It just made sense.
Like a lot of farm kids in southwest Saskatchewan, Jesse Wellsch enjoyed growing up around agriculture and playing in the dirt. As he got older, he also developed an appreciation for the construction industry. Two summer Co-op seasons and a University of Lethbridge degree in Environmental Science later, he was able to merge his core interests at Vitae Environmental Construction Ltd.
Now Vitae’s general manager, he oversees general contracting for projects in sensitive habitats. His team, which numbers up to 50 in peak season, specializes in land reclamation and remediation, erosion and sediment control, streambank stabilization and site maintenance of post-construction vegetation growth.
Wellsch also highlights Vitae Environmental Construction’s expertise in species reclamation.
“We try to vegetate areas that are usually troublesome and not places where you can just throw grass on a lawn and it’ll grow,” he explains. We have a lot of native grassland species, and with minimal disturbance practices these sensitive areas can be preserved instead of undergoing a big clean-up after the fact.”
“It was posing a risk to nearby infrastructure,” says Wellsch. “We were contracted to perform permitting and fish salvage, and then we recontoured and armoured the banks. Through our company-specific techniques, partnered with the City’s engineering group, we were able to prevent any further erosion and adverse effects to sedimentation in habitats downstream.”
Vitae’s range of service isn’t just limited to southwest Saskatchewan. The company works throughout the province, as well as in Alberta and B.C. Wellsch says he’s always available to discuss projects with people in energy, power line right of ways, and the construction sector generally.
“Even a landowner could give us a call,” he says. “They may have erosion issues on a streambank or trouble with a bridge, where water might be impeding things or causing issues. We’re your people.”
Once contacting Vitae Environmental Construction, anyone with an inquiry can book a site visit or, if sufficient, supply site images. From there, a scope of work is determined, a plan made and a budget set. Then Wellsch and his staff get to work.
As environmental policy increasingly impacts construction – and as construction increasingly impacts the environment – companies Vitae is the ideal go-to for environmental specialization and construction expertise.
It just makes sense.
Vitae Environmental Construction Ltd. can be reached by calling (403)-627-4589. Their services and a project gallery can be viewed by visiting their website.