Tervita has been working in Saskatchewan for about a decade, but hasn’t had a corporate presence until now.
Premier Brad Wall says the new office is part of the growth momentum in Saskatchewan that can’t be underestimated.
It’s expected Tervita’s office will create more than 250 jobs as a result of increased business.
Tervita offers environmental solutions to oil, natural gas and mining companies.
CEO John Gibson says Tervita’s employees include heavy equipment operators, drillers and environmental engineers.
Gibson says the company is prepared to relocate workers to Saskatchewan. For years, people living in the province left to seek opportunities elsewhere, but that has changed as the economy has diversified and strengthened.
“We might have to import Albertans to Saskatchewan,” Gibson said at the opening Thursday. “It’s sort of a reverse migration of the last two decades. As your economy grows here, you may well see, as the job market tightens up, that we’re going to have to bring people in from other provinces.”
Wall said Tervita’s office will be noted by other firms.
“I think companies pay attention to what other companies are doing. They pay attention to where other companies are investing and locating a bigger presence,” Wall said.
“People in Calgary know what Tervita is, who they are, so when they’re making an announcement about Saskatoon or Saskatchewan, it’s certainly good.”
As part of Tervita’s commitment to environmental research, it has a five-year, $250,000 partnership with the University of Saskatchewan and others to come up with best practices for reclamation of oilsands mining sites.