Red Jar Energy Partners and Mississaugas of the Credit Business Corporation Celebrate Partnership

[Oakville, ON, September 22] – Earlier this year, Red Jar Energy Partners (“Red Jar”) and the Mississaugas of the Credit Business Corporation (“MCBC”) entered into a multi-year cooperation agreement with a shared vision to set a new standard for First Nation-led development. The partnership focuses on advancing large-scale projects within the traditional treaty lands of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation (MCFN), creating long-term sustainable impact for all Ontarians while delivering meaningful benefits and opportunities for the MCFN.

On Monday, the two partner groups gathered with Chief Claire Sault of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, Warren Sault, President of the Mississaugas of the Credit Business Corporation, Sean McFarling of LiUNA, and other key stakeholders to celebrate nearly a year of collaboration. The partnership is already well-established, yet still at the beginning of its journey. The event marked an important milestone in a long-term path toward shared growth, reconciliation, and opportunity.

To commemorate the occasion, Red Jar commissioned Anishinaabe artist and MCFN member Cathie Jamieson to create a custom art piece, titled Zhingwaaak. The painting symbolizes balance, strength, and co-creation, weaving together flowing waters, rooted pines, and the forest tree line, representing collective strength and the power of working together. A red ancestral tether reminds us to follow the Mino Mskwaa Miikaan - Good Red Road.

The work draws on symbols from the Miigizi dodem (Eagle clan), offering protection and guidance; the Miigis shell, breathing life into our roots; and Akiwiigwam (Earth House), symbolizing generational knowledge of food security and sustainable growth. It also honours the values and teachings from the clan system; Amik (Beaver) and Mikinak (Turtle), which are also a representation of the first ventures moving forward in partnership.

Jamieson described Zhingwaaak as both a story and a call to action, an expression of passion and purpose but also responsibility and accountability for reconciliation. She explains the imagery of eagles shedding their beaks, which speaks to vulnerability and fragility. At these moments, each partner can support the other. It is a metaphor for the partnership itself, reminding us of the importance of trust, honest dialogue, and mutual guidance.

Sean McFarling of LiUNA spoke about the importance of re-examining personal values and beliefs, emphasizing collaboration as essential to advancing reconciliation.

Highlighting the collective progress already underway and the promising opportunities that lie ahead, the president of MCBC, Warren Sault, noted that this partnership is a great example of what economic reconciliation and true partnership really looks like.

Chief Claire Sault remarked, “We see today’s celebration as a key step forward towards economic reconciliation and a push forward for urban reserve creation in Ontario. My Nation has always pursued peaceful and respectful negotiations. And I’m particularly grateful that we continue to make significant strides in economic reconciliation and to me it’s righting this historical wrong that excluded MCFN."

Jason Sparaga, Co-Founder and Managing Operating Partner of Red Jar Energy Partners, added, “This partnership is rooted in respect, shared values, and trust. It is a genuine, long-term commitment. MCBC’s involvement is not an obligation, but a shared vision for success and economic reconciliation. MCBC is a key development partner in the region, and we are honoured to work together and learn from them to truly understand treaty and the historic values of the Nation.”

Together, Red Jar and MCBC are setting the stage for a new model of First Nation-led development in Ontario, one grounded in respect, accountability, and a shared vision for the future.

For more information on Cathie Jamieson’s artwork, visit: www.cathiejamieson.com