Team Drilling Runs Diamond Training Course

The trainees were from Fond du Lac, Wollaston, Hatchet Lake, Black Lake, Stony Rapids and Uranium City. Eleven participants passed the course, with each receiving a certificate of completion.

The drilling industry offers an excellent career with a unique lifestyle. “It’s a lot of hard work,” says Fleming. “And spending 3-4 months in the bush at a time, going somewhere new – it’s not for everyone, but those of us in the drilling industry who love it, really love it.”

Gunnar Project Updates

On January 14-16, representatives from QM Points and the Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC) traveled to the Athabasca communities to provide updates to leadership. The January 14 meeting was in Stony Rapids, January 15 was in Fond du Lac, and January 16 was in Black Lake. Uranium City and Hatchet Lake were not toured as there was no leadership available, so updates were provided by alternative means. Some highlights from the update:

• 82% of equipment being used is locally owned.
• 65% of the labour is being done by locals.
• 49% of all services and materials needed for the project were spent in the Athabasca.
• There were 40 Athabasca residents employed: Fond du Lac – 10, Black Lake/Stony Rapids – 8, Hatchet Lake – 7, Uranium City – 4.
• 7 urban employees from the Athabasca who live in the south were also employed.
• There were 4 Athabasca Community Coordinators employed from June to November.
• Each Athabasca community will receive a bursary of $25,000 towards community projects annually for the duration of the project.
• A scholarship fund is being developed with details to be announced in the near future. These scholarships are for $3,500 x 3 for each of the First Nation Communities. There will also be one scholarship of $3,500 for a recipient from the communities of Uranium City, Stony Rapids or Wollaston Lake.
• The Project will start in May and end in November this year.
• May 11-14, 2020 will see QM Points involved with the Athabasca Fly-in Career Symposium.
• During September 2020, QM Points will host Community Feasts and Project Updates.

“These are good numbers to start, and we are constantly striving for improvement,” says Kyle Remus, Project Manager. “As part of our ongoing commitment building local capacity, we will continue to work with the Athabasca communities to increase local involvement even further as this project continues, with the ultimate goal of maximizing local involvement to the highest level possible.”

A recruitment tour will take place in the Athabasca region the week of March 2. QM Points and SRC will be travelling to the Athabasca communities to accept resumes from Athabasca residents who are interested in working at the Gunnar project. Dates, times and locations will be found on community posters, on the QM Points Facebook page and on MBC radio.

QM Points is a partnership between QM Environmental – a leading national environmental services contractor – and Points Athabasca – a civil and construction contractor with majority Athabasca Basin ownership and over 20 years of successful operations in the Athabasca region. Last year, QM Points entered into an agreement with SRC to complete one of the final phases of the Gunnar mine remediation project. The site will be remediated to a level that will allow reestablishment of vegetation and traditional uses of the land. The former Gunnar mine was closed in 1964 with little decommissioning and is located approximately 25km south of Uranium City. QM Points began work on the Gunnar site in July 2019.

ABS helps bring Indigenous kids to Superhero Blades Game

On January 25, the Saskatoon Blades hosted the Edmonton Oil Kings. ABS was the night’s sponsor, helping to cover some of the costs for over 50 kids to attend the game who may not have had the opportunity to attend. The kids were from a variety of locations –Princess Alexandra School and Caswell school in Saskatoon, as well as from Daystar First Nation and Muskowekwan First Nation from outside of Saskatoon.

The evening started off with some glow bowling at Eastview Bowl for the kids, followed by a meal at the bowling alley and then on to the hockey game. The kids each received a superhero mask and also the chance to be part of the high-five tunnel with the Blades as they skated on the ice. The Oil Kings ended up defeating the Blades 3-2, but the kids all had a fun and memorable experience.

5Buds enters new phase in cannabis industry with edibles

On October 17, 2019, exactly one year after the first wave of legalization brought flower and other products, edibles, extracts and topicals officially became legal in Canada. 5Buds Cannabis began getting some of the new products just before Christmas.

“We were very excited to get the new wave of cannabis products in our stores just in time for the holidays,” says Corey Tyacke, Retail General Manager for 5Buds. “We have definitely seen an increase in sales since the new products came in. I think a lot of people have really been waiting for these products since cannabis first became legal. We’re only just beginning with this phase. I can’t wait to see what products become available in the coming months!”

Edibles are different than cannabis flower. The effects of smoking cannabis can be felt very quickly, whereas edibles take up to two hours before the high is felt. “We definitely recommend that customers start with a small amount and go very slowly,” says Tyacke. “If you don’t notice anything right away – that’s normal.”

Customers can find edibles in the form of chocolate bars, mints, and gummies at 5Buds, while other products like vapes and drinks are expected to come out later this year.

5Buds is owned by Synergy Five Investments, a limited partnership with four partners: ABD, Des Nedhe Development, Peter Ballantyne Group of Companies, and Prince Albert Business Development. Shareholders of these companies include 13 different First Nations in Saskatchewan. 5Buds has stores in Warman, North Battleford, and Yorkton; there is also an online store that can deliver to anywhere in Saskatchewan at www.5buds.ca.

SCSA recognizes Flyer Electric employee Corey Johnson with Safety Award

Each year the Saskatchewan Construction Safety Association (SCSA) acknowledges individuals, companies, and committees throughout the province of Saskatchewan for their efforts towards SCSA’s vision to create the safest construction environment in Canada.

In November, the SCSA presented Corey Johnson, Health and Safety Manager/NCSO at Flyer Electric, with the Safety Practitioner Award.

“I am so proud of Corey for receiving this award,” says Terry Tessier, CEO of Flyer Electric. “In our company, safety is part of everything we do, and we strive always for excellence and continual improvement. This culture of safety and our strong safety track record are largely achieved through Corey’s work in this area. I think this award really acknowledges that Corey is a true leader in the safety industry in Saskatchewan.”

The Safety Practitioner Award is presented to individuals in recognition of their dedication, outstanding contribution, and commitment to safety as well as well as their embodiment of the SCSA’s mission and vision to create a healthy and safe workplace.

“I am honoured to receive this award,” says Johnson. “Safety is everyone’s responsibility, and in our company, our core safety culture is demonstrated through coaching and leadership. My motivation each day is simple: I genuinely care for the well-being of the staff. To champion safety in the workplace is my career, but to have my fellow coworkers return to their loved ones is my passion. It is better to prepare and prevent than it is to repair and repent.”

Athabasca community clean-up and BBQ tour

In September, representatives from Points Athabasca, QM Points, SRC and ABD travelled to the Athabasca communities to meet with leadership, provide updates on the Gunnar project, and to serve up some end-of-summer burgers to community members and students. Students in many of the communities had spent the day outside cleaning up and picking up garbage. The tour stopped in Black Lake on September 17, Uranium City on September 18, Fond du Lac on September 19, and Wollaston Lake on September 20. The weather unfortunately did not cooperate for the BBQ in Wollaston Lake, so the burgers and hotdogs were donated to the school so that they could host their own BBQ on a day that was not so rainy. Over 1000 hotdogs, 1000 hamburgers and 34 gallons of macaroni were served or donated to the community.

2019 Athabasca Student Dinner

The annual Athabasca Student Dinner has been running for many years, but the trend in the last few years is a very exciting one to see. The number of students has been steadily increasing, and this year was another record year: 65 students registered, and over 250 guests attended.

The Athabasca Student Dinner is an event that recognizes the efforts and celebrates the achievements of Athabasca residents who are studying in the south. This year’s event was held on December 10. Guest speaker Gabrielle Toutsaint from Fond du Lac spoke about her experiences as a student studying in the south and the challenges she faced. Grade 10 Youth speaker Thomas Boyd of Stony Rapids rose to the challenge of speaking in front of a huge crowd, and he too spoke about his experiences of studying in the south.

Entertainment was provided by artists from the Athabasca region. Black Lake First Nation member Rebecca Strong from Stony Rapids/Prince Albert sang covers with her soulful voice. Dylan Gazandlare of Wollaston Lake showed off his amazing guitar skills. Veteran performer Leonard Adam of Fond du Lac finished off the evening.

The most exciting moment was when all students in attendance were invited to the stage. Patty Hughes from Transwest Air announced that each of the students in attendance would receive a plane ticket home each, plus a half price ticket home for a companion. Their reaction was captured and can be seen on the Athabasca Basin Development Facebook page.

This event would not be possible without the assistance and contributions of all the sponsors. ABD and Points Athabasca organized the event and ABD covered the cost of the dinner and room rental. Prize contributors included Transwest Air, Athabasca Basin Security, Flyer Electric, Ya’thi Néné, Saskatchewan Research Council, QM Points, Arctic Beverages, Team Drilling, Graham Construction, ORANO, MWG Apparel, Tru-North Marine & Recreation, Points North, and Long Lake Insurance.

ABS to provide services for Nutrien’s Cory Mine

Nutrien has signed an agreement with Athabasca Basin Security (ABS) to provide security services for its Cory Potash mine located 7 kilometers west of Saskatoon, SK. The contract provides the physical security and emergency medical support to the site with full time PCP/Security Officers Primary Care Paramedic). Coverage began on February 1, 2020.

“Nutrien is pleased to have awarded this opportunity to ABS at our Cory mine site,” says Shannon Manton, Manager, Procurement at Nutrien. “ABS has been providing Security/Medical First Responder at our Patience Lake site since 2013, and we’ve been very pleased with the very high level of service they provide. Also, working together with an Indigenous organization like ABS is in line with our approach to inclusion which seeks to make a broader economic contribution that helps to continue building the business capacities of local, Saskatchewan, First Nations and Métis businesses.”

“We have had a great long-term relationship with Nutrien, and we look forward to working with them to provide employment, training and industrial security service at their Cory location starting this year and in the years to come,” says Ron Hyggen, CEO of Athabasca Basin Security. “This is a big win for ABS and showcases the commitment of Nutrien to their long term contractors and the Indigenous community. We have always worked hard to prove that we can deliver services at the highest level. Nutrien is one of the world’s largest companies in Canada and as such, taking on a major property such as Cory, shows that we are in line with the values that Nutrien believes in. The Cory site utilizes integrated medical services with security personnel at the primary care paramedic level. We added this service a number of years ago and this investment has proven to be a valuable investment.”

Saskatoon-based ABS is 100% owned by Athabasca Basin Development, an investment company that is owned by the seven communities in Northern Saskatchewan’s Athabasca Basin area. In addition to having Indigenous ownership, ABS has partnerships with 14 First Nations across Western Canada for the training and employment of band members in order to ensure that local jobs are filled by local people. The company provides the Canadian mining industry’s top companies with a wide range of Industrial security and medical services.

2019 Christmas in the North

In December 2019, ABD cosponsored the eighth annual Christmas in the North event. On December 11, 12, and 16, Santa – along with representatives from the sponsoring companies – flew into the Athabasca communities of Stony Rapids, Black Lake, Fond du Lac, and Hatchet Lake/Wollaston and delivered an assortment of gifts to the kids. Gifts for students in Uranium City were also sent to the community.

West Wind Aviation, Cameco, and ORANO were co-sponsors of the event with their contribution going towards a re-usable gift bag and toys and games, such as sporting equipment and board games. Prince Albert Grand Council provided water bottles for all the kids and also brought along Santa to help give out the gifts. Al’s Place provided hotel and meal support for Santa and his helpers. West Wind provided round trips for the schools to give away to community members in a draw.

Athabasca Basin Development, Points Athabasca, Athabasca Basin Security, Team Drilling and Flyer Electric partnered to bring a book to Athabasca students. Every student from K-12 attending school in the Athabasca region received a book as part of their Christmas package. A wide range of books were provided, from popular graphic novels such as the Dog Man series by Dav Pilkey, to books by Indigenous authors such as My Heart Fills With Happiness by Monique Gray Smith.

The books have become an annual gift for the past couple of years, but this was the first year that students in high school were also able to receive a book.

This year, a gift was provided for every student in the Athabasca communities from K-12 for a total of 1277 students. The combined value of all the contributions to Christmas in the north is $65,000. The event has been running for the past eight years.

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