Justin Bourque to join Indigenous equity ownership panel at Global Energy Show Canada 2026

Âsokan Generational Developments founder and CEO Justin Bourque will speak June 9 at the Global Energy Show Canada in Calgary on how Indigenous loan guarantee programs are helping First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities secure equity stakes in energy and infrastructure projects. The panel comes as provincial programs expand and pressure grows for a scalable federal model.

Why it matters: - Indigenous loan guarantee programs are opening a path for First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities to move from participation to ownership in major energy and infrastructure projects. - Greater access to capital can help communities secure equity positions, build long-term revenue streams and keep wealth in community across generations. - The panel will examine whether existing provincial models can scale fast enough to meet demand.

What happened: - Justin Bourque, founder and CEO of Âsokan Generational Developments, will join a panel at the Global Energy Show Canada 2026 in Calgary. - The session is scheduled for June 9 from 3:20 to 3:50 p.m. on the Strategic Stage, Level 3, at the BMO Centre. - The Global Energy Show Canada runs June 9-11 in Calgary. - The panel focuses on Indigenous Loan Guarantee Programs and their role in helping Indigenous communities secure equity positions in major projects. - The Hon. Rajan Sawhney, Alberta’s Minister of Indigenous Relations, will deliver introductory remarks.

The details: - Bourque will appear alongside Stephen Buffalo, president and CEO of the Indian Resource Council of Canada; Chana Martineau, CEO of the Alberta Indigenous Opportunities Corporation; and Billie Fortier, partner at MLT Aikins LLP. - The discussion will cover the rapid growth of provincial loan guarantee programs. - Speakers will also address the case for a scalable federal model to meet rising demand. - Predictable policy and streamlined approvals are expected to come up as conditions for sustaining momentum. - Âsokan says it has helped facilitate transactions worth approximately $3 billion and has worked with more than 80 Indigenous communities across Canada. - Âsokan describes its work as building equity partnerships between Indigenous communities and industry to create lasting, intergenerational wealth. - Âsokan says the company name means “bridge” in nêhiyawêwin (Cree). - The company says its mission is to forge sustainable partnerships that support Indigenous self-determination and positive social change through economic development. - More information is available on Âsokan’s website.

Between the lines: - The panel signals growing interest in ownership structures that let Indigenous communities hold direct stakes in energy and infrastructure projects. - Bourque’s comments frame loan guarantees as a financing tool, but also as a policy lever that can determine who benefits from resource and infrastructure development. - The push for a federal model suggests provincial programs alone may not be enough to absorb rising demand.

What’s next: - The June 9 panel will give industry, legal and Indigenous policy leaders a public forum to discuss how to expand access to equity capital. - Attention will likely turn to whether governments can standardize and speed up approval processes while maintaining program capacity. - The wider test will be whether more Indigenous communities can turn guaranteed access to financing into ownership stakes in live projects.

The bottom line: - Indigenous loan guarantees are becoming a key mechanism for turning partnership into ownership in Canada’s energy transition and infrastructure buildout.