Athabasca Basin News

Over the years, the garden has been expanding, but space is limited due to suitable growing areas. The garden operates from the end of May to the end of September, depending on the growing season. It is taken care of with the help of summer students where needed and two permanent workers – Julienne Martin has been working with the garden since it began, and Renee Adam started in 2017. Tiffany Toutsaint’s role is to look for funds for the garden workers, funds for student summer employment, and funds for any needed upgrades or administration.

“To help increase production, we purchased another grow tunnel which is in production this summer,” says Toutsaint. “We would like to convert this into an all-season greenhouse so we can grow our own bedding plants and produce other vegetables into the winter months.”

Tiffany Toutsaint, Manager of Fond du Lac Development.

This year, the garden is growing strawberries, cucumbers, green peppers, tomatoes, cabbage, celery, carrots, beets, green onions, pumpkins, apple trees and hydroponic lettuce. It also sometimes grows broccoli and even flowers.

The harvest produce is given to the health centre to be given to their prenatal/postnatal, homecare clients and distribute hampers of food to residents in need of fresh fruit and vegetables. Some of the produce was used to teach classes in canning, making salsa and preserves.

“A lot of people work together to make this happen, and we’re very grateful for everyone’s contributions,” says Toutsaint. “Chief and Council provides support on a yearly basis. Murray Grey from Murray Gray Farms has been consulting with us on the garden since the start up. The former health director, Tammy Lidguerre, along with her employees and Athabasca Health Authority were instrumental in getting this project going. Can/Sask Job Grants, the Athabasca Community Trust, Athabasca Health Authority, the Northern Lights Community Development Corporation, and Athabasca Basin Development have all provided support. And we are also thankful for the support of our community members, who are so positive and are always looking forward to the garden every year.”

Athabasca Basin Development provided $20,000 in the first year of start-up, as well as $2,000 in 2019 to assist with costs to ship materials for the garden.

Message from the CEO and Board Chair

Geoff Gay, CEO and Anne Robillard, Board Chair

This newsletter is always a great tool for us to take a moment and look at the initiatives our company and all our investments have undertaken in the past six months. As we review all the potential stories, we ask ourselves, does this help us fulfill the original vision we heard from Athabasca leadership when this company was first formed?

Back in the 2002, we heard from leadership that they wanted to build something for future generations. They wanted to have something for when the mining was done. They wanted employment, and the ability to participate and maximize on the opportunities in their own backyard. And they wanted the seven Athabasca communities to be unified. Seventeen years later, we continue to honour the original vision given to us by leadership.

Since 2014, we have transitioned ourselves to continue to participate and service the uranium industry, but also to look for opportunities outside of mining and outside of the region. In this newsletter, you’ll read about some exciting initiatives our investments are taking to be entrepreneurial and opening doors with new clients and new initiatives, such as Flyer Electric’s new division and Points Athabasca’s role in the Gunnar mine reclamation. And as we have adjusted to the economic conditions after enjoying the largest boom Saskatchewan has ever seen, we continue to make giving back to Athabasca community initiatives a priority.

This includes ongoing support for programs like Connected North, continued support for successful community-driven initiatives like the Fond du Lac community garden, and new initiatives like Suicide Prevention Bike-A-Thons in two communities. In addition to what we publish each spring and fall, there are numerous initiatives taking place that don’t make it into these newsletters.

These are initiatives that strengthen our teams, improve our efficiencies, or help us look for new investment opportunities. There’s a lot happening, and while we know there is always room for improvement, we are proud to share our stories with Athabasca community members, clients, coworkers, colleagues, and friends.

Flyer Electric’s New Technology Division Breaks New Ground in Saskatchewan

Flyer Electric’s new Technology Division will cover all the technology a person is interacting with on a regular day-to-day basis in a business, educational or commercial setting

For nearly four decades, Flyer Electric has been providing a wide range of industrial and commercial electrical services in Saskatchewan.

Recently, the company has expanded to add a Technology Division.

“As far as we know, this division is the only one of its kind in Saskatchewan,” says Will Doyle, the Technology Specialist at Flyer, “and there are a limited number of companies that provide both electrical services and offers a full-service technology division. We’re proud to be able to provide a unique offering to our clients that will save them time and money in their projects.”

The new Technology Division will cover the electrical industry technologies of Security, Audio-visual (AV), Information Technology, and controls. Essentially, it’s all the technology a person is interacting with on a regular day-to-day basis in a business, educational, or commercial setting. Examples are computers, security systems, sound systems, audio/video conferencing, and projectors, but there are many more.

“In construction jobs, these are all grouped under the electrical scope of work,” says Doyle, “and they are typically subcontracted by electrical companies to third parties – often the manufacturers, and there are often more than one. I’ve worked in this industry for over a decade, and I’ve always thought this could be something that could be integrated into one electrical company. So that’s what we’ve done – and it really takes advantage of the efficiencies in the type of work electricians are already doing.”

A Technology Specialist helps provide technology solutions by consulting, designing, installing, programming, and servicing technology projects, and/or by conducting a variety of management activities for these tasks to provide the best resolutions of client needs on time and on budget.

Flyer hired Doyle in 2017 to begin exploring the possibility of working with technology manufacturers and distributors in becoming authorized to supply their products directory and working with the Journeyman staff to provide additional training needed to perform the installation themselves.

“As we found success and positive feedback from new partnerships, we were encouraged by manufacturers and distributors to pursue the creation of a fully realized technology division,” says Doyle. “In the following year we were awarded a number of tenders, and we began representing over a dozen leading technology manufacturers. We are pleased to be fully launching the division.” A recent project completed by Flyer was at the University of Saskatchewan. Doyle’s division was engaged to install a public address system and tie it into a mass notification system.

“Schools tend to have a lot of electrical systems,” says Doyle, “and our new division means you only need to deal with one contractor instead of many, offering our clients tremendous efficiency and value. In addition to this, because our installation technicians are Journeymen electricians, the level of formal knowledge and training they receive in the installation of electrical technology cabling and devices is far more extensive than our competitors can offer.”

Giving Back

“Building a future through investment” is accomplished by building wealth for the Athabasca communities, donation, community distributions, building a reputation, and building capacity. The key to making all benefits possible is in building wealth for the communities – without this foundation, the other benefits would not be possible. Here are a few recent examples of ways Athabasca Basin Development and its investments give back:

Bike-A-Thons for Youth Suicide Prevention and Awareness

Black Lake’s 3rd annual Bike-A-Thon group traveled 1400 km to raise awareness about Suicide.

Black Lake hosted the 3rd annual Bike-A-Thon for Youth Suicide Prevention on June 21. Chaperones rode with 17 youth on a bike trek from Stony Rapids to Lac Ste. Anne, Alberta. The group cycled approximately 9 hours per day for 30 days, riding through wind, sun and rain to reach their destination. Fond du Lac also held a similar event this year. Twenty-nine youth from Fond du Lac participated in the Bike-A-Thon for Suicide awareness, biking from their home community to Lac Ste. Anne, Alberta. Both events were organized by Athabasca community members. ABD provided sponsorship to both events.

Persephone Northern Tour

Persephone Theatre at Father Gamache school performing “For Art’s Sake”

In April, Athabasca Basin Development partnered with West Wind Aviation, Orano, and Persephone Theatre to sponsor the Persephone Northern Tour in the Athabasca. The students had the opportunity to see a professional play with a set that was built specifically to fit in the planes and brought to the schools from Saskatoon. The tour visited Fond du Lac on April 1, Black Lake (with students from Stony Rapids also attending) on April 2, and Wollaston Lake on April 3. This is the second year that Athabasca Basin Development and West Wind Aviation have been sponsors of this tour.

KCDA Career Fair

Cheryl Gardipy at Athabasca Basin Security talks to students in Black Lake about careers in the security industry at the KCDA Athabasca Fly In Career Fair.

KCDA hosted its Annual Athabasca Fly In Career Fair on May 13-16. 309 students from grades 7-12 and 37 teachers took part in this year’s fair. Rick Langlais from Hands-on Outreach and Development presented to the students before students were given access to the career booths.

Numerous organizations attended, including University of Regina, Northlands College, Service Canada, RCMP, Aurora Communications, First Nations University, ESDC, QM Points, Sask Polytechnic, SATCC, Athabasca Health Authority, and North Sask Victims Services. Athabasca Basin Development was the title sponsor for the event, and Points Athabasca and Athabasca Basin Security presented this year.

Connected North

Connected North at Father Megret Elementary School in Hatchet Lake.

Connected North is an immersive, digital education and mental health and wellness network that provides customized services and real time experiences to schools and students in remote indigenous communities. Using technology, Connected North leverages real-time, high definition two-way video to make powerful connections for students.

On March 30, Connected North held a community celebration event in Saskatoon’s Chokecherry Art Studios featuring artist Nicole Josie from Hatchet Lake. An exhibition was held featuring 35 Learning with Animals images Josie created, and the event launched a new card deck featuring her artwork which helps students learn their language and local animals. Connected North officially launched in Saskatchewan on April 21, 2016 at Father Porte Memorial Dene School in Black Lake.

The program was expanded to include Father Megret Elementary in Hatchet Lake in March of 2017. Many partners came together to make this program a reality for 20 schools in Nunavut, Northwest Territories, Yukon, Ontario and Saskatchewan. Cisco Canada, TakingItGlobal, SaskTel, PAGC, Black Lake Denesuline First Nation, Father Porte Memorial Dene School, Hatchet Lake Denesuline First Nation, Father Megret Elementary School, Cameco, Orano, West Wind Aviation, and INAC have all been partners in this program over the years.

Athabasca Basin has been a supporter of this initiative since it launched in Black Lake in 2016 and we have recently renewed our commitment for another year.

Scholarships for Athabasca Students

This year, Ya’thi Néné Land and Resource Office once again offered scholarships for Athabasca students. Applications were due on July 31, 2019 and over $55,000 in scholarships will be awarded to 22 recipients. Scholarship winners will be officially announced in September at www.yathinene.com. “We are pleased to offer scholarships to post-secondary students from the Athabasca region,” says Garrett Schmidt, Executive Director for Ya’thi Néné Land and Resource Office. “This is the third year for scholarships, and we are excited to award scholarships to so many bright and deserving young students from the Athabasca region.” Scholarship winners were determined by the Ya’thi Néné Scholarship Committee. Athabasca Basin Development is proud to support this initiative in the amount of $5,000.

West Wind Aviation Donates Gift of “Jaws of Life” to Fond du Lac

Pictured (left to right): Michael Rodyniuk, CEO of West Wind Aviation, Derek Cook, Fond du Lac Fire Chief, Chief Louie Mercredi, Fond du Lac.

On June 10, West Wind Aviation presented a Jaws of Life to the community of Fond du Lac. Fond du Lac’s Jaw of Life was destroyed during the rescue operation of West Wind Flight 280 on December 13, 2017. Jaws of Life are hydraulic tools used to pry open vehicles involved in accidents when people may be trapped. “This can literally open anything,” said Micheal Rodyniuk, CEO of West Wind Aviation. “West Wind had committed to replacing this life-saving equipment for the community, and I was delighted to make good on that promise today.” The Jaws of Life was presented by Michael Rodyniuk, CEO of West Wind Aviation to Derek Cook, Fond du Lac Fire Chief and Chief Louie Mercredi during the Father Gamache Memorial School Grade 12 Graduation ceremony on June 10. The Jaws of Life are valued at approximately $25,000. “I want to thank West Wind Aviation for the replacement of our Jaws of Life,” said Chief Louie Mercredi at the graduation ceremony. “This is a crucial piece of equipment that we need. This Jaws of Life mean a lot to us.” The event also marked the ATR 42’s return to the community, which increased airline’s capacity in the area with both the SAAB 340 and the ATR 42 now running.

Points Athabasca Plays Key Role in Final Phase of Gunnar Mine Reclamation

QM Points Contracting has entered into an agreement with the Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC) to complete one of the final phases of the Gunnar mine remediation project. QM Points is a partnership between QM Environmental and Points Athabasca Contracting. “The strength in the partnership lies in the specialty each partner brings to the table,” says John Scarfe, CEO of Points Athabasca. “QM Environmental is a leading national environmental services contractor and Points Athabasca is a leading Saskatchewan based civil and construction contractor with majority Athabasca Basin Indigenous ownership, and over 20 years of successful operations in the region.”

The site will be remediated to a level that will allow reestablishment of vegetation and traditional uses of the land. The project will also result in training, employment and subcontracting opportunities for local community members, as well as other benefits to the region, including bursaries for students and community enhancement projects.

“This partnership is a very exciting step for us and for communities in the Athabasca Basin region,” says Scarfe. “We anticipate about 30 local people will spend the next five years working on this project in the Athabasca region.”

The former Gunnar uranium mine and mill site is located on the north shore of Lake Athabasca, approximately 25 km south of Uranium City. The mine was operational from 1955-1963 and officially closed in 1964 with little decommissioning. Due to the remote location of the site, numerous buildings and facilities were developed.

According to technical standards during that time, asbestos was widely used in all the buildings. QM Points provides the multidisciplinary expertise and experience needed to address the complex logistical challenges associated with the Gunnar Mine’s hard to access location. “We are proud to serve the province of Saskatchewan through a professional organization such as the SRC,” said Justin Sharp, QM’s Chief Executive Officer, “Over the next five years, we are projecting an increase in job opportunities and economic development.”

QM Points began work on the Gunnar site at the end of July.

Employees, Management Build Strong Team at Unique QM Points Orientation Program

QM Points Orientation Group 1. Pictured (standing – Left to right): John Moise, George St. Pierre, Alfred Bouvier, Bradley Laban, Gilbert Sha’Oulle, Terry Sayazie, Louise Bougiestill, Charlie Denecheze, Gordon Ratt, Bobby McDonald, Scott Bell. (Kneeling Left to right): Margaret Powder, M.J. Ratt, Darryl Beavereye

A comprehensive orientation program for prospective employees and management for the Gunnar reclamation project was held in June and July. 54 people participated in the programs that were held in Association and Northlands College led instruction in topics such as a ready to work program, First AID/CPR, to workplace fairness, cultural diversity, and conflict resolution.

“The orientation program worked well to help build a strong team I think because of the content of the program, and also because it involved management as well as potential employees,” said Glen Strong, Program and Training Coordinator at Points Athabasca. “The sharing circles and activities gave everyone a chance to get to know each other and get to know different cultures, backgrounds and experiences. There were some very powerful and emotional moments that really helped people to understand one another and solidify the team.”

For example, one of the activities was to get to know your secret friend. When participants would first arrive, they had to draw a name, and that person became their secret friend. “You would observe them through the days, get to learn their characters,” says Strong. “Participants created a small tipi that depicted their secret friend’s character. We also did a medicine bag which held tobacco, sage, sweet grass and cedar.

“The participants really liked the approach. Many of them said they would like to see the cultural portions and the sharing circles flow over into the workplace.”

At the end, you would present your secret friend with their personalized tipi.”

Another unique aspect of the orientation program was the Sharing Circle, which was facilitated by Joan Strong from PAGC Education.

During a sharing circle, each participant gets a chance to speak when it’s their turn with the talking stick. Participants can say whatever they want. These were often emotional. “Joan is so exceptionally good at running these,” says Strong of his wife. “She has a lot of experience running these in the past. The sharing circles were powerful and emotional, and it amazed me how much people participated and the stories they shared.”

Participants were also given the option to take part in cultural activities such as sweats. Gordon Ratt and MJ Ratt from Stanley Mission and Victor Echodh, Joe Renie and John Toutsaint from Black Lake are spiritual leaders who took part in the delivery of the cultural components. According to Strong, the participants feedback was extremely positive. “The participants really liked the approach,” he said. “Many of them said they would like to see the cultural portions and the sharing circles flow over into the workplace.”

Leonard Cook from Black Lack creates a personalized tipi for his secret friend at the QM Points Gunnar Orientation Program in July.

Other funders for the training included PAGC Education (who provided funding, student allowance, steel-toed boots for the participants, and assistance with organizing the event), as well as Northern Career Quest and Northlands College.

5Buds to Open Third Location

5Buds will be opening its third cannabis retail location in Saskatchewan this month. The Yorkton store – located at 230 Broadway St on the corner of Broadway and 9th – is scheduled to be completed and open to the public in September.

“We are so excited to be opening our store in the city of Yorkton,” says Corey Tyacke, Retail General Manager of 5Buds. “Our team has been incredibly busy working to get the stores open. We are proud of what we can offer our customers, and we look forward to growing with the cannabis industry and expanding our brand to other locations in the years to come.”

In June 2018, the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority announced recipients of the retail cannabis selection lottery process. Three licences were awarded to Synergy Five Investments, which is a limited partnership owned by Athabasca Basin Development, Des Nedhe Development, Peter Ballantyne Group of Companies, and Prince Albert Business Development representing 13 First Nations in Saskatchewan. Synergy Five investments operate cannabis stores under the name 5Buds Cannabis. Cannabis was legalized in Canada on October 17, 2018, and 5Buds opened its first location in Warman on November 30, 2018, with North Battleford’s store opening falling closely behind on February 25, 2018.

Athabasca Basin Development is continuing to look for new opportunities for investments – both to strengthen its existing investments as well as outside of its existing industries. “There are lots of opportunities out there and we are continuing to seek solid investment opportunities. I would encourage business owners who are looking at succession planning to consider us as a potential fit and to contact us to discuss opportunities – there may be a fit either with Athabasca Basin Development or with one of our investments.”

About Athabasca Basin Development

Athabasca Basin Development is an investment company committed to building and investing in successful businesses. Investments include partial or complete ownership in construction, industrial security, electrical, diamond drilling, logistics, road maintenance, aviation and more. The company is owned by the seven communities in Northern Saskatchewan’s Athabasca region. Watch for our next newsletter Spring 2020.

If you would like to be included in our newsletter distribution, or you would like to be removed from our mailing list, please send your name and contact information to newsletter@athabascabasin.ca

athabascabasin.ca

by Karen Cay

Athabasca Basin News

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