Key Community Investment Partnerships
Vermilion focuses our strategic approach on long- term investments that make a measurable and significant difference for our communities. Wherever possible, our partnerships go beyond funding to include staff time and other support for the organizations. This is reflected in the partnership matrix that we have developed that provides a consistent framework to assess potential projects. The matrix also includes alignment with one or more of our key pillars, sound organizational governance, long-term impact, benefits to stakeholders, potential for multi-sector collaboration, volunteering opportunities, capacity building potential, and measurability.
In September 2022, Inn from the Cold and HomeSpace opened the doors of Neoma, an affordable housing complex that provides social support and resources to help families break the cycle of homelessness and build a brighter future.
We are proud of our flagship investment, committing $1.2 million over 7 years, to support the transitional shelter, named the Vermilion Energy Family Floor. The shelter provides relief and support for vulnerable families and children who are no longer able to stay in their current house and have nowhere else to turn. Families staying at the shelter are provided with healthy meals and snacks, and child and youth programming to help families move towards housing independence.
The building, a previously vacant office tower, was constructed using a trauma-informed design to help families overcome obstacles and feel safe and a sense of belonging.
Vermilion has supported St. Bartholomew's House in Perth since 2009, an organization that helps people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness achieve positive life outcomes. It offers a variety of crisis and transitional programs to help people build the connections, skills and confidence to live productive, independent lives in the community and break the cycle of homelessness. Through St. Bart's, Vermilion's funding invests in essential facilities and services that will help transform the lives of some of the city's most vulnerable people.
Our contributions have supported the Lime Street social housing facility and a social inclusion officer for older women at the Kensington Street Accommodation Service, who coordinates activities and outings that positively contribute to the health and wellbeing of the residents.
Our partnership with Wood’s Homes began in 2013 and continues strong today - 10 years later. The Vermilion Energy Family Centre remains an important centre with resources to support children going through mental health crises while providing families with knowledge of community services to better support their family. In 2022, we renewed our support with another three-year commitment to the LEAD program that helps youth ages 15-29 gain valuable skills through meaningful and supportive employment opportunities. Students participating in this program add valuable work experience to their resume and learn financial literacy and leadership skills helping them find and maintain employment.
With the expansion of our Canadian operations in 2022, we are focusing on communities in Fort St. John, Dawson Creek and surrounding areas. At the South Peace Child Development Centre in Dawson Creek, we supported the installation of a new playground fence to help keep children safe while spending time outside. We also helped the Child Development Centre of Fort St. John to repair the roof on their building.
The meal support provides nutritious food for those going through a difficult time, helping them meet their most basic needs and find stability, and we complement the monthly lunch with staff volunteers who serve the meal.
We also supported the Drop-in centre by helping with donation sorting and organizing, providing DI clients with basic needs at a time when they need it most.
United Way brings together all areas of community – business, government, academia, school boards and others – to address social issues at the root cause and to develop long-term solutions. Vermilion has been contributing to United Way since 1996 and organizing an annual workplace campaign since 1998. United Way recognized our efforts with a 2020 Community Impact Workplace Excellence Award.
We’ve contributed nearly $4.7 million to support local non-profit organizations and social programs through the United Way. In 2022, our employee-led campaign returned to many in-person events while hosting some virtual events, and raised over $200K, with staff participating through pledging, events and contests. This will provide more than 91 Calgarians access to basic needs, including food and shelter, ensure more than 62 children and youth are empowered and successfully transition to adulthood, or connect more than 180 Calgarians to necessary resources to support their well being
Stichting Present has been Vermilion's social partner in the Netherlands since 2019. To help people and communities flourish, they focus on supporting people who live in loneliness or poverty or with poor health. In addition to a financial contribution, in 2022, more than 150 volunteer hours were spent by our employees helping with projects such as gardening, shopping and putting together Christmas packages
As our flagship partnership in Saskatchewan, we are excited to provide funding annually for their the creation of a new outdoor space named the Vermilion Greenspace.
Respect is one of our core values. We actively support the right of all those who work with us to a workplace free of discrimination and harassment, including on the basis of sexual orientation. Extending this to community investment is important to us, and we have made a three-year funding commitment to support Camp fYrefly: a summer camp and leadership retreat designed to help 2SLGBTQ+ youth grappling with finding their true identity build confidence and resilience. Camps take place in northern and southern Alberta with workshops and activities that balance different types of programs, from art to health to education, and Indigenous knowledge while prioritizing community building and relationships.
Our donation will help feed a classroom for an entire school year.
Nothing is more important to Vermilion than the safety of our staff, our contractors and our communities, which is why this is also part of our Ways of Caring. Our Global Emergency Responder Program supports this commitment by investing in emergency response organizations that serve the communities where we work and live. Our donations help fund equipment and other high-priority needs for these non-profit and charitable organizations, which are dedicated to keeping our communities and our people safe.
During the wildfires in the Gironde and Landes forests in 2022, production at our Cazaux battery was impacted. Our team worked very closely with the volunteer firefighters; thanks to their quick response time, the Cazaux depot suffered minimal damage. Most of the firefighters are volunteers, so our donations help ensure they have the equipment and resources to keep community members safe.
We were pleased to support the community of Enniskillen, which was in need of a wellness centre so that local community members wouldn’t need to travel out of town for appointments and a place where the ambulance could be housed.
In the spring and early summer of 2023, our operations in central and northwestern Alberta were impacted by an early and significant wildfire season. Although our facilities were largely untouched, many of our communities - and our families - were evacuated from their homes for several weeks. To help the communities get back on their feet, we made donations to the Drayton Valley Community Fund and the Edson Food Bank, and we matched employee donations to any non-profit or charity supporting the wildfire response.
Vermilion began supporting the Dutch Heart Foundation in 2020, in its bid to provide help within six minutes of someone’s cardiac arrest. Our support has so far provided for eight Automated External Defibrillation (AED) packages for communities near our operations, including Sonnega, Wolvega, Burgum, Eernewoude and Koostertille, and will also support training people to use the AEDs and become potential lifesavers.
The Weston County Fire Protection District, a local community volunteer fire department, is close to our Wyoming operations, and relies on donors to support firefighter training, trucks and protective equipment. In addition to three fire stations, the District places wildland engines at strategic rural locations to provide quicker responses to wildfires.
The civil protection associations are an important part of our communities, as they provide volunteer first aid teams for a wide range of community gatherings such as music festivals and sporting events, along with critical emergency operations after natural disasters. Our partnership with the Civil Protection Association in Seine & Marne has allowed the purchase of three tents that will be used for community events and needs.
Every day, STARS takes care of some of the sickest and most critically-injured patients in Western Canada. This translates to thousands of people every year who rely on STARS to get them to hospitals safely, where they can access the advanced care they need. STARS is already an operational partner as their dispatch centre manages our Emergency Call Centre.
We provide donations to local fire brigades to purchase essential equipment to help ensure they have the resources to to support communities in an emergency. We believe that supporting the next generation and helping children learn about fire safety is important, so we also support the children’s fire department.
As an energy company, we have a responsibility to the wider community to support the health of our environments – it's why we selected Environmental Stewardship as one of four funding areas within Ways of Caring, our community investment program. It's also why we chose that pillar to establish Vermilion's second global community investment program. Through this program, our donations will help protect the ecosystems and biodiversity that are important to the communities around our operational areas.
Vermilion began a partnership with the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo for the 2014/2015 school year, providing a donation to support the Vermilion Energy Empty Backpack Program. Through this program we are helping to ensure that learning opportunities which are so vital to a well-rounded education and critical to our future are available to all Calgary’s school children, regardless of financial or family circumstance.
We have continued this support and during the 2021/2022 school year, the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo facilitated 138 Vermilion Energy Empty Backpack programs, inspiring 2,999 students. Through hands-on activities and up close and personal encounters with animals, the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo is connecting audiences of all ages with nature and inspiring actions for wildlife conservation.
In 2023, the program gained a new name - The Vermilion Energy Zoo Explorers Program. This name will better promote inclusivity while still continuing to provide opportunities for students from underserved schools with the chance to explore and learn about the wonderful world of wildlife.
Beginning in 2019, we partnered with Tree Canada to support the National Greening Program and Partners in Planting Program to increase the tree cover and reforest areas in need to help contribute to healthy, resilient and sustainable communities. We renewed our committed in 2022 by providing a donation to support the National Greening Program, which will plant 4,560 trees and sequester an equivalent of 912tCO2e. Volunteer time in 2023 through a Day of Caring will see us planting approximately 150 native trees along the shoreline in Fish Creek Park in Calgary, including Balsam poplar, willows and western birch, contributing to a healthy urban forest.
Protecting the land, biodiversity and habitat of the wild spaces is important and that’s why in 2022, we renewed our commitment to working with the NCC to support property stewardship work near our operation areas in Alberta. Our donation and volunteer time will help protect these threatened areas by controlling invasive species, installing tree cages, cleaning trails and conducting wildlife surveys. We are proud to protect the places we call home.
Vermilion funded a monitoring program to assess the condition of the populations of Vertigo snail species within their Special Areas of Conversation. This study was performed in conjunction with the Bord na Móna and the National Parks and Wildlife Services, as well as Ballina-based River Moy Search and Rescue (who perform work protecting the marine environment).
While the vertigo snail was not found, several other unique snail species were located. The results of the survey work will be maintained in the National Biodiversity Database that will allow useful comparison during repeat visits, aid the conservation of the sites by providing management recommendations, and assess the condition of the sites for six-year EU reporting.
We worked with Generationshilfe Jung und Alte e.V. on their orchard project to preserve fruit trees while protecting the habitat of bees and other insects and providing opportunities for children and the community to experience nature.
Since 2021, Vermilion has been involved in the project 'Investing in biodiversity together' in collaboration with the Ynnatura Foundation, local municipalities and other organizations. The project aims to increase the variety of plants and animals on the Westkern industrial estates near Kootstertille and Skûlenboarch. Wildlife cameras have been installed and so far, have shown roe deer, stone martens, foxes, and geese who visit the area.
During the fires of 2022, the Football Club’s house, next to our Cazaux battery, was destroyed by the flames. Our donation will help with the reconstruction of this building, ensuring the popular sport of soccer that’s an important part of the cultural traditions of France remains strong.
The small town of Alameda is located in southeast Saskatchewan. As in many small Canadian towns, its community ice rink is a central gathering place – whether local residents and neighbours are competing in events such as hockey, figure skating or curling, or cheering on a local team. Our contribution helped the community make the required upgrades to the mechanical equipment in order to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all.
The Drayton Valley Brazeau Snow Club provides locals with an affordable and fun, family activity to enjoy the beautiful, winter season. The volunteer-run ski hill has been operating since 1965 to provide families with opportunities to experience winter activities such as skiing and tubing. Our contribution helped ensure the equipment was maintained for a safe and enjoyable winter season.
Since entering Croatia in 2019, we have invested in locally significant events such as the Lipovljani Meetings. This cultural event in Sisak-Moslavina County is celebrated for its many cultural and arts programs.
For the past two years, Vermilion has contributed to the Drayton Valley Bike Race and Ride Annual Fundraiser in Drayton Valley, called the DV100. This race runs from Drayton Valley to Lodgepole, Cynthia, Rocky Rapids, and back to Drayton Valley to promote physical fitness and the beautiful countryside of Alberta.
The DV100 raises funds to support programs, charities and students pursuing their education goals. An incredible team of Vermilion volunteers were there to lend a hand giving out water and snacks, as well as with the BBQ.
Our bursary supports two adult students transitioning into full-time post-secondary programs through Southeast College, preferably in electrician, office administration or industrial mechanic programs - which also offer excellent recruitment opportunities for our operations.
The Third Level Scholarship program was launched in 2007, and has helped over 200 young people achieve their academic goal of attending third level education. Students have graduated into a range of successful careers including, engineering, law, medicine and the sciences. This year, Vermilion will award 16 Scholarships to students in their first year of study.
As an active member of the Schools' Business Partnership, Vermilion and other local businesses aim to positively impact educational inclusion in Ireland. Each year we host students in their second year of secondary school at the Bellanaboy Gas terminal in Mayo. The program provides students with exposure to a "day in the life" of different disciplines working at Vermilion and discussions on a range of careers.
Vermilion set up the Charles W. Berard Undergraduate Scholarship in Natural Resources and Environmental Law in 2009 to pay tribute to the life, work and memory of Charlie Berard, a dear friend to many at Vermilion, and our corporate secretary from 1997-2009. Each year, a scholarship of approximately $5,000 is awarded to a continuing undergraduate student entering third year in the Faculty of Law at the University of Calgary with a demonstrated interest in Natural Resources & Environmental Law. A key part of the criteria is a candidate who best demonstrates leadership and support to the community, and alignment to Vermilion's core values of Excellence, Trust, Respect and Responsibility.
