SHINE BRIGHT LIKE A DIAMOND: PCL celebrates 60 years in Manitoba
F or the past 60 years, PCL has been shaping Winnipeg's downtown and beyond — from its first project in 1963, the Mall Centre (now the Rice Financial building), to landmark gathering places like Canada Life Centre and contemporary works of architectural art such as the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. Beyond bricks and mortar, PCL takes pride in building community through its culture, values and philanthropic efforts. While the construction industry and building science have advanced tremendously over the past 60 years, PCL has continued to be guided by its guiding principles — Poole’s Rules, established by company founder Ernie Poole — which have remained a constant north star for PCL throughout its evolution. “We're fanatical about our ethics — we always want to be doing the right thing. We want to be firm with our approach, but we also want to be fair and friendly to our employees, our subcontractors, our clients and our partners,” says Kelly Wallace, PCL’s Winnipeg district manager and BY KRISTIN MARAND
trying to lead the way in terms of innovation, diversity and inclusion and mentoring the next generation.” Much of PCL's talent in Manitoba is homegrown. Nearly 200 employees are based in its Winnipeg office, supported by several hundred tradespeople and subcontractors working in communities throughout the province. PCL values being part of the community fabric — not only as an employer but also a post-secondary partner, helping students launch their careers. The company has been nominated a Top 100 employer in Canada for 16 consecutive years and is named a top employer for young people by the Canada's Top 100 Employers project, published in The Globe and Mail . “Every CEO we've had has been organically grown within the company. We're building our CEOs of the future when they're in their 20s with a deliberate approach,” Wallace explains. “We take an active interest in training and developing our people to be the best builders in the industry. Giving people the exposure, the experience and the opportunity is key in building the leaders of tomorrow. We also want them to grow to be great people and great community ambassadors.” Wallace’s commitment to ethics goes far beyond words. He leads training sessions on the subject for employees, where he highlights the critical role of diversity and inclusion as part of building an ethical workplace culture. “When I started in the Winnipeg district in the early 2000s, there was one female project manager — now,
says. “Different projects call for different ways of thinking — that’s why we need a mix of perspectives on our team. Diversity brings strength to our industry. If we can create an environment where you can come and be your authentic self every day, we are going to get the best solutions and the best environment to work in.” PCL’s investment in people has paid dividends in developing a culture of ownership — quite literally. Nearly every employee holds shares in the company, creating a direct stake in its success. That kind of buy-in reflects how deeply the team values their work and strengthens their drive to work together toward the company’s continued growth. “It's not just a job — the effort they put into making a job successful and the level of Kelly Wallace, PCL's Winnipeg district manager and vice-president “We're really proud of the role we've played in Winnipeg.” — Kelly Wallace
vice-president. "We take pride in being Canada's largest contractor and, as such, we're always
True North Square (2019)
30 per cent of our team is female," he
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