The company selected to build the SaskPower Great Plains Power Plant in Moose Jaw is looking for contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers to help with the project. 

Burns & McDonnell are holding a series of webinars this week, focusing on how these local vendors can get involved. 

“We know that we need small local suppliers to help us be successful,” said Burns & McDonnell deputy project manager Weldon Stubbs.  

“It's just the best way, the most efficient way, to execute that project so that's one of the things we want to do. We want to reach out and make sure that we have opportunities presented for folks to compete to do that work on budget.” 

Burns & McDonnell have partnered with Allan Construction and PCL construction for the project and together they are looking for bids for well over 40 contracts as well as hiring local tradespeople, labourers, and equipment operators. 

Preference will be given to local companies and workers. Josh Hauser, construction project manager, explains the definition of ‘local’ as defined by SaskPower. 

“Local is considered a company based in Saskatchewan. If you have your office or whatever office we are contracting through is based in Saskatchewan, that is considered local. If you are not in the province, there are still opportunities to be local so hiring local employees,” he said. 

Burns & McDonnell is the same company that built the Chinook Power Plant in Swift Current. They said of the 120 companies contracted for the Swift Current plant, 76 were Saskatchewan companies and 42 were from Swift Current. 

They also pointed out that about $143 million were spent locally in Swift Current as a result of the project. 

The Great Plains Plant will be a 350-Megawatt natural gas power plant.  

Site preparation will begin next year and construction will get underway in 2022 with the peak at the end of 2022 and early 2023. The plant is expected to go online in 2024. 

For a full list of bids available and vendors interested in putting in bids can visit the Burns & McDonnell website. The website will be updated as bids are awarded.