You Can't Legislate Trust: Michael McPhie on Partnership Success

You Can't Legislate Trust: Michael McPhie on Partnership Success

Author: Canadian Indigenous Investment Forum October 30, 2025 Duration: 37:14

In this episode, Mark Magnacca and co-host Rob Brant are joined by Michael McPhie, Executive Chairman and Founding Partner at Falkirk Consulting. Michael previously served as President and CEO of the Mining Association of British Columbia, Chair of Ridley Terminals, and Chair of the British Columbia Institute of Technology.

He explained how Indigenous partnership quality determines project velocity in Canadian resource development. Falkirk contributed to Osisko Development Corporation's $700 million Cariboo Gold Project environmental assessment, accomplished in three years instead of a decade or more, through engaging Indigenous communities from the beginning.

Michael's insights are captured in "Weaving Two Worlds," co-authored with Christy Smith of the K'ómoks First Nation. The conversation explored why you cannot legislate trust but must build it through authentic relationships, and how Indigenous-company alignment with government accelerates regulatory approvals whilst removing political risks that damage project economics.

To get a copy of Weaving Two Worlds: Economic Reconciliation Between Indigenous Peoples and the Resource Sector go to this link: https://a.co/d/crUvdlH


Tune into Drumbeats-Canadian Indigenous Investment Podcast for a direct line to the evolving landscape of Indigenous-led business and finance in Canada. This isn't about abstract theory; it's a grounded conversation driven by the real-world experience of hosts Mark Magnacca and Rob Brant, who bring their roles as co-chairs of the Canadian Indigenous Investment Summit directly to the microphone. Each episode delves into the practical intersection where community-driven economic strategies meet tangible investment opportunities. You'll hear candid interviews with leaders, entrepreneurs, and analysts who are shaping this dynamic sector. The discussions go beyond surface-level trends to explore how partnerships and capital are actively fostering sustainable development and self-determination. For anyone-investors, business professionals, or simply the curious-seeking to understand the forces reshaping the Canadian economy, this podcast offers essential context and forward-looking insight. Listen for nuanced analyses that connect financial decisions to broader community impacts, all framed within a crucial national conversation. The Drumbeats podcast is your source for authentic dialogue on the people and ideas building a more inclusive and prosperous economic future.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Drumbeats - Canadian Indigenous Investment Podcast
Podcast Episodes
From 2 to 200 Listed Companies: Scaling Indigenous Capital Markets [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:00
Indigenous capital markets, institutional deal flow, and a 2-to-200 listed company gap: TMX Group CEO John McKenzie and CIBC's Lisa Raitt.John McKenzie, CEO of TMX Group, and the Hon. Lisa Raitt, Vice Chair at CIBC Capit…
What Gord Downie Started: Why Canadian Boards Now Take Notice [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:26
Over nine thousand five hundred Canadian schools, all five major Canadian banks, and over one hundred major corporates have signed up to the work of the Gord Downie and Chanie Wenjack Fund, the charity that grew out of a…
Six Questions to Ask When Backing a Canadian Project [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:23
Jordan Baptiste, Partner and President of Creative Fire, joins Drumbeats to discuss how a 25-year-old Nation-owned Indigenous advisory, engagement and creative agency is supporting major companies including Agnico Eagle,…
NACCA: Banking The Indigenous Entrepreneurs Powering Canada [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:01
Shannin Metatawabin, CEO of NACCA, on 55,000 Indigenous business loans at a 97% repayment rate and the fund that pays investors first. The National Aboriginal Capital Corporations Association is Canada's national body fo…
National Coalition of Chiefs' Dale Swampy on Indigenous-Led Pipelines [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:10
For institutional investors weighing Canadian energy and infrastructure exposure, the framing of Indigenous engagement has fundamentally shifted. The new question isn't whether First Nations will support projects. It's w…
Canada's Infrastructure Window: Why European Capital Is Moving Now [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:20
Indigenous equity. Enbridge. 200MW wind. Six First Nations. 30% equity stake. Institutional-scale Indigenous partnership in Canada.Jake Sinclair is CEO of Cowessess Ventures Ltd and President of Six Nations Energy Develo…
Aviva Investors on Canada's Next Structural Infrastructure Cycle [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:08
Aviva Investors' Head of Infrastructure Debt, Darryl Murphy, brings nearly three decades of European institutional capital experience to a frank assessment of Canada's Indigenous infrastructure investment market. In a co…
London Calling: Global Investors for Indigenous-Led Projects [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:03
OMERS President and Chief Executive Officer Blake Hutcheson on Canadian capital deployment, Indigenous equity structures, and the pricing case for major project debt.Recorded in front of a live audience at the First Nati…