Common menu bar
Bonnie Gray-Wallace
Bonnie Gray-Wallace worked at the NEB from 1998 to 2006. In her last position as Professional Leader, Northern Strategies, Bonnie advised the Board on environmental, Aboriginal and regulatory matters related to energy issues in northern Canada. Well acquainted with the social and cultural milieu, she helped facilitate the Board's re-entry to the North in 2000 when interest in pipelines from Alaska and the Mackenzie Valley gathered momentum. In recollecting her time with the Board, Bonnie is passionate about her experiences in the North and the inherent opportunities that have yet to be realized. [More]
What is your most memorable work experience at the NEB?
The opportunity to help the Board re-enter the North was extremely important to me. I was very fortunate to work with Ken Vollman and Gaétan Caron. Gaétan hadn't spent time in the North, so I was able to introduce him to the whole context up there.
The last time the Board was active in the North was 1989 when they held a hearing. There had been very little activity in oil and gas since then. From 1989 to 2000, some of the land claims were settled, and a new Environmental Assessment Act for the Mackenzie Valley was proclaimed. Those two developments resulted in the creation of several northern agencies with whom the NEB would have to work when projects started to move forward.
Part of my job involved figuring out how the new environmental assessment laws would affect the Board, helping the Board understand them, and helping the Board determine how to work with our partners in the North. To this end, I was guided by Ken and Gaétan. They wanted to be partners rather than the big federal regulator from the South. From my previous working life, I knew folks in Yellowknife and Whitehorse, and so I was able to ease the way in and make some introductions.
What is your fondest memory of the NEB?
My fondest memory is sitting in the bar at the Finto hotel in Inuvik and writing a press release to indicate that the cooperation plan for the Mackenzie Gas Project had been signed by all the parties. As soon as I finished the English version, I passed my computer over to Gaétan. He took it and translated the English text that we'd all agreed on into French so that first thing in the morning, we had a news release ready to go out in French and English.
It showed an enthusiasm and a desire by Gaétan to seize the moment, to lead with the Board's partners, and to get things done. I think that's an attitude that he brings to a lot of things.
Of the projects you have worked on, what had the most impact on Canadians?
The Mackenzie Gas Project is one of the most significant projects I've worked on at the NEB. Unfortunately, it hasn't progressed on the schedule that we all hoped for. It certainly has the potential to change the future of the North - to give folks who have very little opportunity an opportunity to excel in the future and to offer their children education and jobs. I think that's what hangs in the balance for the North and the Mackenzie Gas Project.
The Aboriginal leaders have a tough time. They have to balance the views, aspirations and the memories of their community. Certainly, they would like to see the old ways preserved but at the same time those leaders have to provide a future for their children and those two things often aren't compatible.
Who among your colleagues at the NEB has most influenced you?
Gaétan Caron and Ken Vollman. Ken was masterful in the way he was able to build partnerships in the North and those efforts brought the Board respect from people who hadn't known us before. Gaétan was the same. His enthusiasm is absolutely infectious. He has always been able to inspire folks to understand the significance of the work they do and to put it in the context of the Canadian public interest.
In your time at the NEB, has anything significantly affected your career?
The opportunity that the Board offered me to focus on the North was very important. It allowed me to do things I found to be extremely interesting and very satisfying. The things you like are often the things you do well, and I often said I had the best job at the NEB.
Is there anything you would like to say to today's NEB staff?
I would certainly encourage staff to look outside their boundaries - to build professional relationships with peers in other organizations, public interest groups, and in the regulated companies. It is vital for individual development that you broaden your learning and experience. Those personal contacts and understanding will serve you well throughout your working life.
Primary navigation (left column)
The NEB
- Who we are & our governance
- Public Participation
- News Releases
- Careers
- Hearings and Information Sessions
- Major Applications and Projects
- Regulatory Documents
- Cost Recovery
- North / Offshore
- Site Map
- Links