Communities in Canada

Communities

As the biggest mining and metals company operating in Canada, we are committed to Canada and ensuring that we create value and opportunity that reaches far beyond our operations. We hire local people. We partner with leading Canadian businesses and community organisations. We work hard to be good neighbours and to take good care of our people, our natural surroundings, and Canada’s rich cultural heritage. Our community investment program aims to support our communities by helping to meet their current needs while safeguarding their legacy for future generations.

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Have your say about Rio Tinto in Canada

We are working with global research company, Voconiq, to deliver a community engagement initiative called Local Voices. If you are aged 18 years or older and live or work near a Rio Tinto operation, we would love for you to provide your feedback through the 100% confidential Local Voices survey that Voconiq is conducting on our behalf. Your feedback will help us engage with the issues that matter most to you and your community. You will also be supporting your local community as every survey completed earns donations for local community groups.

Have your say about Rio Tinto Iron and Titanium Quebec operations. Local Voices is open from 28 October-1 December 2024.


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Rio Tinto Aluminium Canada Fund

The Rio Tinto Aluminium Canada Fund was set up in 2008 to support the communities where we operate. We have contributed over C$10 million annually through First Nations initiatives, as well as health, education, youth, and environment programmes. For instance, since 2011, as partners with the Breakfast Club of Canada, we have contributed nearly C$1 million to support breakfast programmes for schools in Kitimat and Nechako watershed regions. There are now 14 breakfast programmes feeding almost 1,000 students every school morning in our communities in the region.

Alma, Saguenay

Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean communities

In 2004, we launched the Regional Economic Development (RED) initiative to support long-term growth in Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region, by helping the region achieve its economic development goals
BC Works community

BC Works communities

Northern British Columbia is home to many Indigenous Peoples including the Haisla Nation, whose main community is Kitamaat Village, near our smelter
Diavik community

Diavik communities

We are working to support our people to ensure local communities benefit from the sustainable development of our mine, including the Northwest Territories and West Kitikmeot region of Nunavut
Community

Rio Tinto Iron and Titanium Quebec operations communities

From the outset, Rio Tinto Iron and Titanium Quebec operations has been actively involved in the communities where we work
Emergency Response Team members in training at IOC Operations Labrador City, NL Canada

IOC communities

IOC has a long tradition of community support and believes in building relationships with local communities and partners

Partnerships with First Nations

We foster long-term partnerships with communities where we operate, and that includes our relationship with Indigenous communities. We have made a commitment to be an ally in the promotion of education at all ages, the preservation of cultural heritage, the generation of economic development and the stewardship of the environment.

By supporting programs that connect young people and elders, we are helping develop the next generation of local leaders. This not only preserves Traditional Knowledge, it also opens new doors for career opportunities and can improve economic development outcomes in the region. 

In partnership with Indspire, we sponsor an award for Indigenous students, which provides them with financial support as they pursue post-secondary studies and training. Indspire has a proven track record – 95% of students supported by Indspire graduate.

Helping the next generation succeed

As a company with innovation, science and technology at our core, we recognise the value of education as a building block for strong, thriving communities today and in the future.

We provide the tools and life skills for thousands of students from low-income communities to graduate high school and succeed in post secondary institutions. Whether it is through scholarships, programs like Pathways to Education, free homework help to students of all ages or research fellowships in Canadian universities, we want to inspire the next generation of Canadian innovation.

A trusted employer for thousands of Canadians

We strive to provide a healthy and safe working environment for the 15,000 Canadians who work for us in Canada, as our people are central to our success.

The safety and wellbeing of the people who work with us is our number one priority, and this extends to the home and in our communities. That is why we launched new measures to protect and support employees and their immediate family members who are experiencing family and domestic violence or abuse, and also introduced a standard for paid parental leave for all our employees.

Public guides

Why Agreements Matter
PDF
6.93 MB
Why Cultural Heritage Matters
Why Cultural Heritage Matters
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7.89 MB
Why Cultural Heritage Matters [ES]
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4.95 MB
Why Cultural Heritage Matters [FR]
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4.99 MB
Why Cultural Heritage Matters [MN]
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5.08 MB
Why Cultural Heritage Matters [PT]
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4.97 MB
Why Gender Matters
Why Gender Matters
PDF
2.79 MB
Why Gender Matters [ES]
PDF
1.65 MB
Why Gender Matters [FR]
PDF
2.03 MB
Why Human Rights Matter
Why Human Rights Matter
PDF
8.55 MB
Why Human Rights Matter [ES]
PDF
4.28 MB
Why Human Rights Matter [FR]
PDF
4.29 MB
Role of Civil Society Organisations
PDF
77 KB