Our Stories

Like many of our folks, Ken learned about us through word of mouth. Having just been released from jail, he was looking for meaningful employment. Someone he knew while he was incarcerated had recently started working on the Purpose Home so he decided to come check it out. Ken had taken Introduction to Residential Construction while he was in Rockwood and was looking to put those skills to use. After meeting and chatting with the project manager, he was hired and has been a great addition to the team! We benefit from his construction knowledge and calm presence, and Ken’s getting on the job skills that will benefit him wherever he decides to go in the construction industry.

Ken says that having a job, somewhere to go each day, where he’s able to think critically, be physically active, and work in a team is great for his mental and physical health. The sense of purpose he has in helping to build this home is something he hasn’t had in a job before, and it shows in his work. We’re happy Ken found his way to us and we’re looking forward to more home builds with him as part of our team.

Meet Jeremy! When we put the call out that we were starting a training program, Jeremy was the first person who got in touch to apply.

Jeremy describes himself as fun and outgoing, and is interested in carpentry. He was a firefighter for 16 years in his home community of Split Lake, and is liking the change the training program has brought.

Outside of our program, Jeremy’s a busy guy. He has 6 kids between the ages of 9 and 18, and they play hockey (on scholarship!), and volleyball.

Jeremy likes his coworkers and says they’ve become like family. He especially likes that everyone’s supportive, open, and honest.

When we asked to take a couple pictures of Trudy, one of our trainees, they grabbed their medicine bag and smudging wing. “Job site photos, but make them sacred,” they joked.

Trudy has been with us since September, and it’s been an absolute pleasure to watch them work. Their infectious laugh and joyous spirit can be felt (and heard) on their job sites. Their commitment to their Indigenous culture has helped to create bonds with other trainees and staff. Simply put, we’re incredibly happy Trudy found us.

Trudy has this to say about their experience in our training program so far: “We actually get to work on a site, with people with similar situations, which makes me feel at ease and a lot more comfortable. The cultural elements that are brought in are helpful, and it makes me feel more proud.”

Justice has been with Purpose for a year and a bit and has been enjoying learning new things. Her favourite thing to do on a job site is rolling out (painting the walls) and her least favourite thing to do is sanding. When she’s not at work, Justice loves all things manga.

Greg’s been with us for around five years. He brings a lot of skills, having worked for another construction company before coming to Purpose. Greg’s favourite part of the job is painting, specifically the finished product, and he’s proud of his cutting in skills. He says “when I first started my cutting skills were kind of off but now I have a steadier hand and I think it looks really professional.” He likes having a really good plan and having everything he needs to make it run smoothly. When he’s not at work Greg likes riding his bike, reading the bible, and doing puzzles. Greg’s soft spoken, calm demeanour is a joy to be around and we’re so thankful he’s part of our team.

Areguy’s been working with Purpose for six’ish years and in that time one of the biggest things he’s learned is the social skills on how to work with different kinds of people.

His favourite thing to do is carpentry (framing and drywall) and his least favourite thing to do at a job site is cleaning other people’s mess. In his spare time he listens to gospel songs and bible audio.

Areguy is one of our trusted crew leads and it’s been a joy to see him learn and grow.

We have a special staff profile. Alazar, who’s been living in Canada since 2016 and has been working at Purpose since 2019, became a Canadian citizen on July 20, 2022!

Here’s what he had to say about that, and about working at Purpose.

“In Eritrea it’s really nice, but there’s no peace. I’m really happy when I become citizen. I am free. I can visit other places. Feels really nice.

I ran my plumbing business in Sudan but English isn’t great to do that here. At Purpose I like carpentry, like all the different things I’m learning.

For fun I like walking and religious music.”

Alazar mentioned that back home there’s no right to pray or religious freedom for him, so it’s a big deal he can do that here.

Alazar and his wife worked really hard to become citizens, and we’re so happy he’s part of our team.

Nico started out in our Sanitization department, but moved over to Repair. Painting and carpentry is something she’s always wanted to do, and part of the reason she wanted to work at Purpose.

Since she started with us in December of 2021 she’s learned to paint the interior of a house from top to bottom, something she’s pretty proud of. Everyone has their most and least favorite parts about the job, and for Nico her favorite is painting and least favorite is sanding (it’s so dusty). Nico is an integral part of our team and we’re excited to see her continue to grow.

Joey Fagnan came to Purpose Construction after spending time in the justice system and at a time in his life where he felt like no one was willing to give him a chance. At other jobs he had held, he faced discrimination both as an Indigenous person and as someone with a criminal record. “Basically,” says Joey, “this company is good at breaking down stereotypes.” Today, Joey is a lead hand, managing jobsites and communicating with customers while providing training and mentorship to our teams.ever’s going on at home I can deal with it because things at work are stable.” Over the last 7 years has risen to becoming a lead hand painter, trainer and mentor to our teams.