In spring 2025, Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) closed its department stores after more than 350 years. Indigenous communities were vital to its early fur trade success, though expansion brought lasting impacts. Over time, HBC shifted from trading posts to department stores in major cities, later evolving into a real estate player focused on repurposing prime urban properties.
In 2023, HBC transferred its flagship building in the heart of downtown Winnipeg to the Southern Chiefs Organization (SCO), which represents 32 Anishinaabe and Dakota First Nations, as a step towards economic and social reconciliation. SCO made history of its own, pledging to turn the heritage building into a mixed-use development called Wehwehneh Bahgahkinahgohn, which translates to “It is Visible.” The building is being extensively renovated to convert the former retail space into affordable residential units, assisted-living spaces, cultural spaces and office and retail spaces to foster First Nation entrepreneurship.
PCL Construction is partnering with SCO to deliver the transformative project to Winnipeg’s core. Representing more than 87,000 citizens in southern Manitoba, SCO is helping create significant, long-term employment for First Nations workers, many of whom come from SCO-member nations.
“Wehwehneh Bahgahkinahgohn is a living symbol of reconciliation and resurgence for our Nations,” says SCO’s Grand Chief Jerry Daniels. “By working alongside partners like PCL, we are restoring a landmark in downtown Winnipeg. We are creating opportunities that honour our history, strengthen our culture and build a brighter economic future for generations to come.”
Among the workers helping bring the project to life is PCL Superintendent Dan Fontaine. A member of the Sagkeeng First Nation just north of Winnipeg, Fontaine was based in Edmonton when he learned of the historic project unfolding in downtown Winnipeg. Wanting to be part of it, he requested a transfer. Ties to the past and visions of the future drew Fontaine to Wehwehneh Bahgahkinahgohn; his father is a residential school survivor, and as a father to three young daughters, he sees this work as deeply meaningful.
“I want to be able to leave a lasting legacy that is visible,” says Fontaine. “This will be a place my daughters will be proud to visit — a place the Indigenous community can also take pride in and where we can come together as one.”
The redevelopment is a massive undertaking. The century-old building has a heritage designation, and certain aspects of the hardwood flooring, window structures, stairwells, doors and exterior Tyndall stone are protected. PCL crews must respect rigorous protocols to protect the heritage features. “It’s a complexity level that I have never seen before on a project,” adds Fontaine.
PCL’s trade partner completed the initial demolition, removing 18 million pounds of debris from the building. PCL crews self-performed the atrium’s structural concrete demolition and have removed an additional 8.4 million pounds of concrete from the atrium to date, which have been diverted from landfills to be used in future construction applications.
According to Fontaine, 77% of the workforce is Indigenous.
“It’s humbling to see so many First Nations represented on this project. Seeing the next generation of Indigenous tradespeople thriving on this site means so much to me.”
The six-story, 655,000-square-foot building is expected to be completed in 2028.
PCL has partnered with many First Nations across Canada, including Long Plain First Nation and Matawa First Nations. In 2023, PCL and the Treaty One Nations marked another historic milestone, signing a memorandum of understanding to create a partnership that helps advance Treaty One Development Corporation’s (T1DC) vision. This partnership supports the corporate and capacity development of Treaty One Construction over a series of infrastructure projects on repatriated military lands in Winnipeg now known as Naawi-Oodena — meaning “centre of the heart and community” in Anishinaabemowin. This agreement supports one of the largest First Nation-led economic development projects in Canadian history.
“We take pride in supporting Indigenous-led projects and Indigenous-led solutions to economic development,” says Josh Girman, manager, Indigenous Relations for PCL. “Our goal is to help communities bring their vision to life and to do what we can as builders to enhance Indigenous economic outcomes in the process.”
“Through this partnership, our team and community members are gaining the skills and experience needed to carry on in future projects,” says Chief E.J. Fontaine, president of Treaty One Development Corporation. “That learning is just as valuable as the buildings we are putting up at Naawi-Oodena.”
Delivered under a Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) model, PCL’s expertise in construction management proved instrumental in supporting T1DC on the landmark project. Oodena Gas & Convenience is the first business to open on the 109 acres owned by the seven Treaty One Nations. Acting as general contractor, PCL’s Special Projects — a highly skilled small-contractor services offering, with expertise in compact, complex, quick and competitive work under $15 million — brought an ownership mindset to the work, providing prime consultant support as T1DC navigated its first full construction lifecycle. PCL assisted in design reviews, contract reviews and helped establish a permitting department for the development corporation.
PCL Project Manager Kyle McLeod was crucial in delivering the inaugural project for the client. Before joining the Naawi-Oodena gas bar project, he worked closely with the Long Plain First Nation to build Winnipeg’s first urban reserve hotel — the Wyndham Garden Winnipeg Airport (Odé Aki) hotel.
“It gives me a great sense of pride launching these projects for our Indigenous partners,” says McLeod. “You can see and feel how important they are and how much it means to everyone involved.”
Not only does PCL focus on building its people, but partnerships like the one with Treaty One provide mentorship and expedited learning opportunities for individuals outside of the company.
On the Naawi-Oodena project, McLeod played a key mentorship role with Will Richards, T1DC’s project manager and a member of Opaskwayak Cree Nation. Richards, whose background is in business administration, was given frontline exposure, gaining valuable experience managing a variety of day-to-day field engineer responsibilities under McLeod’s guidance. “This mentorship not only helped me grow professionally, but it showed me the value of strong leadership.”
A year-and-a-half into the project, PCL hired Richards. He is now working alongside his mentor on Naawi-Oodena's second project — a 14,000-square-foot retail space.
In many Indigenous cultures, the Medicine Wheel is a sacred circle representing the interconnectedness of all life. Often used for ceremonial purposes, medicine wheels were originally constructed using stones arranged in a circle, with spokes extending outward. The sacred circles were not only physical structures, but they also served as important spiritual, educational and healing tools.
The Medicine Wheel’s symbolism varies depending on the cultural background and tradition of each Indigenous community. Key elements of the wheel include four quadrants symbolizing directions, colours, elements, animals and spiritual energies, with the centre of the wheel representing self, spirit or Creator. This iconic circle is also the focal point of the new Indigenous Wellness Centre at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto.
The new Indigenous Wellness Centre — a 650-square-foot space that includes a large ceremonial circle, special ventilation to permit for smudging, and a comfortable atmosphere to access regularly scheduled programming — is one of the initiatives made possible by a transformative $11 million gift from the Krawczyk Family Foundation to St. Michael’s and Providence Foundation. This visionary investment is also advancing other critical priorities to address deep-rooted disparities experienced by First Nations, Inuit and Métis (FNIM) communities.
Constructed by PCL, in partnership with Unity Health Toronto and its Indigenous Health Team, the Indigenous Wellness Centre aims to reduce healthcare barriers faced by FNIM patients and their families by offering access to traditional treatments and culturally safe care, along with Western medical practices.
In close collaboration with Unity Health Toronto’s Indigenous Health team, PCL Special Projects carefully installed the Medicine Wheel to precise cultural specifications. The team installed resilient vinyl flooring throughout the space, then colour-matched and cut in the medicine wheel, balancing the ceremonial circle on the floor with the ceiling tiles above, orienting the medicine wheel precisely to ensure the white quadrant faced north.
Above the ceremonial circle, the team installed a feature felt ceiling that references a turtle shell. The turtle is a sacred icon in many Indigenous cultures, symbolizing the earth for some cultures, and representing healing, spirituality, longevity and life for others. To illuminate the ceremonial circle, the team installed an LED ring light around the shell.
The Special Projects team fitted the space with a dedicated exhaust system, including fan outtake grills at the entrance to allow for smudging — a sacred spiritual ceremony practiced by many First Nations cultures to cleanse and purify spaces, objects, and oneself by burning one of the four traditional sacred medicines: sage, cedar, sweetgrass, and tobacco — in the ceremonial space. The team used the area above the drop ceiling to run new ductwork, extending it to an exterior wall to ensure proper ventilation.
The centre is also equipped with a kitchen, an area to showcase Indigenous artwork, and offers space for staff training, cultural, ceremonial and community events.
Working alongside its Indigenous partners, PCL strives to learn from and adapt to partner needs and goals, seeking to build long-term relationships with Indigenous communities and organizations through dialogue and engagement.
These partnerships help create inclusive, culturally aware and diverse workplaces both in PCL offices and on job sites. These partnerships develop and advance a diverse workforce representative of the communities in which PCLers live and work. Job-related programs are built on three pillars:
1. Creating employment opportunities for Indigenous Peoples.
2. Supporting business opportunities for Indigenous firms.
3. Delivering a lasting impact for Indigenous Peoples through training and mentoring programs.
PCL is also a member of several Indigenous business associations, including the Canadian Council for Indigenous Business, the Northeastern Alberta Aboriginal Business Association and the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion.
In Canada, PCL has partnered with the DARE6 program at Algonquin College in Ontario to develop Indigenous awareness and training aimed at improving the construction industry. In Alberta, Melloy Industrial Services, part of the PCL family of companies, established a strategic partnership with the Willow Lake Métis Group in 2021 to support maintenance, capital projects and turnarounds in their traditional territory. This partnership contributes to regional development and generates meaningful economic impact to the Willow Lake Métis Nation, reinforcing PCL’s commitment to Indigenous engagement and community-driven growth.
“Indigenous relations in our industry are about fostering understanding and co-creating a future where Indigenous communities are finding opportunity at every stage of the construction process,” adds Girman. “Helping communities create economic independence and their own infrastructure is what drives PCL to be a catalyst for positive change.”