Hey, sure it’s nice to score a bronze medal atthe Canadian Brewing Awards (CBA) duringyour first year of operation. But for SwiftCurrent’s Black Bridge Brewery, it’s far moresatisfying to discover you’ve become a hitwith customers.

“We have a cult following now,’’ Black Bridgeco-owner Kari Stenson says with chuckle. “Wehave people who say ‘that’s my beer, now’—theyjust love it. Awards are awards and it’s an hon-our to receive them, but it’s definitely about ourcustomers.’’

e object of affection for both the blindtaste testers at the brewing awards in NiagaraFalls last June and the craft beer crowd who’vefound a new favourite is Black BridgeBrewery’s Milk Stout. Yes, there’s somethingpeculiar about a typically dark beer named‘milk.’ However, it’s the taste, not the looks,which Stenson and her husband and co-owner Clayton had in mind when they cameup with the curious moniker.

“It’s smooth and kind of creamy and choco-latey with dark fruit notes,’’ says Stenson. “It’sa mild stout with a really unique flavour.’’

Black Bridge Brewery launched in October2014 and takes its name from a landmarksteel bridge south of Swift Current. e com-pany grew out of a home-brewing hobbyClayton had been pursuing for a dozen yearsbefore going commercial. Prior to enteringthe craft beer business, Clayton was a produc-tion manager at a family-owned agriculturalmanufacturing firm in Swift Current andKari was a stay-at-home mom. Kari says sheand her husband often talked about workingtogether and finally they decided to do some-thing about it.

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www.economy.gov.sk.ca Volume 29 }WINTER 2016Saskatchewan’s quarterly newsletter on people and business engaged in economic growth

Black Bridge brews up a winnerBy Dave Yanko

Kari and Clayton Stenson of Black Bridge Brewery Photo by: Calvin Fehr Photography

Saskatchewan NOW! } WINTER 2016 1

It’s a staggering statistic: About 80 per cent ofcouples who have children with complexmedical needs end up getting divorced. Manylose their jobs.

“No parent will ever say their divorceoccurred because they had a child with specialneeds,’’ says Jacqueline Tisher, a registerednurse and founder and Chief ExecutiveOfficer of Hope’s Home in Regina.

But the pressure on such couples is great,especially in families where both partners havecareers, because support for such kids is lim-ited. at’s where Hope’s Home comes in.

Hope’s Home fills a gap in government’shealth/social services/education environmentthrough daycare services for children withcomplex medical needs. eir siblings are wel-come, as well as other children in the commu-nity, when space permits. e organizationalso provides supportive living homes, wherechildren with complex medical needs canreceive 24-hour care, and respite services, forparents of high-needs children who need abreak.

In Regina, Hope’s Home operates 65 daycarespaces in two locations, plus two additionalsupportive living homes with four beds each.e organization operates a 90-space daycarein Prince Albert, as well as a 4 bed supportiveliving home and has government funding toopen a 76-space daycare in Saskatoon: “Wejust haven’t found a building, yet,’’ says Tisher.A 10-bed, supportive-living home inSaskatoon awaits five more licenses for fulloccupancy.

Hope’s Home has its roots in heartache. In theearly 2000s, Tisher was working in the pedi-atric and neonatal intensive care unit at

Regina General Hospital and fostering kidswith medical needs in her home. Hope was alittle girl with very complex medical condi-tions who lived in the hospital. She touchedthe hearts of all who cared for her.

“When Hope was born she had nobody,’’Tisher recalls. “Her biological mother had anintellectual disability and abandoned her atthe hospital. Hope had a tracheotomy andwas on a ventilator at night—it was a very dif-ficult situation for any potential foster par-ents.’’

Tisher said her family agreed to bring Hopehome. However, the little girl died at age 10months after just two trial visits to her newhome. During Hope’s short life, Tisherpressed the provincial government for supportbecause she didn’t want to quit her job. Butnone was available.

“Once you got these kids home the expecta-tion of Social Services was ‘that’s your job,’’’says Tisher.

is situation meant that a dual-income fam-ily blessed with a child with complex medicalneeds had to decide which partner stayedhome to provide support. e alternative wasto leave the child in the hospital or a nursinghome. Nighttime nursing care is available tofamilies of kids with very serious or life-threat-ening conditions, says Tisher, but meeting theassistance criteria is difficult. Homecare offersseveral hours a week of respite care, enoughtime for parents to get groceries or have a littlebreak. But for parents with high-medicalneeds kids who want to maintain employment or go to school, says Tisher,there’s nothing.

“Honestly, I had no idea there was no supportfor these families in our province—or any-where else in Canada, for that matter. erewere no daycares taking children that neededa nurse.’’

Tisher took a one-year leave of absence fromwork late in 2005 and started Hope’s Homewith one high-needs boy and his sister.Licensed as a family daycare by the Ministryof Education, Hope’s Home grew into agroup family daycare with a dozen kids.Government recognized the social value andcost savings of a company providing nursingservices at daycares, and Hope’s Homeentered into funding agreements with theMinistries of Education, Health and SocialServices. Tisher did not return to her nursingjob at the hospital.

Ten years after startup, Hope’s Home offersmedical daycare services for $57 per day,which is very inexpensive, says Tisher. eorganization provides services to 300 childrenwith a staff of 160; 120 were hired in the lasttwo years alone. When asked where sheexpects her company to be 10 years from now,Tisher looked beyond provincial boundaries.

“I can see us really well established inSaskatchewan and meeting the needs anddemands that are coming up in Winnipeg,Edmonton and Toronto,’’ she says, addingthat Hope’s Home is currently focused on itsSaskatchewan operations and working hard tosteady the foundation of the organizationbefore they consider expanding.

Now, Tisher’s board of directors is chargedwith enhancing growth and developmentacross Canada. And the little boy who wasHope’s Home first child is a healthy andhappy high school student.

2 Saskatchewan NOW! } WINTER 2016

By Dave Yankolike Hope’s HomeThere’s no place

Saskatchewan NOW! } WINTER 2016 3

Jacqueline Tisher, founder and CEO of Hope’s Home Photo by: Red Storm Photography

4 Saskatchewan NOW! } WINTER 2016

Koenders: Moulding a If you’re a farmer or livestock producer,enjoy kicking back at your lakeside cottage,are a boating, ice fishing and outdoor recre-ational enthusiast, or if you’re a manufac-turer in Saskatchewan’s golden triangle,chances are good you’ve likely used or arefamiliar with the high caliber polyethyleneand custom metal fabricated productsmade by Koenders Manufacturing inEnglefeld.

Koenders Manufacturing has been a rep-utable name in Saskatchewan since 1997when the rotational molding part of

Koenders Manufacturing was purchasedfrom Wilf Koenders. Since then, Koendershas had steady growth throughout theyears even with the recent downturn in theoilfield sector—a significant market forKoenders. e Englefeld company enjoyeda record year in 2015 and anticipatesgrowth for the next five years in all areas ofits production.

“Diversification is essential in an extremelychanging marketplace,” says KoendersManufacturing General Manager andshareholder Colin Tamme. To this end,

Koenders recently acquired an injectionmolding business in Saskatoon and movedthe operation to its 30,000 square footplant in Englefeld. “is gives us three keydivisions now—rotational molding, metalfabrication, and now, injection molding,”says Tamme. “is means we will be ableto considerably expand our product linefrom the 250 or more products we’ve beenable to produce until now.”

e company’s product line is certainlydiverse. It includes boat and personal watercraft lifts, boat trailer guards, boat docks

By Elaine Carlson

Colin Tamme, General Manager for Koenders Manufacturing Photo by: Kevin Hogarth

Saskatchewan NOW! } WINTER 2016 5

solid future in plasticsand accessories; recreational, hunting and fishing gear—from sledsand ATV cargo storage boxes to ice fishing huts and huntingblinds; a variety of equipment geared to the agricultural and live-stock sectors; water storage tanks and pest control items; and keyequipment manufactured expressly for the industrial and oilfieldsectors—from containment berms to barricades. Manufacturing,utility companies, and the construction industry also use a varietyof Koenders-made products.

“Now, with our increased capability, we will be able to make any-thing from cabinet legs to medical components. at means, inaddition to working with existing clientele across North America,we can start focusing on building a whole new range of customers,” Tamme says.

Another key part of Koenders’ success in a challenging economyhas been its location in what Tamme refers to as Saskatchewan’sgolden triangle of manufacturing. “We are surrounded by manu-facturing companies and have lots of economy happening here. Ifyou’re doing the right thing, you will develop a relationship withthese companies. Half of our business is making custom productsfor other manufacturers for their assembly. We can also designproducts for other manufacturers, including looking after full pro-curement so our customers don’t have to worry about finding andbuying materials. ey tell us what they need, and we deliver afinished product,” says Tamme. “Businesses can feed off each othervery nicely when you have good relationships, and you achievegood economies of scale.”

e location advantage includes access to a well-developed truck-ing and transportation network because of the sheer volume ofbusiness in the area, a slightly lower cost of living because of a non-urban locale, and access to a ready, enthusiastic and trainable work-force right from the community. Koenders employs about 40people, including a sales and marketing team serving clients across

North America, as well as a research and development team alwaysat work on new product development. At one time, retainingemployees was a challenge just because workers had so manychoices, but one of the benefits of an economic slowdown has beenincreased workforce stability. A shortage of housing was also anissue initially, but significant housing development in Humboldtand other neighbouring communities has addressed this problemvery nicely.

With all the advantages at hand, as well as the determination to beinnovative, Tamme believes Koenders Manufacturing will continueto grow slowly while the economy recovers. “Most companies insome way or other are affected by oil prices, so there is always achain reaction that affects us down the road when oil prices drop,”says Tamme. “We’re dealing with that market downturn as best we

can by continuously diversifying our product lines which we cannow further do with our new injection molding process. Suddenlyour clientele can grow quite broadly—the medical industry, municipal governments, the waste management industry, othermanufacturing firms, private individuals with an invention. Wewill also focus on growing our U.S. market to take advantage ofthe difference in currency so it works in our favour for a change.Fortunately, Koenders procures 95 per cent of its raw materials—principally resin and polyethylene—from Canada.”

What’s good for Koenders Manufacturing is also good forSaskatchewan. “e payroll stays here, other jobs are createdbecause of having customers like us here, and communities outsidethe main urban centres can continue to grow and prosper,” saysTamme. “We can do anything here!”

For more information on Koenders Manufacturing, visithttp://www.koendersmfg.com.

“Diversification is essential in an extremely changing marketplace.”

6 Saskatchewan NOW! } WINTER 2016

SAGD:Small scale, big potential for Sask’s heavy oilWhen the bottom fell out of the worldprice of oil a year ago, headlines ever sincehave been filled with doom and gloom,every day bringing more news of cutbacksand layoffs. Unconventional production,mainly in oil sands and shale oil extraction,was especially hard hit.

But amid these tales of woe, there is still onebright light shining from the industry. atlight is shining brightest in west centralSaskatchewan—in a crescent-shaped regionextending as far as Paradise Hill in the northto Kerrobert in the south, centred around theLloydminster heavy oil deposits.

e heavy oil reserves in this region, partof the sand-prone Mannville Group, arelighter than the bitumen produced aroundFort McMurray, but more viscous than theBakken reservoirs around Weyburn. atmakes them ideal for a decades-old extrac-tion process that is making a comeback,but with technological improvements thatare particularly well suited to this region ofSaskatchewan.

In sandy deposits, heavy crude can beextracted using steam-assisted gravitydrainage (SAGD). Instead of using tradi-tional vertical wells, SAGD producers usedirectional drilling to extend two parallelhorizontal wells, one above the other,about four to six metres apart. e upperwell injects steam into the formation,reducing the viscosity of the oil, whichthen flows by gravity into the lower well,where it can be recovered by pumps on thesurface.

e characteristics of the formations in thisregion require less steam for extraction, andtherefore less water and energy to produceit, than thermal projects elsewhere.Wastewater is injected back into deeperformation. e combination of less viscousand better quality oil with high reservoirquality allows these developments to oper-ate at industry leading Steam-Oil Ratios.As a result, Saskatchewan’s SAGD projectscan operate very efficiently, with low envi-ronmental impact.

Saskatchewan currently has a dozen SAGDplants, designed for production in therange of 2,000 to 10,000 barrels per dayeach, far below typical oil sands thermalfacilities production of 30,000 or morebarrels per day.

e small scale of Saskatchewan’s SAGDproduction sites, combined with modularconstruction, allow the process to remainprofitable even at very low crude oil pricesand a low Canadian dollar.

Most production plants are assembled andtest-fitted in advance, with standardizedcomponents sourced in Saskatchewan,Alberta and Ontario, then shipped bytruck as modules that can be re-assembledat the production sites. Saskatchewan’sSAGD facilities can be operational in as lit-tle as six months from start of construc-tion, compared with as long as five yearsfor more conventional plants built on-site.e modular construction takes up lessspace on the land—an area about the sizeof a football field, unlike the hundreds orthousands of acres of other oil sands sites—and puts less wear and tear on local roads

and other infrastructure. Companies hireskilled local labour for construction andoperation.

Serafina Energy Ltd. provides an exampleof the potential for SAGD production inSaskatchewan. e Calgary-based startuphas just begun the process of initiatingsteam injection from its facility near Edam,constructed for less than $200 million anddesigned to produce 6,000 barrels per day.

“We’re always in the market for new proj-ects,” says President and CEO ChadHarris.

“We own several other prospective proper-ties. ey’re all in Saskatchewan.Saskatchewan provides a more constructiveregulatory environment and is businessfriendly,” he adds.

“at’s one of the reasons why all of ourgrowth properties are in Saskatchewan.”

Harris says that the company has a strongcommitment to making sure that localcommunities share in the economic bene-fits: “We will pay significant property taxesin the regions where we develop, and theincreased volume of oil we recover fromthese older fields are captured in royaltieswe pay to the Saskatchewan Government.Most of our operators live locally. Everyone of our field staff actually lives locallyand drives to work.”

e low cost of production, compared withAlberta’s heavy oil and oil sands, allows thecompany to remain optimistic at currentworld oil prices.

By Darrell Noakes

Saskatchewan NOW! } WINTER 2016 7

“Seeing as we price our oil in US dollarsbut spend our money in Canadian dollars,the low dollar is not a hindrance to us—infact, the undervalued dollar is a benefit tous,” Harris says. “Like anyone involved inthe commodities industry, we’d like to seebetter global pricing, but we’re into this forthe long term. We know that pricing fluc-tuates up and down. We can still be profitable at very low oil prices.”

e technology has a good future in theregion, Harris says.

“I think there is potential for at least twice asmany developments as there are currently. Wecould see perhaps another dozen go intodevelopment over the next 10 years.”

“Saskatchewan provides amore constructive

regulatory environment and isbusiness friendly.”

Serafina Energy Ltd.’s steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) processing plant near Vawn Photo by: Darrell Noakes

8 Saskatchewan NOW! } WINTER 2016

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For subscription information,call: (306) 787-4765Distributed as an insert ofSaskatchewan Business and mailed to over 6,000Saskatchewan businesses.

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Black Bridgee couple spent a year researching the craft brewing industry anddeveloping their business plan. ey augmented their studies withyears of experience they gained sampling products and touring craftbreweries during vacations. eir research of the literature revealedthe industry in the United States continues to boom with new craftbrewing enterprises opening at an average rate of 1.2 per day.

“We saw Saskatchewan as one of the last bastions,’’ says Stenson. “Andwe love Saskatchewan. We both grew up in Swift Current and wantedto stay here with our kids. at’s important to us.’’

Depending on the time of year, Black Bridge may have as many aseight beers in production. Hoppy, bitter and pungent, their India PaleAle (IPA) also has attracted a strong following. e ale is “inspired bythe over-the-top IPAs that flow like water throughout the AmericanWest Coast,’’ according to brewery’s website. eir Pseudo Lager,meanwhile, is a nameplate admission Black Bridge uses an ale yeastrather than a lager one in producing this “lighter’’ summer beverage,which nonetheless sports a 4.5 per cent alcohol content. “at’s lightfor a craft beer,’’ says Stenson.

Several other craft breweries have popped up in the province sinceBlack Bridge launched, but cooperation rather than competition isthe guiding dynamic among local members of the industry. Stensonsays Black Bridge regularly communicates with Saskatchewan’s othercraft brewers on items ranging from craft tips to developing consensuson regulatory issues.

Black Bridge has a long way to go to get its products widely availableto the public. However, Stenson says the brewery’s beers already areavailable in some liquor stores in Alberta and Manitoba, in additionto Saskatchewan—most company products are sold in cans for easeof handling, longer shelf life and lower shipping costs. And she sayssupport among restaurants and pubs in urban Saskatchewan has been‘amazing.’

“Everywhere we go, people are really welcoming. ey want to hearour story and get our products on their shelves. ey want to offertheir customers something local, especially the tourists.’’

Stenson says Black Bridge is big on honesty and encourages customersto ask questions about ingredients and sourcing. Saskatchewan ingre-dients are used where possible but hops, for instance, simply don’tgrow here. e brewery’s philosophy, set out on its website, statesBlack Bridge is created with passion in small quantities and with greatattention to detail. e company will not compromise quality forprofit and takes great pride in being from Swift Current,Saskatchewan.

“We’re just really proud of what we do and we think that’s reflectedin our beer,’’ says Stenson. “We always say to people ‘if we didn’t likeit, we wouldn’t make it.’ ’’

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