Environmental consulting firm expands: true Grit branches into First Nation projects, hires forestry execs as V-Ps.

• Author: Ross, Ian
• Position: ABORIGINAL

Opening up Ontario's Far North to mineral development means First Nation communities will need top-notch environmental experts in their corner.

Almost as fast as major mining companies want to develop chromite and base metal deposits in the James Bay Lowlands, Thunder Bay's True Grit Consulting Ltd. intends to keep pace by their recent acquisition of a smaller consulting firm with strong First Nation ties.

True Grit acquired Anebeaaki Environmental Inc., of Sioux Lookout, which specializes in assessing and remediating contaminated diesel fuel depots and abandoned Department of Defence radar bases in remote northern communities.

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True Grit president Eric Zakrewski said Anebeaaki is a trusted name among 26 fly-in communities in northwestern Ontario.

"We wanted their reputation and their people," said Zakrewski.

This will be True Grit's third office since Zakrewski established the company in 2006. The company expanded to' Sudbury last year.

Both parties are familiar with one another having teamed up on First Nation-related projects in the past.

"It's been such a good fit and we recognize this as a high growth market," said Zakrewski.

True Grit will be able to access a large client base in a soon-to-be booming area of Ontario, while Anebeaaki management can finally offer an expanded array of services that their clients have been asking for.

"Our work is based primarily on the relationships that we've established with the communities," said Anebeaaki manager Randy Edwards, who co-founded the six-employee Sioux Lookout firm in 1998 with Dave Cornier.

Though neither is of First Nation heritage, they have pains-takingly fostered solid relationships and an understanding of the cultural sensitivities of these communities. Before the partners were in business together, they were involved in Ottawa's Environmental Issues Inventory in the early 1990s to take stock of contaminated sites on reserves.

Today these historic liabilities are ones that Indian and Northern Affairs, Environment Canada and the Ministry of Natural Resources are pouring more funds in each year to clean up.

"Each community is different and that's key to our working with them," said Edwards. "We've slowly built momentum up and have been really busy in the last few years."

Their biggest challenges have been manpower and staff retention. Edwards said True Grit has a strong industrial hygiene department capable of dealing with mold contamination issues in...