Built From Grit. Growing for Generations: The Mainstay Story.
When people ask about Mainstay, I (Jeff Spence, President) always tell them the business was started so that my business partner and I could continue working on cool projects and support our families with our hard work. We focussed on results and client satisfaction and over time our team grew with our reputation. Eleven years later, we’re a 50+ person team delivering engineering and owner’s representation services across Canada.
The Origin Story
I grew up in Maymont, Saskatchewan, a small farming community of about 150 people. Life on the farm teaches you early that projects don’t finish themselves. You learn responsibility, work ethic, and that results matter. Those lessons carried me into engineering, and then to Calgary where I began my career in the oil & gas industry. Once our first two children were born we made the decision to return home and I was fortunate to find work in uranium projects.
Around the same time, my now-colleague Chris O’Neill was growing up in another small town, Leroy, Saskatchewan. With just 450 people, it was the kind of place where everybody knew everybody, and where reliability and reputation mattered just as much as skill.
We didn’t know it at the time, but our paths were running parallel. Both of us left the security of larger firms to start our own companies, me in uranium through ARM Projects, Chris through O’Neill Project Management in potash. It wasn’t planned. It just happened.
What we had in common was a rural upbringing that shaped how we worked: focus on results, deliver value, and build trust.
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Building the First Chapter
For nearly a decade we each did what we knew best. We delivered projects. We built relationships and teams. We built reputations.
The team at ARM Projects grew to around 15 people, specializing in uranium projects. Chris did the same in potash, scaling O’Neill Project Management to about 15 professionals. Both firms were proof that in mining and industrial construction, success comes from hard work, consistency, and quality.
A Turning Point
In 2022 the company was rebranded as Mainstay and we began to think differently about the future. Exploring a partnership with Buffalo River Dene Nation we opened our first office in Saskatoon and expanded into engineering services. Suddenly, we weren’t just managing projects, we were designing them. It wasn’t enough to just build projects anymore, we would build people and capacity. We could create lasting value for generations.
In 2023 Buffalo River Dene Nation (BRDN) purchased a majority share of the company, and Mainstay Engineers & Owner Representatives was born. This wasn’t just a transaction, it was a strategic shift. Indigenous ownership will give us the ability to create impact well beyond projects, strengthening communities and building opportunities for the next generation.
It was a period of change, challenge, and growth. But like any big step forward, it set the stage for the next one.
Two Paths Converge
As Mainstay explored options for growth Chris and I connected. We had known many of the same individuals within our industry but had not ever met. We quickly realized something important: our values were remarkably similar. We shared the same outlook on leadership, growth, and the next decade in mining and industrial construction. In 2024, Mainstay and O’Neill Project Management merged to become a single company. What started as two firms of 15-20 people each became one united team of 50.
Where We Are Today
Today, Mainstay is about 50 people strong and growing. We’ve expanded beyond our uranium and potash roots to serve projects across industries and across Canada. From coast to coast to coast, we’re building partnerships, delivering results, and developing people.
Like any business, we have our ups and downs. But we are stronger together, guided by shared values and a clear vision of what’s ahead.
Looking Ahead
The future of Mainstay is bright. Our growth will come in three directions:
With our current clients — continuing to deliver value and strengthen relationships.
With future clients — expanding into new projects, markets, and opportunities.
With our community — supporting BRDN, our people, and the communities where we live and work.
Mainstay’s future isn’t just about scaling a business. It’s about creating opportunities, building capacity, and leaving a legacy of trust and quality.
From small towns in Saskatchewan to project sites across the country, our story is still being written. And we’re only getting started.
At Mainstay, we know projects are more than drawings and schedules. They’re about people, the ones who build, the ones who manage, and the ones who benefit.
That’s why our story matters. Because when people grow, communities thrive. And when communities thrive, the future shines brighter for everyone.
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