Skip to content
Sponsored Content

‘Go big or go home’: Coastal GasLink + local caterer team up to celebrate major construction milestone

In late September, the Coastal GasLink team came together with workers, partners, Indigenous and local community leadership – and a local, Indigenous-owned catering business – to celebrate the completion of the Wilde Lake Compressor Station.
30569611_web1_221003-Impress-SIN-CoastalGasLink_1
Jessica is a co-owner of Mary Jane’s Kitchen and Catering, an Indigenous-owned, family-run business. Jessica and her team catered a recent event to celebrate the completion of Coastal GasLink’s Wilde Lake Compressor Station. Photo courtesy Coastal GasLink

In late September, the Coastal GasLink team came together with workers, partners, Indigenous and local community leadership – and a local, Indigenous-owned catering business – to celebrate the completion of the Wilde Lake Compressor Station.

As Jessica Quintal reflects on the journey that led her to cater Coastal GasLink’s event, she laughs: “It was go big or go home! I was seven months pregnant, quit my full-time job, and we’ve been going strong for three and half years. It was a lot of trial and error, but look at us now.”

Jessica and her grandmother own Mary Jane’s Kitchen and Catering, an Indigenous-owned, family-run business located in Fort St. John. Their team served up a delicious meal of chicken and ribs to more than 200 people gathered to celebrate the completion of Coastal GasLink’s Wilde Lake Compressor Station, near Dawson Creek.

“I was really happy when Coastal GasLink reached out to me,” said Jessica. “We have done big events before, but it was really exciting to work with (them) on this milestone.”

Coastal GasLink - Wilde Lake Completion from Coastal GasLink on Vimeo.

It was an equally momentous occasion for the Coastal GasLink Team, who proudly celebrated the safe completion of the largest greenfield natural gas compressor station that has ever been built by TC Energy in a single phase.

Affectionately referred to as the beating heart of the Project, the success of the Wilde Lake facility was the result of a team of 500 dedicated women and men. This team included Jessica’s cousin Teneshia from nearby Blueberry River First Nation, a Community Workforce Accommodation Advisor whose role included sharing her culture and traditions with the workforce, and ensuring a respectful and safe environment at Wilde Lake.

The Coastal GasLink team came together with workers, partners, Indigenous and local community leadership to celebrate the completion of the Wilde Lake Compressor Station, near Dawson Creek. Photo courtesy Coastal GasLink
The Coastal GasLink team came together with workers, partners, Indigenous and local community leadership to celebrate the completion of the Wilde Lake Compressor Station, near Dawson Creek. Photo courtesy Coastal GasLink

As all those gathered enjoyed the delicious meal prepared by Jessica and her team, Coastal GasLink’s President, Bevin Wirzba, expressed his gratitude to all those who had a hand in the milestone. “We are reminded that while the Wilde Lake facility will serve as the beating heart of the natural gas infrastructure, it is the relationships we hold with our Indigenous and local communities that are the beating heart of our legacy.”

“While we’re nearing completion at Wilde Lake,” Wirzba noted, “it is just the beginning of more opportunity. Looking forward, our team will continue to have a lasting presence here in the region, providing local employment and benefits for decades to come.”

And Jessica and her family are looking forward to the future. “There are a lot of benefits that are coming in from this project…a lot of doors opening for people, like me. It’s good to be a part of it,” says Jessica.

As Coastal GasLink approaches 75 per cent overall completion, the team looks forward to celebrating more milestones with their Indigenous and community partners. Learn more about upcoming milestones at coastalgaslink.com.