All the best, The Editorial Team We will keep adding business units that enhance our offering and separate us from our competition. “ ” Editor From The Dear Reader, Welcome to the latest issue of Construction Source Canada, the magazine that highlights the best in building and building products across the country. With this edition, we start the chapter on 2024 – on what’s sure to be a year of innovation, as the construction industry continues to face an array of challenges, and continues to play their part in addressing the nationwide housing shortage. Solico Construction is a prime example of a company that’s up to the challenge. They are a building and development company based in Gatineau, Quebec, founded with the vision to be the recognized leader in new construction in the Greater National Capital Region. Since forming over a decade ago, they have delivered a long list of high-quality properties to the region, including condominiums, townhouses, multi-family dwellings, duplexes, semi-detached homes, and single family homes. No matter the size or scope of the property, however, all their projects are unique, and Solico sets out to design and build them to the highest possible standards. For more on those standards, we spoke to Jonathan Goulet, the company’s founder and president. Jonathon also talked to us about Solico’s ongoing growth in Ontario, and their ongoing efforts to help raise standards for innovation and sustainability in both provinces. Another company rising to the challenge is Turner Construction – a well-known international construction services company with myriad offices in North America and beyond. Wherever Turner operates, they are known for undertaking large and complex projects, fostering innovative new technologies and making a difference for all project stakeholders, including clients, employees and communities. For this edition, we focused on their operations in Vancouver, and we spoke to Michael Fulop, Senior Project Manager. We specifically discussed the company’s exemplary work on Trulioo’s office at the M2 Building, for which Turner received a Gold Award at the 2023 Vancouver Regional Construction Association Awards of Excellence. Also featured in this issue is Lion One Metals, a Canadian resource company that recently completed construction on their own gold mine in Tuvatu, Fiji. To tell their story, we caught up with Patrick Hickey, a veteran mine builder as well as Lion One’s chief operating officer. We also spoke to Ronan Geoghegan, the company’s corporate development manager. We talked about Lion One’s history in Fiji, how they were able to complete construction of the Tuvatu mine ahead of schedule, and the exciting status of their operations there today. For those stories and many more like them – about builders, developers, and innovators from all over Canada and beyond – just keep reading.
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THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA With a readership exceeding 145,000 senior executives, The Construction Source takes immense pride in providing an enticing platform to amplify your message to the most pivotal audience – your valued customers. Whether your aim is to promote an exciting new condo development, attract crucial financial investments for upcoming projects, or establish a commanding brand presence, we’re here to assist you every step of the way. To explore opportunities for featuring your company or showcasing your latest project in The Construction Source, please reach out to our Group Publisher. Jermaine Poulsen e: info@theconstructionsource. The Costruction Source Canada 202 - 1200 Bay Street Toronto, Ontario M5R 2A5 E: info@theconstructionsource.ca Executive Publisher Jermaine Poulsen COO Alexandra Box Editor in Chief Zach Janes Director of Operations Scott Carter Cathy Ditchburn Jacqueline Van Belois Director of Business Development & Marketing Tamara Breen Business Development Managers Mary Ann Taylor Mike Turenne Director of Production Vicki Lee Digital Strategist Pranim Thapa Administration Manager Belyn Quijance-Dorero
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Solid + corporation
Solico Construction is a building and development company based in Gatineau, Quebec, founded with the vision to be the recognized leader in new construction in the Greater National Capital Region. Since forming over a decade ago, they have delivered a long list of high-quality properties to the region, including condominiums, townhouses, multi-family dwellings, duplexes, semi-detached homes, and single family homes. No matter the size or scope of the property, however, all their projects are unique, and Solico sets out to design and build them to the highest possible standards. “Our mission is to fulfil the property needs of our clients by providing personalized, attentive service, and building quality, unique properties exceeding the highest standards,” says Jonathan Goulet, founder and president of the company. “‘Solico’ is derived from the combination of ‘solid + corporation,’” adds Marc Lupien, the company’s general sales and marketing director. “Our name reflects the fundamental philosophy of a company built on a solid foundation. With our experienced team, we build excellent relations with our clients, business partners, suppliers, municipalities, banking institutions and others. These relations are the foundation of successful projects. Jonathan first founded Solico in July 2012, when he was “a young man with a deep-rooted passion for entrepreneurship.” Growing up in an entrepreneurial family, he was exposed to the world of business from an early age. Inspired by his upbringing and armed with a strong desire to make a mark in the construction domain, he decided to strike out on his own and start his own building company. In the early years, Solico Construction focused on building semi-detached homes, aiming to provide comfortable and affordable housing options for families. Jonathan’s attention to detail, dedication, and commitment to delivering high-quality projects JANUARY 2024
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helped the company gain recognition and attract more clients. With each successful project and satisfied customer, the reputation of Solico Construction grew, allowing for increased opportunities and the ability to take on more complex ventures. As a result, the company expanded its scope beyond single-family homes and started venturing into the construction of multi-level dwellings. Driven by the vision of providing diverse housing options to meet the varying needs of individuals and families, Solico Construction took on the challenge of creating multi-level dwellings. These structures offered a different lifestyle experience, catering to individuals who sought a more urban and convenient living environment. Over the years, most of Solico’s work has been concentrated in the Outaouais, Quebec region – though in the near future, they intend to explore some Ontario areas such as Casselman and Kanata. These days, their projects can vary greatly in size and scope, with most current projects containing at least 32 units and some upcoming projects containing a lot more – for example, they have a 10-storey building in development as well as 15-storey building in development, and the latter project is expected to comprise up to 264 units. “We’re definitely increasing the number of units per building,” Jonathan says. “We’re getting bigger. We’re building higher and adding square footage to our projects.” “We’ve gotten there step by step,” Marc adds. “We began with semi-detached townhomes, then we started six-unit multi-family projects, eight-unit THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA
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multi-family projects, then we did 12 units, then 16 units, we’re doing some 32-unit projects now, and now we’re working on plans for projects with a lot higher density.” To date, Solico Construction has sold all their finished projects to owner-investors – but before closing a sale, they typically provide the unique service of renting all the units first, which makes things easy on their clients, as their obligations to lenders are already pre-fulfilled. Later, when their properties have vacancies, owners can also return to Solico for help renting them again – Solico’s expert team continues to be available to clients if they ever need them. “We try to make things as easy for clients as we possibly can,” Jonathan says. “We want to provide them with the full package.” That full-service offering is a big part of what sets Solico Construction apart, Jonathan explains. He says another big part is the relationships they form with their clients. Naturally, he describes those relationships as “solid,” and he credits that solidity partly to the company’s flexibility: “We do a large volume of business but we still have a small team,” he says. “So we’re close to our clients, close to their needs. We’re easily reachable. We’re always available to them. We build special relationships and we believe those relationships are what set us apart from the competition.” “I don’t think there are a lot of businesses that sell the number of units we do each year that have leaders as accessible as we are,” he adds. “Our clients can directly reach me as the owner and Marc as the general manager almost 24/7. I think that’s pretty rare. I think that gives clients a better service experience.” THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA
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Jonathan also credits the strength of their client relationships to their “long-term thinking.” For example, during the height of COVID, when there was an increase in prices for materials due to instability in the supply chain, Solico Construction minimized the impact of those increases on clients. “We didn’t want our clients to be too impacted by the pandemic,” Jonathan explains, “so we made a choice. We sacrificed some of our profits in order to help our clients out and ensure our relationships stayed strong. A lot of companies didn’t make that choice, but we did, and I think our clients really appreciated it.” Solico Construction also forms “solid” relationships with their other key stakeholders, such as their suppliers, subcontractors, and tradespeople. According to Marc, Solico “highly values” those relationships and he believes that value is reflected in the way they treat them: “As a company, we respect financial deadlines, we prioritize long-term partnerships, and we understand the importance of strong business relationships,” Marc explains. “By honoring financial obligations, we foster trust and reliability.” “We pay our subtrades well and we pay them on time,” Jonathan elaborates. “That’s not always the reality in construction, and I think that make subtrades want to work with us and want to do a good job.” Marc adds that they tend to work with the same subcontractors and suppliers for a long time, which creates “a deep understanding and seamless coordination.” A lot of those relationships, he says, go back to the early days of Solico Construction. JANUARY 2024
QU É B E C PORTES ET FENÊTRES inc . We are proud to contribute to the projects 278, chem. Industriel Local A Gatineau (Québec) J8R 3V8 Cell.: (819) 360-5170 www.solarisquebec.com Patrick Gaudreau “In a lot of cases, we’ve grown alongside our subcontractors,” Jonathan adds. “We’ve taken steps forward together. We’ve gone on this adventure together.” “We actively nurture these partnerships, cultivating a supportive and collaborative work environment,” Marc says. “As a company, we seek feedback and input from our partners, and we value their expertise and perspectives. When selecting suppliers, subcontractors, and tradespeople, we prioritize those who share a commitment to excellence. By maintaining these strong business relationships, Solico Construction ensures efficient project execution and exceptional results.” THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA
The next step As previously mentioned, Solico Construction is looking forward to further expansion into the Ontario market. As a company based in Gatineau, Jonathan says “it’s only natural for us to look at the other side of the river.” “We’re working on acquiring some land to start a new division in Ontario,” he says. “We’re looking to do that in the next few months.” “Our intentions for Ontario would be to basically replicate the way we began in Quebec,” Marc adds. “Most likely, we’ll begin with smaller projects and start working our way up. We’re not going to do that too fast. We’re going to grow slowly and organically, just like we did in Quebec.” “Since it’s a new market for us, we don’t really know subtrades yet, so we want to go step by step and build those relationships,” Jonathan says. “We want to make sure we build the right team. We JANUARY 2024
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want to have the right group. That’s what we’re doing now, we’re building relationships. That’s a big part of what’s next for us.” On the Quebec side of the river, meanwhile, ‘what’s next’ for Solico Construction is getting into larger and taller buildings. Again, as previously mentioned, they have buildings in development as tall as 10 and 15 storeys. To date, their tallest building has been four storeys, so those projects represent a significant step for the company, which is a step they are excited to take. Looking even further ahead, Solico Construction plans to continue expanding their reach and continue making a positive impact in the construction industry. With Jonathan at the helm, leading the way with his entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to excellence, the company embraces new challenges and opportunities, always striving to bring innovative and sustainable construction solutions to the market. In conclusion, Solico Construction’s evolution from building semi-detached homes to venturing into multi-level dwellings is a testament to the company’s growth, adaptability, and their dedication to meeting the evolving needs of clients. With a strong foundation and a visionary leadership team, Solico Construction is poised to continue shaping the construction industry and delivering exceptional projects for years to come. JANUARY 2024
For more on Solico Construction, their range of development services, their past projects and properties, and their current projects and properties – and to get in touch Marc, Jonathan, and their expert team – visit https://solico.ca/en/ THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA
Turner Construction is an international construction services company that services a diverse array of market segments. From its myriad of offices across North America and beyond, it employs more than 10,000 people and completes in excess of $15 billion worth of construction on roughly 1,500 projects each year. Wherever Turner operates, it’s known for undertaking large and complex projects, fostering innovative new technologies and making a difference for all its project stakeholders – including clients, employees and communities. Turner’s Vancouver business unit, established in 2011, is no exception. Over the past 12 years, the company has grown its business in the city to more than $350 million in annual revenue, while completing more than 5 million square feet of interior work across the Lower Mainland. According to Michael Fulop, Special Projects Division, that exponential growth has been powered by the experience, commitment and care of the local leadership team. That care, he said, has consistently translated into “detailed constructability analysis; accurate project scheduling, phasing and budgeting; and effective and efficient solutions.” In recent years, the experience and commitment of the Turner Vancouver team has also translated into industry awards. At the 2023 Vancouver Regional Construction Association (VRCA) Awards of Excellence, for example, the company won the Gold Award for “General Contractors – Tenant Improvement – Up to $10 Million.” At the same event, Turner also won a Gold Award in the “Safety: Superior Safety Record” category, and Special Project Division General Superintendent Matt Heesterman received the “Education Leadership Award” for his outstanding work in advancing education in the construction industry. “We’re extremely appreciative,” Fulop said. “It means so much to us. We’re always striving for JANUARY 2024
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the opportunity to be a part of great projects for great clients. And then when we do those projects, we love to celebrate them with the rest of the industry. That means a ton to us. We’re so grateful we were able to achieve those awards. “There are so many great companies in Vancouver, and so much exciting work being completed. Just to be recognized among so many great teams and great projects is an honour in itself.” Turner’s recent VRCA Gold Award victory was for a tenant improvement of the Trulioo office at Westbank Corp.’s M2 building on East Fourth Avenue. Trulioo is a Vancouverbased company that provides digital identity verification for people and businesses across the globe, and its office at M2 comprises about 36,000 square feet on two floors. Fulop said Trulioo chose Turner Construction for a few key reasons. First, he said, clients such as Trulioo are generally drawn to Turner Construction by the calibre of its people. He said the company takes pride in recruiting and retaining a staff of capable and experienced team members who are highly engaged by the work they do. He described the company as having an “environment that fosters creativity and collaboration,” and that environment plays an important role in the success of projects such as the Trulioo M2 Tenant Improvement. Fulop joined Turner Construction more than seven years ago as a project coordinator. In his time with the company, he’s mostly worked in the special projects division, JANUARY 2024
and he’s been involved in several high profile and award-winning tenant improvement projects – the Trulioo project being a notable example. He can attest to the fact that Turner focuses “not just on building buildings, but also building people.” “Turner really creates a culture and environment where people are able to thrive,” he said. “I feel like I’ve really benefited from that environment, and I’m doing everything I can to contribute to it. “When you’re working in that environment, people care about the work they are doing, and that care is reflected in the end result. It’s reflected in the quality they achieve. It’s reflected in the budget and the schedule. When people are enjoying what they do, a project tends to go a lot smoother and turn out a lot better.” Turner Construction also strives to ensure its culture of caring and enjoyment also includes subcontractors and trades – most of whom work with Turner on a repeat basis. Fulop said those positive trade relationships are another key point of difference: “We want to make sure we have an amicable relationship with our trades over the course of construction,” he said. “We want the people who are working on our job site to know that we truly care about them. We care about their safety. We care about what they have to say. We care about the issues they are facing. And when they have issues, we want to work collaboratively with them and find a solution. “We take a real collaborative approach with our subcontractors. We work together as a team. It’s not THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA
us versus them. We know that we need them. We know that we wouldn’t have even a remote chance of success if we didn’t have the right trade partners. They’re the ones that are executing, and we’re so appreciative of them.” One more key point of difference that attracts clients such as Trulioo, Fulop said, is the value Turner Construction can provide during the preconstruction phase. “If we can get involved early on, there’s a lot we can do to help support risk mitigation. Preconstruction is the time when we can make the biggest impact and provide clients the biggest benefit.” For example, if the company can conduct a laser scan of the space before construction starts, it can establish the asbuilt conditions and evaluate how those vary from the drawings. When the contractor understands that variability ahead of time, it can help make the drawings more efficient and more in line with the client’s design intent up front, which means fewer costly and timeconsuming changes later. “We really pride ourselves on being able to create those overlays and create those laser surveys of the space,” Fulop said. “That way, we can help our clients get the most effective product down the line.” JANUARY 2024
Clearing the hurdles The design intention behind the Trulioo M2 Tenant Improvement, Fulop said, was to “achieve a space that would draw people back in postCOVID.” The goal was to create a space that would be “fun, appealing and thoughtful,” while at the same time “achieving the functionality” that a company such as Trulioo needs from its office space. “It was a really cool project and a really innovative design,” Fulop said. “It’s really great how the space is able to facilitate many different types of work styles. There are phone booths. There are open work spaces. There are a number of meeting rooms. That really helps the client cater to what works best for their employees and how they are best able to function.” In terms of the scope, the project involved an interconnected stairway, acoustic walls and ceilings, many custom millwork features, a custom metal ribbon that’s “consistent throughout THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA
the space and really ties everything together,” custom lighting and an operable partition that hides a pub space. “It was a really amazing project to be part of,” Fulop said. He said he and his team were particularly proud of the highquality result and project timeline. Despite facing a series of challenges, he said Turner handed the project over Jan. 26, 2023, only two days after the original deadline. Achieving that timeline was not simple. Fulop said it required “clearing some hurdles” and doing some “major schedule resequencing.” He said that without resequencing, the project likely would have taken until March. Fulop said Turner completed the project under budget with a “significant amount of overall construction contingency that we were able to basically hand back to the client after the project.” “So we were really happy with what we were able to accomplish. And we were particularly happy with the collaboration with our trades, which was what allowed us to get there.” The most complicated part of the project, Fulop said, was the interconnected steel stairway, which had to be craned in. It had to be manufactured in Alberta, and just getting it to the site in time was a challenge. In the lead-up to the anticipated delivery, the city of Vancouver was about to do roadwork on the street where Turner intended to pick up the stairway. “So we were at that pretty JANUARY 2024
intense moment where we knew we had a small window to get the delivery in,” Fulop said. “Thankfully, we were prescheduled and it was already en route, and we were able to have that delivery occur moments before they started ripping out the road in that area. We really threaded the needle there.” Another interesting part of installing the stairs was dealing with the floor opening. The as-built drawings suggested the opening was north of the sprinkler main in the space, but that turned out to be incorrect. Fortunately, Turner Construction conducted laser surveying upon award of the project and identified the discrepancy right away. “At that time, we were able to build a two-dimensional plan that basically had a grayscale to determine overall elevations of the infrastructure that existed in the space,” Fulop said. “We found that the sprinkler main, where it actually exists, was in the location of the floor opening. We were really fortunate we were able to establish that well in advance of actually going through the tender process because that allowed for our sprinkler consultant to update their drawings to reflect the jog in the main so it was able to avoid that floor opening.” Doing that work in advance meant avoiding a lot of problems down the line, according to Fulop. “We would have had a big issue that we needed to address with no time to address it.” In respect to the floor opening, Turner Construction used a wall saw instead of a floor saw, a decision that saved time and THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA
cost. “We were able to get some extremely straight lines,” Fulop said. “We saw only very minor variability in terms of the line, which I think anyone who works with concrete knows that the less grinding you have to do the better and the more optimally that’s going to help with the steel and avoiding all the unnecessary shimming and what have you. That was a really great innovation that our demo trade took care of.” “We were able to achieve all that while we had a large platform over the opening so we didn’t have to worry about accessing it after the steel stair was installed,” Fulop said. “Because once the steel stair was installed, we would have needed two-story scaffolding. We would have been working around finished surfaces. It would have been a lot more complicated and timeconsuming. “We felt that we really thought through the overall execution plan. We were able to keep the space completely safe for those working around it. We completely removed any sort of fall hazard associated with the floor opening. We created the conditions we needed to be able to productively do the install. “That stair could have had such a trickle-down effect in terms of potential implications. But we felt like we did a really good job in terms of addressing those potential implications every step of the way.” Fulop credited that successful approach to the cohesiveness of Turner’s team as well as the rest of the project team, including the architect, the JANUARY 2024
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third-party project manager, and the subcontractors and tradespeople. “It was just an incredible team and an incredibly fun time,” Fulop said. “We’re so appreciative of our trades for the way they executed and made things happen, and we’re so appreciative of the design team for their support as well. When issues came up, we all came together. We kept the lines of communication open. We worked as a collective to make the project a success.” The project, Fulop said, was wellreceived by industry peers and the client. “The Trulioo team was incredible to work with, and I think they really love the space,” he said. “I’d love to work with more clients like them on more projects like that one. It was a lot of fun, and I think everyone’s really proud of how it turned out.” JANUARY 2024
For more on Turner Construction, their caring approach, their service offering, and the latest news on their activities across North America – and for more on the company’s Vancouver business unit specifically, including more on the Trulioo M2 Tenant Improvement and other notable projects in the city – visit https://www.turnerconstruction.com/ THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA
Aerial view from the center of the Navilawa Caldera with the Lion One Metals Processing Plant in the center.
Delivering on a promise
Lion One Metals is a Canadian resource company that trades internationally under listings in Canada, the USA, and Australia. Currently, they are focused on advancing their 100-percent-owned, high-grade, fullypermitted Tuvatu Alkaline Gold Project in Fiji. After completing construction of their Tuvatu mine ahead of schedule in September of last year, they had their first gold pour in October. The company’s mine development division is excited to continue development of their mining and processing operations there, while the exploration division – now equipped with seven drill rigs and a new assay laboratory – is focused on expanding their resource and making further discoveries in the surrounding region. Lion One Metals has been operating in Fiji since 2006, when the company acquired the Vatukoula Gold Mine – which has been operating on the island since the 1930s, making it one the oldest and most prolific gold mines in the South Pacific. As part of that acquisition, Lion One also acquired the Tuvatu mine. The company later sold the Vatukoula mine to another company, but as part of the transaction they retained the Tuvatu mine. At the time, Tuvatu was “sitting idle and undeveloped,” according to Patrick Hickey, Chief Operating Officer, but the company saw a lot of promise there. Patrick, for his part, is a veteran mine builder with over 40 years of experience as an engineer and executive in the design and construction of world class mining, petroleum, and power generating operations throughout the world. He has worked for some of the world’s leading operators, including Mobil in the USA and in the Middle East, Power in the Czech Republic, BHP Oil Refining in Hawaii, Kinross Gold Corp. in Africa and Spain, and Newmont Gold in Indonesia and Peru. He joined Lion One Metals in June 2021. He was brought on to help bring Tuvatu from JANUARY 2024 Lion One Metals CEO Walter Berukoff and the Honourable Maciu Nalusima, Acting Minister for Mineral Resources for Fiji, at the First Gold Pour Ceremony at Tuvatu.
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“exploration into operations” – which is exactly what he’s done. As previously mentioned, construction of the Tuvatu mine was completed ahead of schedule, with mill construction beginning in August 2022 and commissioning beginning in September 2023. Lion One poured their first gold at Tuvatu on Fiji Day, October 10th 2023. The ceremonial first pour was conducted on site with over 1000 members of local communities, businesses, employees, and government officials in attendance. At the time, Walter Berukoff, Lion One Chairman and CEO, commented: “The first gold pour at Tuvatu is a landmark event in the history of our company. We have successfully transitioned from explorer to producer and have delivered on our promise to build the South Pacific’s newest gold mine in the heart of Fiji.” Walter also congratulated the entire Lion One team – along with their partners in the local community – for achieving that significant milestone: “We thank our employees, contractors, local landowners and community members for their hard work and dedication. Completing construction ahead of schedule is a testament to the strength of their efforts and to the resilience of the Fijian spirit. We also thank our loyal shareholders for their continued support. This marks the beginning of our next phase of growth as we look forward to ramping up to commercial production at Tuvatu and to advancing our many other topquality prospects throughout the Navilawa Caldera.” Again, construction and commissioning of the Tuvatu Alkaline Gold JANUARY 2024 Lion One Metals COO Patrick Hickey shaking hands with Nasalo, a local landowner and member of the Navilawa community.
Project was completed at a rapid pace, with the first concrete pour occurring in August 2022 and plant operations starting just a little over a year later. Achieving that pace is a point of pride for the team at Lion One Metals. “That was a huge achievement and a testament to all the planning and hard work that was done,” says Ronan Geoghegan, Corporate Development Manager. “It’s a testament to the relationships we formed with the local community and the Fiji government. Those relationships were hugely important and we’re really proud of them.” In preparing for the Tuvatu project, Lion One Metals also constructed their own geochemical assay and metallurgical laboratory building. That laboratory is located at the company’s Fijian headquarters, approximately one kilometre from the Nadi International Airport and only 17 kilometres away from the Tuvatu mine. The lab is equipped for gold analysis by fire assay with atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) finish, and can also be utilized to conduct metallurgical optimization test work including flotation and leaching. Backed by that laboratory and their fleet of eight drill rigs, Lion One Metals is “effectively a vertically-integrated organization,” according to Ronan. “That’s very unique, especially for a company of our size – especially an exploration company, as we were for so long,” he says. “We can now get results from our drills very quickly. That allows us to be really nimble and really responsive. It allows us to move really quickly.” THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA Aerial view of the Tuvatu Mine and Processing Plant under construction in August, 2023.
“If we drill a hole and we see there’s gold, we can send it for testing and get the results potentially while the drill is still drilling,” he adds. “Then we can adapt and design another drill hole based on those results. Typically, companies like ours would have to wait potentially months to get drill results back, because there are only so many labs that are available and they are usually pretty busy. We typically get our results within a week – and if we have a really important sample, we can get it back within a couple days.” Returning to the topic of vertical integration, Patrick points out that in conjunction with the development of the mine, Lion One has also developed a gold processing plant, all the necessary supporting infrastructure, and a state-ofthe-art tailings storage facility, which is located 3.5 kilometres away from the Tuvatu mine site. Once gold-bearing material is extracted from the Tuvatu mine, it is sent to the processing plant to produce gold. This process starts with a two-stage crushing circuit, which consists of a primary jaw crusher, a secondary cone crusher, and a system of three conveyor belts that transport the material between the two crushers and on to the processing plant. Material from the crushing circuit is then fed into an integrated two-stage gravity concentration circuit, after which some concentrates are treated by an intensive cyanide leaching reactor while the remainder are leached using conventional cyanide Carbon in Leach (CIL) technology. Gold is recovered from the gold laden carbon using conventional adsorption desorption recovery (ADR) technology and smelted on site to produce gold doré bars. From there, the leached JANUARY 2024 Lion One Metals’ first gold pour, Fiji Day October 10th, 2023.
tailings are treated using an SO2/air process to remove any residual cyanide and are filtered to reduce their moisture content. The filtered tailings are then transported to the company’s tailings storage facility. The professionalism and efficiency of the whole operation is another point of pride for the Lion One Metals team. “Lion One has always had the attitude that we’re going to build a world-class operation with world-class facilities, and that’s what we have done,” Patrick says. THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA Ball mills in operation at Tuvatu. Lion One staff and underground miners on site at Tuvatu.
Making the right decisions These days, between the lab, the exploration team, and the operations team, Lion One Metals employs a staff of approximately 400 people in Fiji, in addition to the company’s head office in Vancouver. Communication between those team members is facilitated by a standardized management operation system (MOS), which keeps track of scheduled meetings and functions. Most of those meetings are regularly scheduled and conducted over Zoom, but if an unexpected issue arises and a meeting needs to be scheduled on short notice, the MOS can also address that need in a simple and seamless way. Plus, Patrick says, “We pick up the phone.” “If I have a problem and I need to talk to Ronan, or if Ronan has a problem and he needs to talk to me, we just pick up the phone and call,” he explains. “Fortunately, we have such great solid infrastructure JANUARY 2024 Lion One Metals’ Tailings Storage Facility.
here now. We have fibre optic internet and everything else we need. We very seldom struggle to be able to communicate with each other.” Having that ease of communication is important when it comes to building a strong culture, Patrick believes. He also believes that to have a strong culture, you have to hire the right personnel. Fortunately, he says recruiting for this project wasn’t all that difficult: “I’ve worked in the Sahara Desert, and it’s hard to recruit people to go work in the Sahara Desert,” he says. “It’s really easy to recruit people to come work in Fiji.” When building his own team, Patrick says he prioritized people with experience. Because of the location, he says they were able to attract the people looking for their last job before retirement, and they were even able to bring some people out of retirement. “We were able to attract some really great experienced talent,” he says. “There’s a lot of grey hair on this job. We have people that we can trust to make the right decisions.” Patrick cites a Mark Twain quote that he really loves: “Wisdom is the demonstration of good judgment. Good judgment is the result of experience. And experience is the result of bad judgment.” “So all these guys that we’re working with, they’ve seen it all,” Patrick explains. “They’ve learned what not to do. And that experience saves us lots of money and lots of time.” To staff the Tuvatu Alkaline Gold Project, Lion One Metals has been able to attract a lot of experienced team members, and Patrick says the company has formed some very strong relationships with those team members. Similarly, he says they have formed strong relationships with their suppliers and vendors, including their manufacturing partners as well as their technology partners. One key partner, for example, is 4Site® – a company with many years’ experience in asset maintenance, that has been providing solutions to mining, power generation, and manufacturing companies for decades. In 1976, they actually developed the first global Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) system – experience that gives them the depth, stability, and the clarity of vision to provide clients with the best, most affordable asset management solutions on the market. For mining and metals enterprises, in particular, 4Site’s EAM solution offers a full suite of integrated asset maintenance and financial management tools for all stages of the mining lifecycle, from exploration project management to robust maintenance management for a mature facility. With the help of 4Site’s people, processes, and technologies, companies such as Lion One Metal are able to maximize the performance of their assets while also managing regulatory compliance. THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA Stairway access to the thickener tanks at Tuvatu.
Just the beginning The Tuvatu Alkaline Gold Project commenced milling operations late last year, and so far the company is pleased with the results. The plant is currently capable of processing 300 tonnes of material per day and that plant has been kept busy. By the fall of 2024, the company’s plan is to ramp up to 500 tonnes per day – Ronan says they are already hard at work on preparing for that expansion. Beyond that, their goal is to keep digging deeper and gain progressively more access to higher grade parts of deposit, which will continue to propel the company’s growth. By 2025, they project to have access to an extremely high grade of gold, and from there Ronan says the growth will be exponential. Moving forward, Lion One Metals’ exploration division is also set up for continued success, as the property around Tuvatu has “a tonne of potential,” Ronan says – and Lion One’s exploration JANUARY 2024 Twin Boom Jumbo in operation underground at the Tuvatu Mine.
THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA Underground at the Tuvatu Mine.
license is extensive, covering not just Tuvatu but the entire surrounding seven-kilometrewide Navilawa caldera, which is host to multiple mineralized zones and highly prospective exploration targets. “Throughout the caldera, we have seen some really high grade gold samples scattered everywhere,” Ronan says. “Those samples aren’t just coming from Tuvatu. They are coming from kilometres away in some cases.” Lion One Metals is very focused on expanding the company’s Tuvatu resource and making further discoveries in the Navilawa caldera. The company sees the mine at Tuvatu as just the beginning. “The whole point of building this mill was to pay the bills while we continue to explore the broader area,” Patrick says. “We didn’t want to sell to someone else and have them swoop in and do the exploration and then find the big prize – because we know there’s a big prize out there.” JANUARY 2024 Tuvatu Mill Operations team.
For more on Lion One Metals, including more on their exploration and development capabilities, information for investors, and their latest news releases – and to contact their expert team of mine builders and exploration professionals, including Patrick and Ronan – visit https://liononemetals.com/. Lion One Metals trades on the TSX as LIO, on the ASX as LLO, and on the OTCQX as LOMLF. THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA CIL tanks with reagent warehouse in the background.
Lifestyle elevated
Elevate Living is a Niagarabased homebuilder and developer inspired by ‘New Urbanism’ – a planning and development approach based on the principles of walkable blocks and streets, housing and shopping in close proximity, and accessible public spaces. For more than 15 years, company founder Drew Toth has been deeply involved with providing local housing in accordance with those principles. In his early days, he worked as an advocate for housing for vulnerable citizens. As the leader of Elevate Living, he’s been involved in modifying existing residences to include secondary units, building new townhomes, condos, multiunit dwellings and single family homes, and developing new neighbourhoods throughout the Niagara region. Over the years, all of Elevate Living’s activities have been based around the goal of “meeting the needs of our community through real estate,” Drew says. In Niagara, one of the community’s biggest needs is more housing. That’s a need shared by all communities in Ontario, as according to the Ontario Housing Affordability Task Force, the province must build 1.5 million new homes within the next decade to accommodate their growing population. “Of course, meeting this requirement without erasing or replacing the fabric of our existing communities requires a thoughtful approach to development,” Drew explains. Elevate Living seeks to provide that thoughtful approach. According to Drew and the principles of New Urbanism, that means creating mixed-use and residential developments within existing neighborhoods to allow for greater density, character, and walkability. It means implementing development designs and characteristics that reduce the need for vehicles wherever possible; creating a variety JANUARY 2024
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of housing and living options will help more people from different age groups, genders, family sizes and living situations; designing landscapes that provide canopies and clean air; and incorporating neighborhood features that prioritize community and lifestyle. Additionally, Drew says, thoughtful development also means fostering public-private partners wherever possible in order to “enhance the quality of life of future residents.” “Our communities shouldn’t have to compromise lifestyle just to call a place home,” he says. “Instead, we believe in ‘elevating’ our clients’ lifestyles through our New Urbanist approach to building and development.” Elevate Living first started with a single duplex, which Drew purchased and renovated about 15 years ago. From that experience, Drew gained a passion for construction and real estate investment. The company started working with investors, they started purchasing and renovating more houses, then they started renovating apartment buildings. Eventually, they became a Tarion-licensed builder and started doing small infill developments of their own. They now have a full inhouse development team, as well as number of strong and long-lasting relationships with external general contractors and trade partners. Today, Elevate Living focuses on developing and building a variety of different housing types, with a focus on compact real estate development, purpose-built rental apartments, and new home buildings with accessory JANUARY 2024
units. According to Drew, that diversity of housing forms is very purposeful: “We don’t just want to build million dollar homes,” he says. “We want to have a variety of housing forms and types within our developments. We want some apartment rentals, some condos, some stacked townhouses, some townhouses, some smaller units. Our goal is to provide housing to a mixed demographic. We also want to start filling in some of the missing middle housing that’s so desperately needed.” No matter the typology, however, Drew believes all developments by Elevate Living stand apart for the same few reasons. One of the main reasons is they all take place in thoughtfully-considered communities that all share the same key qualities and values – e.g., they are walkable; they contain multiple housing forms, including some form of attainable housing; and they were designed and planned with a strategy for reducing carbon emissions. On the carbon emission front, Drew says a big part of that is the walkability and bikeability of their communities, which mitigates the necessity of using cars to get around. In addition, Elevate Living is also implementing electric car share, electric scooter share, and electric bike share services in all of their developments moving forward. One more thing that Elevate Living does in regards to energy efficiency and carbon emission reduction is they carefully consider the materials they use and the building techniques they deploy. That consideration is resulted in apartments that are all at least 25 per cent THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA
more efficient than the national building code dictates. Elevate Living also recently became a Net Zero-certified builder and they are finishing their first Net Zero build now. A related element that all Elevate Living communities have in common is the emphasis they place on landscaping and greenery. Drew emphasizes that company takes pride in always implementing “a very elaborate landscape plan.” “What I mean by that is the amount of trees and the amount of flora and fauna that we introduce into our developments is very important to us,” he explains. “We go above and beyond the minimum requirements. We especially like to include Carolinian and native plant species – and that’s very important, because there are only about 30 per cent of Ontario’s Carolinian forests left so we aim to replenish them in an urban settings wherever possible.” Another point of difference that unifies all Elevate Living developments is the company’s “architectural design guideline.” Unlike a lot of developers, Elevate Living has very specific ‘do’s’ and ‘don’ts’ that relate to design elements such as what materials can be used, where the fenestration is, how the building must be oriented, et cetera. For example, on a corner lot, they mandate that both sides of the house have to be expressed to the street as if they were the front of the house. Those design guidelines ensure consistency of quality among all buildings by Elevate Living. Those guidelines also ensure the durability and longevity of the company’s buildings, as they mandate the use of materials that are long-lasting. Drew acknowledges that those materials are typically more expensive – “a good product you have to pay more for,” Drew concedes, “but what we’ve done is we’ve looked at every aspect of the design, and we’ve made key decisions about where and how to spend our money.” “We’re always thinking about how our choices impact the economic lifespan of our projects,” he says. “We want to make sure that what we’re building, we’re building for the next 100 years.” Lastly, yet one more overarching point of difference is Elevate Living’s commitment to community engagement. On all infill developments, they conduct a very specific public engagement program within the existing neighborhoods. That way, they can make sure their developments will integrate successfully and seamlessly within the broader community context. JANUARY 2024
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