law, but rather to work for rapprochement between the communities”.

He offered his services as an adviser and mediator through the relations established at the Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs. His first mandate was offered to him by a political adviser to the Mohawk chief of Kahnawake Joe Norton, who sought to break the isolation of his community.

After Éric Cardinal’s presentation to the council, Chief Joe Norton had only one question for him: was he a separatist?

A trick question, Cardinal thought, but he couldn’t lie. “Yes,” he replied.

“Norton said to me, ‘That’s why it’s an I hire you, because I too am a sovereigntist, a Mohawk sovereigntist. You will understand us better than the other federalist consultants we have hired so far.” »

After ten years as a consultant, he joined the team of the National public relations firm.

“I realized that more and more, I could help the other side of the coin, that is to say non-Aboriginal businesses and organizations that need help to develop healthy relationships with indigenous communities. »

“Three sides of the coin”

It was there that he met Éric Duguay, who joined his team specializing in Aboriginal relations.

Together, they decided to found Seize03 in 2021.

“I often say that we work on three sides of the coin. »

Because in addition to the two sides, there is also the edge. “It’s often the most complex element and which, I think, makes us special. We have become very good at working to bring the communities closer together, to act a bit like interpreters between the vision of the First Nations and the vision of non-Natives. »

They have obtained mandates with many communities, organizations and governments of Aboriginal nations – Abenakis, Anishnabés, Attikameks, Innus…

“And on the other hand, we have great mandates with organizations that want us to help them develop relationships with Indigenous peoples, such as HEC Montréal with the School of First Nations Leaders, also founded in fall 2021. »

Because it is better to prepare the ground than to repair the broken pots, as the Montreal Canadiens had to do in the fall of 2021 – a file where Seize03 came to pick up the pieces.

Full of goodwill, but clumsy, the club announced at the end of October that the official announcer would read a message before each game in which the club wished to recognize “the Mohawk Nation for their hospitality on the traditional and unceded territory where we are gathered today”.

There was an outcry from some historians, commentators and politicians, who argued that the island had never been permanently occupied by the Mohawks.

“We proposed to the Canadian to modify its text to say that Montreal is an unceded indigenous territory, that it is a place of gathering and exchange between several nations, over time, including the Anishnabe and the Mohawks”.

“They changed the text and since then it has been going very well. »

Seize03 is doing very well, too.

The two co-founders have just hired a first permanent advisor, in addition to their contractual employees.

“We define ourselves as a social impact firm,” concludes Éric Cardinal. When we go to bed at night, we are happy because we know that what we have done helps society. »

Wrebbit rubs shoulders with Assassin’s Creed

It’s a cutthroat universe, but Wrebbit is happy to set foot there.

The Montreal maker of three-dimensional puzzles has announced the conclusion of a worldwide licensing agreement with Ubisoft, which will allow it to design puzzles derived from its famous video game Assassin’s Creed.

The first puzzle in this new series reproduces the Notre-Dame de Paris church, scene of the opus Assassin’s Creed Unity, which takes place during the French Revolution. It will be launched around mid-November 2022.

This production marks at the same time the 15^e anniversary of the creation of the game, appeared in 2007.

This partnership is “obviously one of the most promising for Wrebbit,” said Jean Théberge, president of the Wrebbit Puzzles, in a press release. “We are thus combining two brands that are recognized worldwide for meticulously detailed and architecturally faithful reconstructions of historic places. »

Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed joins other licenses brokered by Wrebbit 3D, including Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Batman, Game of Thrones, Downton Abbey and the TV series Friends.

With this first model from the Assassin’s Creed universe, Wrebbit 3D offers a range of some 25 licensed products in its collection of around forty models.

Wrebbit manufactures all of its puzzles in its factory in east Montreal.

L’Indispensable wants to make itself indispensable in Toronto

She is a high-level assistant who has been joined by the high-level assistant specialist.

L’Indispensable, a Montreal firm “specializing in the recruitment of high-level assistants”, that is to say managers, has announced the recruitment of a recruitment director, Kate Zado, for its activities in the Toronto area .

This announcement makes it possible “to officially develop the Toronto market with a team on site”, rejoiced the president and founder of the company Vanessa Mongeau.

This is an important step in the growth of the company, she further argues.

L’Indispensable was founded in 2013.

CycloChrome shines in bicycle mechanics

For line work. Or on the pedals. Or on the handlebars.

CycloChrome, specializing in bicycle mechanics, participated in the development of a new postsecondary training, the Attestation of Vocational Studies (AEP) in bicycle mechanics, in collaboration with the Quebec Ministry of Education.

This new program introduces future mechanics to the maintenance, diagnostic evaluation, repair and assembly of bicycles of all types, including electric ones.

CycloChrome is the main instigator of this program, for which it designed all the educational content. In addition, CycloChrome is the only partner of the Montreal school service center to offer this training in Montreal.

Founded in 2008, the small non-profit company offers home repair services with its mobile workshop or at Campus CycloChrome, its Montreal boutique where it also provides training. It also offers maintenance services for bicycle fleets such as those of BIXI and the Service de police de la ville de Montréal. It prides itself on having set up an innovative repair service for electric bicycle motors and batteries.

But its fundamental mission is to encourage young people and adults to pursue their secondary education through the vehicle of training in bicycle mechanics.

Question of putting them back in the saddle, what.

12

A group of 12 Colombian entrepreneurs will come to Quebec in October to strengthen their business skills. They were selected as part of the CRECE Mujer project of the École des entrepreneurs du Québec. They will be able to meet local entrepreneurs and visit different types of businesses and markets.