Pictured (L to R) Skilled Labourer, Zarren Toutsaint - Fond Du Lac Denesuline First Nation, John MacDonald, Senior Construction Planner - Lac La Ronge Indian Band, Skilled Labourer, Smy Tsannie - Hatchet Lake Denesuline First Nation, Equipment Operator, Ivan Stalthanee - Black Lake Denesuline First Nation, Equipment Operator, Keisha Daigneault - Birch Narrows Dene Nation
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Employee Reflections 

April 8, 2026 in People
Explorer: Spring 2026

By John MacDonald, Senior Construction Planner with Points Athabasca 

Pictured (L to R) Skilled Labourer, Zarren Toutsaint – Fond Du Lac Denesuline First Nation, John MacDonald, Senior Construction Planner – Lac La Ronge Indian Band, Skilled Labourer, Smy Tsannie –
Hatchet Lake Denesuline First Nation, Equipment Operator, Ivan Stalthanee – Black Lake Denesuline First Nation, Equipment Operator, Keisha Daigneault – Birch Narrows Dene Nation

Just shy of my 3rd anniversary with Points Athabasca, I reflect on the successes, challenges, and opportunities I have experienced within this great organization. 

We often talk about the unique role we play as an Indigenous Construction business, and what our success means for our seven impact communities in Northern Saskatchewan’s Athabasca region, who together make up 75% of our ownership structure through Athabasca Basin Development. As an Indigenous employee, I feel a deep connection to our mission of Building Capacity, and it is always at the forefront of my mind when I enter a new project. I continually ask myself, “How can we do better?” 

Last fall, I was presented with an opportunity to tackle a small project at one of our main clients’ northern mine sites. This particular project was replacing a steel culvert under a road crossing at the mine site’s final effluent release point. While nowhere near the most technical work we do, it was one of the most fulfilling jobs I have worked on for our company in the past three years. 

I look back on this project because I had the rare opportunity to lead an all-Indigenous team. It’s not often that the onsite team at one of our worksites is 100% Indigenous, and while this might not mean much to some people, it meant a lot to me on a deeper level. The team’s efficient teamwork, crew-safety culture, and individual problem-solving skills filled me with pride. This crew would have held their own against any construction team I have worked with over 30 years in the Saskatchewan Mining Industry. 

We are “Building Capacity,” a key theme for our company that shapes how we do business. At our core, we are about people. We believe in building beyond the project, and our slogan, “Building Capacity,” speaks to our deep commitment to engaging people in local communities. This small project was a great example of that and a reminder that what we are doing here at Points Athabasca is working. 

On a side note, we completed this project ahead of schedule and on budget. We were then tasked with an additional culvert replacement, which we completed on schedule.