The journey from Fort McMurray in northern Alberta to Rideau Hall in Ottawa covers nearly 4,000 kilometres through boreal forest, rocky Canadian Shield, expansive Prairie and northern Ontario’s muskeg.

That trip for Nicole Bourque-Bouchier was realized on December 18, when Governor General Mary Simon appointed the Fort McMurray resident as a Member of the Order of Canada for advancing the role of women in business and being at the forefront of Indigenous economic development in Alberta.

It’s the latest in countless accolades for the co-owner and CEO of Bouchier Group, which she and husband David Bouchier have grown from a single used Caterpillar bulldozer into one of the leading contracting companies in the oil sands sector.

But the phone call last fall from an unknown number with an Ottawa area code took Bourque-Bouchier by surprise as she watched her youngest son play hockey in Edmonton.

“It was not the call I expected. I was a little taken aback, almost in shock. But after that passed, I felt a sense of almost relief and gratitude,” she says.

“Being a female in this environment and an Indigenous person, you have to go against some perceptions about being able to run a successful venture. But we’ve achieved so much with a great team through organized growth. We set out to be a great business and have worked with our heads down to grow organically. This kind of recognition is a way of saying you are moving the needle.”

The Fort McKay-based company has grown into a powerhouse in the oil sands.

Bouchier now employs more than 1,200 people at several major oil sands sites working in civil contracting, facility services and logistics.

The Mikisew Cree First Nation member has previously received several honours, including the Indspire Award in 2018, the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business’s Indigenous Women in Leadership Award in 2019 and the RBC Canadian Women of Excellence CEO of the Year for 2022.

She admits the company did not go out of its way to celebrate its Indigenous roots at the start.

“In establishing our business, we didn’t see ourselves as an Indigenous organization. We wanted to get work because we were the best contractor for the job from the perspective of being safe, cost-competitive,” says Bourque-Bouchier.

“We began to focus more on our Indigenous roots in the past five years, celebrating them inside and outside of the company. It’s elevated our business to a whole new level.”

Hiring practices reflect that commitment, with 40 per cent of Bouchier employees self-identifying as Indigenous from 80 different communities across Canada. The same percentage of leadership roles within the company are filled by Indigenous employees.

“Our success shows what’s possible when you bring diverse voices and perspectives to the workplace,” she says. “People feel welcomed and valued, whether they are employees, clients or members of the larger community.”

That commitment was recognized globally by energy giant Exxon Mobil, which bestowed Bouchier with its 2024 Diverse Supplier Award earlier in December.

That honour is based on several metrics including competitiveness, sustainability, service quality and safety, health and environmental performance.

“This is a global award that puts our region on the map and specifically the Kearl oil sands site. We worked hard to be the diverse contractor of choice by celebrating the people who work for us regardless of their background,” Bourque-Bouchier says.

“It’s particularly meaningful for me because when I started out in this business looking at project line ups, there wasn’t a lot of people who looked like me wearing hard hats. Our success demonstrates what’s possible when you bring diverse voices and perspectives to the job site.”

Away from the workplace, Bourque-Bouchier has left a deep imprint on the region with her philanthropy. More than $11 million has been donated to different nonprofit groups and causes between Bourque-Bouchier, her husband and the company. It reflects a love of the region where she has grown up and thrived.

“Any time I can provide a positive outlook for the Wood Buffalo region, I take that opportunity. It’s so important because there’s often negative news that doesn’t reflect this region or this industry,” she says.

“I’ve made it my mission to showcase [Wood Buffalo] in a positive light and being appointed to the Order of Canada helps that.”

The unaltered reproduction of this content is free of charge with attribution to the Canadian Energy Centre.