Heather Swan (BScE’00) is a woman drawn to dichotomies. She moves between two cultures—the holistic worldview of Indigenous communities and the structured, hierarchical approach of Western traditions—and between two professions: planning and engineering. Although engineers and planners collaborate on the built environment, their approaches differ considerably, she says. “Not to oversimplify things, but with engineering, generally there’s a right answer. You’ve done the math, you’ve designed something—it’s going to function. [While] planning is a lot of shades of gray.”
Her journey into engineering began in 1995, when she entered UNB’s civil engineering program. In her final year, she took two planning-related courses that went beyond “formulas and calculations,” focusing instead on understanding the needs of people who lived where development was proposed. “It had me think more about working with the environment instead of how to overcome it,” says Heather, who completed a master of urban and regional planning at Queen’s University soon after graduating from UNB.
A path toward reconciliation
In 2007, her career took another turn when the company she worked for needed her assistance with community consultations for a Hydro One project in Northern Ontario involving 22 First Nations communities. That experience reshaped her professional life, leading her to focus almost entirely on projects involving Indigenous partners.
A First Nation Elder hired to guide the consultants became an important teacher, showing Heather how to work respectfully with First Nation communities. At the first meeting, he asked her to say the opening prayer. “It was very humbling to be given such an important role, and I knew that the Elder trusted me and was there to support me.” She was struck by the way the meeting was conducted—the leaders emphasized that participants needed to show respect and kindness, even when they disagreed. “I walked away from that first meeting… [saying to myself] ‘I want every meeting to start with that kind of coming together and acknowledging how we’re going to treat each other as we work together.’”
That project encouraged Heather—who had never studied or to that point deeply considered Indigenous people and the “true history” of Canada—to learn all she could about First Nations cultures. She began seeking projects involving Indigenous engagement and consultation, later expanding her work to include direct partnerships with First Nations clients.
Her projects have spanned the country—from remote northern regions to urban reserves. One of her proudest achievements is a climate change adaptation strategy for the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory in Eastern Ontario. The initiative helped secure $40 million in federal funding and extended water mains to provide more residents with clean drinking water. “For me, success is delivering projects that make a difference,” says Heather, who has also worked on renewable energy initiatives that align with Indigenous perspectives on protecting Mother Earth.
Central to her approach is the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action 92, which urges companies to commit “to meaningful consultation, building respectful relationships, and obtaining the free, prior, and informed consent of Indigenous peoples before proceeding with economic development projects.” Too often, companies treat Indigenous engagement and consultation as a “tick box exercise,” says Heather, who believes that incorporating Indigenous knowledge and perspectives leads to stronger, more sustainable projects.
Still, reconciliation work can bring challenges. Linear projects—such as highways, pipelines or power lines—often cross multiple First Nations territories, requiring developers to consult with many communities, integrate their different perspectives and honour each one’s cultural protocols. As Heather points out, reconciliation work requires deep social understanding. She urges engineers working on First Nations territory to “engage early and often” so that field data, such as environmental surveys identifying at-risk species or habitats, captures the full picture. If you overlook a species that’s important to an Indigenous community early in the project, it can be difficult to adjust later on—especially when multiple seasons of field surveys are required, she says.
Another challenge, she notes, is ensuring that technical solutions fit the day-to-day realities of the communities they’re meant to serve. While working in Northern Ontario, she learned about a wastewater treatment plant that met best practices but was unsuited to a location where supplies had to be flown in and Internet was unreliable. “It wasn’t the right answer for that community,” she says.
Learning, listening and leading with respect
Heather underscores the importance of non-Indigenous people being open and transparent about their background. As a settler of English, Irish, and German descent, she is “absolutely upfront” about her heritage. “I don’t want people to ever feel like they’ve been tricked,” she says. To deepen her understanding of First Nations culture, she has participated in powwows and other ceremonies and learned to introduce herself in Anishinaabemowin—something she hopes to do in other languages as well.
Working with Indigenous people, she adds, has taught her humility and the value of listening. “I had to learn a lot about allyship—how to listen more than I speak, and how to gather insights from stories that may not seem relevant at first. Usually, when I stop and reflect, I can see exactly where they were going and what they wanted to impart.”
Heather’s commitment to reconciliation extends far beyond individual projects. On the Ontario Professional Planners Institute board, she helped draft a guide for planners on Indigenous engagement, consultation and accommodation. She urges young engineers to learn Canadian history, advocate for reconciliation within their organizations and “amplify Indigenous voices in the rooms where they are privileged to hold space.” She adds: “A lot of people may not see how reconciliation fits into their job, but if your job involves changing anything on the land or speaking with people about what they need, then reconciliation should be part of your practice.” For Heather, who launched her own consulting company in 2025, reconciliation isn’t just a professional responsibility—it’s a lens that shapes every project and every interaction.
