Saulteaux consulting & engineering: firm a perfect combination of entrepreneurship and first nations partnerships.

• Author: Strong, Graham
• Position: Best Indigenous Businesses

Saulteaux Consulting & Engineering Inc. is a success story by any definition. But what makes this Fort Frances-based company special is its perfect combination of entrepreneurship and First Nations partnerships.

CEO Dean Bethune and senior project engineer Todd Bruyere founded the company in 2010 while working for the Pwi-Di-Goo-Zing Ne-Yaa-Zhing Advisory Services Tribal Council in Fort Frances.

"We started, just the two of us, partnering with the Naicatchewenin Development Corporation (operated by Naicatchewenin First Nation)," Bruyere said. He and Bethune continued to work at the tribal council during the first year to "test the waters" with their new firm. As it turned out, the waters were more than welcoming. "We added two people who were local here, and then we grew from there."

Saulteaux is the only engineering consultant based in the Rainy River District, and employs 10 full-time staff, hiring part-time and contract workers as needed. The firm provides a number of services including project development and management, planning studies, and engineering consulting and design services. They also provide summer job opportunities for engineering students and engineering assistant intern positions for high school students.

One major ongoing project is the management of the workers' camp and the mine site buildings at New Gold's Rainy River Project mine, located 65 kilometres northwest of Fort Frances. The setup of the Atkinson Road Camp included site locating and preparation, sourcing and setting up modular trailers, hooking up the water supply and sewage systems, upgrading the roads, managing backup power generators, and ensuring that construction and operations meet provincial standards.

"It's like constructing and managing a little (600-person) town," Bruyere said. "This was an exceptional project for us--we've never had one this big."

To help provide this service, Saulteaux, Naicatchewenin First Nation and Rainy River First Nations created Onikaajigan Construction LP. Bruyere said that based on the success of the Atkinson Road Camp, this spinoff company could provide similar services for other future...