JEN COL Celebrates 45th Anniversary
This year marks a milestone of 45 years in business for JEN COL. Our journey began with a small project for a friend, and over the years, we have completed a wide range of projects, from building Tim Hortons to water treatment plants.
Throughout our journey, our core values have been a driving force behind our success. By putting our clients first, going above and beyond, and building strong relationships based on trust and collaboration, we’ve built a reputation for delivering the unrivaled project experience. Our commitment to embracing challenges, paying meticulous attention to details, and exceeding expectations has made us leaders in the industry. As we celebrate this milestone, we’re grateful for the opportunity to continue delivering value beyond price for our clients.
We’ve achieved many noteworthy accomplishments along the way, including:
- More than 700 projects completed to date
- Over 70 Indigenous projects
- Construction of over 200 school projects in western Canada
- Completion of more than 30 LEED-certified projects since 2004
- Contribution to Alberta’s first-ever LEED-certified renovation project at Spruce Grove City Hall
As we reflect on our legacy, we’re grateful for the support of our team and the clients who have trusted us with their projects. We look forward to many more years of growth, innovation and excellence in building a better future.
Thank you to Business in Edmonton for featuring our 45th anniversary in their magazine. And a very special thank you to our external partners for your support and acknowledgement.
Dale Fisher Arena Groundbreaking Ceremony
The groundbreaking ceremony for the twinning of the Dale Fisher Arena in Devon was an immensely significant moment for the community, and it was our great honor to participate in it. We extend our sincere appreciation to the City of Devon and Parkland County for inviting us to kick off this momentous milestone.
As we gathered to witness the official start of the construction, we couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of pride in being a part of this historic occasion.
What the Expansion Means for the Devon Community
At JEN COL, we firmly believe that construction is about more than just building structures. It’s about creating spaces that empower and connect communities. As construction progresses, the twin arena will promote healthy living and create lasting memories for the community.
“Today is a great day for the Town of Devon. Arenas are at the heart of our Alberta communities across the province and the Dale Fisher Arena, home to the DMHA Drillers is no exception. Recreational centers are vital to the social fabric of communities, helping to promote healthy living and serving as a meeting place for friends, families and teammates.”
Honourable Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance and Member of Parliament for Edmonton Centre, on behalf of the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities.
Rink Expansion Details
Exciting improvements are on the horizon for the Dale Fisher Arena as construction is underway to expand the facility. The expansion will include a second full sheet of ice, new dressing rooms, and an energy-efficient ice plant. Additionally, parking will be added to the west of the arena.
The Economic Benefits of the Dale Fisher Arena Expansion
The twinning of the Dale Fisher Arena will not only enhance the size of the facility but also to significantly contribute to the overall growth and development of the community, bringing with it a plethora of exciting opportunities.
“This arena expansion means so much to our community as it will double our capacity to host large-scale tournaments and provide economic benefits with more families drawn to Devon to play in the new arena.”
Jeff Craddock, Mayor of Devon.
We are deeply honored to be part of the Dale Fisher Arena groundbreaking ceremony and expansion project. The twin ice surfaces are set to be fully completed and ready for use by mid-2024. We are eagerly anticipating presenting the new addition to the community.
MESC and JEN COL kick off construction of Early Learning Centre
The wind didn’t stop the groundbreaking celebration of the new Early Learning Centre. We were honored to be part of this event alongside Ermineskin Cree Nation’s Chief and Council, Elders, community members and representatives of Maskwacîs Education Schools Commission (MESC) and Workun Garrick Partnership, Architecture and Interior Design.
This new 2,900m2 early learning facility on Ermineskin Cree Nation will welcome the community’s children during the most important learning years of their lives to help create a strong foundation for learning today and for success later in life. The school will also honor First Nation culture and traditions and serve the community for many years to come.
Quesnel Junior School featured in NorthWORKS magazine
Our Senior Project Manager, Renee McKenzie, was recently interviewed by NorthWORKS magazine about some of JEN COL’s innovative construction practices at our Quesnel Junior School project. Thank you to the Northern Regional Construction Association (NRCA) for featuring this fantastic project in Quesnel, BC.
The school is a 6,300m2, two-storey facility for students in grades 8 and 9. It features numerous wood products throughout the school to represent the Quesnel area. There are exposed Glulam beams in the gym, wood columns around the building exterior, exposed wooden stairs, wood benches, wood slatted walls, wood ceiling slats and wood signage. The school offers numerous learning studios, wood shop, science labs, economics lab and robotics labs. There are several collaboration spaces which include two sunken stairs and a feature staircase for access as well as seating for the drama area. A daycare and Kindergarten space is available for public use, as well as a smudge room and a state-of-the-art gymnasium that can facilitate numerous sporting events.
Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack…
The Edmonton Construction Association has just released a special edition of their Breaking Ground magazine to celebrate their 90th anniversary. In it you’ll find a great feature on the Edmonton Prospects’ new ballpark in Spruce Grove which JEN COL is proud to be a part of. Take a look.
Project Update – Hillcrest Lodge in Barrhead, Alberta
Hillcrest Lodge is an assisted living facility offering amenities and activities for residents to maintain healthy lifestyles that encourage movement and socializing with their peers. This project involved the replacement of an aging U-shaped lodge section with a brand new three-storey lodge on the existing 1.88 acre site.
The project was built in two phases. Phase 1 included demolition of the northeast portion of the existing facility and the construction of 45 new suites, while the rest of the lodge remained intact and occupied. The new expansion was designed to coordinate with the existing design to create a cohesive building. Phase 2 includes another 25 suites for a grand total of 70 living units—eight one-bedroom units and 62 studio suites.
The new lodge includes a lounge area, 150-seat dining room, multi-purpose activity rooms, administration offices, assisted bath rooms, residential laundry facilities and many other amenities. An absolute requirement of an assisted living facility is the ability to provide great meals for residents and a key feature of the new lodge is a large, modern commercial kitchen. This facility will help meet Barrhead and the surrounding area‘s growing need for affordable accommodations for its senior population.
Reception 
Dining Room 
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Assisted Bath 
Kitchen
About JEN COL
At JEN COL Construction, we don’t just build buildings, we’re Building a Better Future – for our customers, our consultants, our trades and our people. Whether constructing an office building, fire station, school, assisted living facility, restaurant or health clinic, this belief defines how we conduct our business, who we partner with and what projects we pursue. Throughout our 43-year history in Western Canada, our objective has been to make construction an enjoyable and positive process in our effort to deliver the Unrivaled Project Experience. Promise, Delivered.
My Personal Journey in Construction
Written by Kyla Schultz, Chief Financial Officer, JEN COL Construction
There’s no other industry I would rather be in than construction and there’s no other role than construction finance that I can imagine doing. It’s the combination of these two passions that has taken me to where I am today – Chief Financial Officer at JEN COL Construction. How many professionals in other industries have the opportunity to be a part of building a lasting legacy—schools, hospitals, fire halls, community recreation centres, parks, theatres—that will be there for generations to come?
Before joining JEN COL in 2007, I worked for two other local construction firms in Edmonton, but it wasn’t until I came to JEN COL that my career really started to take shape. Immediately I noticed a company whose owners truly cared for their people and nurtured the careers of their staff by providing opportunities to learn and grow. I was hired by Yvonne Jodoin, one of the co-founders of the company, and she empowered me to make decisions right away and gave me the chance to develop my skills in the area of construction finance.
Being a smaller company when I joined JEN COL—and having the desire to learn and be involved—I was able to get a full 360° view of how each department works together through every stage of a construction project; from the initial business development and estimating side, progressing through to the various stages of the construction lifecycle, and finally onto project close. It’s not a view everyone gets the chance to see, so I know I’m very fortunate. The real key for me, however, was not sitting on the sidelines, but taking action and earning a seat at the table amongst a group of internal partners with as much passion for building a better future as I have. It was also a relatively unique experience, given I was only one of a small handful of females in the company at the time.
I was always involved in the finance side of construction, but I think being engaged with and participating in the other areas of the construction process helped develop my critical thinking and, to this day, informs the strategic insight needed in construction finance. Finance plays such a pivotal role in the success of any construction company (and project) and because of that, my team and I always operate with the strategic objectives of the company in mind. What I recognized, however, as I began taking more of a leadership role in finance at JEN COL, was the lack of formal training specific to construction accounting in schools. Similar to when I started in the industry, much of the special nuances involved in construction finance was still self taught and self learned. This was one of the reasons I, along with a few colleagues from the construction industry, helped establish the Edmonton chapter of the Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA) in 2014 – one of only two CFMA chapters in Canada. I am still a member of this great organization that brings financial professionals together to enhance the construction industry.
Construction finance is not just about finance, it’s about teamwork. From every facet, construction is about collaborating with your team to overcome obstacles, and the finance team is a big part of this. With every new project there are new and interesting challenges, but inevitably strong networks are formed and everyone on the team depends on one another to get the job done. To me, this is perhaps the most rewarding part for me and my team – working together is really the sweet spot in accounting.
Today, as the CFO of one of Alberta’s most respected construction services firms, I manage all financial aspects of the company while taking an active role in setting strategic direction; and I am proud to say I was recently invited into the ownership group at JEN COL. I’m equally delighted that we now have over a dozen women in various roles in the company, from human resources and accounting to business development and project management and positions in the field as well. Our core purpose at JEN COL is to Build a Better Future, which ironically has less to do with constructing physical buildings and has more to do with communities and people, our staff included. It’s very exciting for me to see so many women not only work here but thrive and become leaders in their roles; and it gives me great pleasure to help motivate more women to pursue a career in construction.
In addition to mentoring some of JEN COL’s future leaders, another aspect of my role that I’m extremely passionate about—and the mission for the rest of my career—is strengthening awareness of JEN COL’s commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) both internally and externally. Being socially responsibility and operating in an ethical and sustainable way is a big part of our culture as well as my own personal values. Aside from the obvious business benefits, I believe CSR drives greater employee engagement when we encourage personal and professional growth… much like when I first joined JEN COL.
Having spent my entire career in construction, I can say with conviction there are great opportunities for women in construction. My advice to anyone interested in a career in construction is to find and reach out to someone who inspires you (male or female); learn as much as you can about the different areas of construction to put yourself in a better position to succeed; get off the sidelines and make things happen for yourself; and most importantly, have fun and enjoy what you do. No matter what your passion is—accounting, project management, business development or carpentry—there’s a rewarding career waiting for you in construction.
JEN COL to build ballpark for Edmonton Prospects Baseball Club
Gold Sports Entertainment Group of Companies Announce Partnership with JEN COL Construction to Build Spruce Grove Metro Ballpark
February 12, 2021: Edmonton, Alberta – Gold Sports and Entertainment Group of Companies is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement with JEN COL Construction of Acheson, Alberta to build Canada’s latest state of the art ballpark and condo development.
“JEN COL Construction was chosen because of their link to the Parkland and Edmonton community, their reputation and ability to get projects done on time and on budget – but more importantly because of their willingness to remain involved with the Ballpark and the Community long after the construction process has ended. A ballpark, like no other sporting facility, reflects a community’s desire to meet, gather and enjoy special time with family and friends”, said Patrick Cassidy, Managing Partner of Gold Sports.
The Ballpark, future home to the Edmonton Prospects of the Western Canadian Baseball League, will be located at the northeast intersection of Pioneer Road and Highway 16A and will feature 2200 lower bowl seats, 200 VIP Founders Club Seats, 420 VIP Skybox Suite Seats and additional general admission seating for up to 650 spectators on the grass berm and various patio outlets throughout the ballpark promenade.
Unique to the ballpark is a year-round micro-brewery, amphitheater, Ballpark Public Storage and Left-field Condo Development.
“The moment we learned of Gold Sports and Entertainment Group’s intention to build a ballpark in Spruce Grove, we knew we wanted to be a part of it,” said Keith Golinsky, Chief Business Development Officer of JEN COL Construction. “This is an exciting opportunity to work with a great partner to build not just a sports facility, but to create a complete living and entertainment experience for our community—this will be a game-changer.”
It is expected that Gold Sports will release a comprehensive marketing package for the sale of 68 Outfield Condominium Units featuring built-in balcony suites, a fitness club and other exciting year-round and game-day amenities.
About Gold Sports and Entertainment Group
Gold Sports and Entertainment Group of Companies is a collaboration of local businesspeople drawn to the simple concept that sport has an inherent ability to build a great community and better the lives of people. In life, accomplishments from great challenges and memories from great moments – are at the heart of our very existence. Cheers!
About JEN COL Construction
At JEN COL Construction, we don’t just build buildings, we’re Building a Better Future – for our customers, our consultants, our trades and our people. Whether constructing an office building, fire station, school, recreation centre, assisted living facility, restaurant or health clinic, this belief defines how we conduct our business, who we partner with and what projects we pursue. Throughout our 43-year history in Western Canada, our objective has been to make construction an enjoyable and positive process in our effort to deliver the Unrivaled Project Experience. Promise, Delivered.
For further information on this release please contact Mr. Patrick Cassidy at pcassidy@mbsab.com or Mr. Keith Golinsky at kgolinsky@jen-col.com.
Click here to see more about the Spruce Grove Metro Ballpark.
Project Update – Claystone Waste Administration Building
About an hour east of Edmonton, the new administration building for Claystone Waste (formerly Beaver Municipal Solutions) is really starting to take shape. With the mild winter weather we’ve been experiencing recently, we were able to complete the installation of the solar panels – just one of the sustainable features of this new building which has been designed to a minimum LEED Silver rating.
At about 370m2, this one-storey building is located adjacent to the entrance of the regional landfill – one of the largest solid waste disposal landfills in Alberta and widely recognized as one of the cleanest and most dependable landfill sites in the province.
Claystone Waste provides waste management services to the residents and businesses of the towns of Tofield and Viking, the villages of Ryley and Holden, Beaver County, and customers outside the region; and is a preferred supplier of waste management services for communities and businesses in Edmonton’s Capital Region.
Owner: Claystone Waste (formerly Beaver Municipal Solutions)
Prime Consultant: Berry Architecture + Associates
Construction Manager: JEN COL Construction
Want to learn more about solar panels and other sustainable building features? We can help… Contact us today!