YORKTON - It was a big night for Credence Construction as the Yorkton Chamber of Commerce hosted its Celebrate Success Awards last Wednesday.
To begin the big night for Credence they would be one of three organizations to receive a Community Merit Award presented by SaskTel, in their case for the ice fishing charity they hold. The other recipients were SIGN and Sask Abilities Yorkton.
Credence spokesperson Dustin Brears said it’s “nice to be recognized by your peers,” for the effort that goes into organizing a fundraising event like the one held at Theodore Dam.
“There’s months of planning,” he noted, and the construction firm builds an on ice shelter each year too.
Of course the most gratifying aspect of the derby is that it continues to raise money for The Health Foundation offered Brears, this year attracting a record number of fishermen, and raising a record amount of money.
Then later in the evening Darcy Spilchen of Baker Tilly would present the Large Business of the Year Award to Credence Construction.
“It was totally, completely unexpected,” said Brears. “. . . It’s humbling.”
For those unfamiliar with Credence, it is a construction and maintenance company working in the agriculture and mining sectors, sending crews – millwrights, welders and other skilled workers -- across the Prairies and into Northern Ontario, explained Brears, adding typically they work for major companies such as Nutrien, Weyhauser and Richardson.
The company only began in 2019, as 13 people put out of work by the closure on EMW, banded together to start the new venture.
Before Credence had a year under its belt, a time of starting out looking for financing and jobs, COVID hit. Brears said while they weathered that – in part because several clients were in the food sector so they kept operating, it meant adapting on the fly. He said as companies adapted Credence found it was needing to follow different regulations based on what province, sector of company.
Now with COVID in the rearview mirror Credence employs 70 full-time staff, with that number passing 100 during the busy summer construction season.
“And they are for the most part local people,” said Brears, adding since “they make a good living working lots and lots of hours,” they do have an impact on the local economy spending locally where 80 per cent live.
With the success since 2019 a positive, Brears said the company sees lots of potential to grow. He said while the amount of work they have carried out in the agriculture sector was somewhat unexpected, that is where the potential to grow comes from as the sector will need to expand to feed the world.
