One of the Best Biological Water Treatment Companies in the World
Monique Simair founded Saskatoon-based Contango Strategies in 2010 as a consulting and contract research firm that uses microbiology labs and water treatment pilot facilities to reduce the environmental impacts on our water from the mining industry. “Keeping our water safe is important to us,” shares Simair. “Ninety-five percent of our clients are from the mining sector,” she says. “Engineering firms hire us to do this work for them as they usually don’t have the required facilities.” Dr. Vanessa Friesen joined her team as a partner to lead the burgeoning genomic microbiology technology development in 2011.
As Simair explains, “We figure out ways that mining companies can improve their water quality and work in water treatment areas that have a biological aspect. We work with active mines to improve their water treatment and abandoned or closed mines to remediate and reclaim impacted sites. We also work with greenfield projects, where they are wanting to open a new mine, but ensure they don’t adversely impact water quality during operations or after they have completed mining.”
Contango Strategies runs the only passive water treatment system pilot-facility in North America and the process contributes to the success of biological treatment systems such as constructed wetland treatment systems. “We are one of the only companies in the world able to do what we do in microbiology and genomics to aid the environment,” Simair smiles.
The team’s work with treatment wetlands in the north has contributed to their client Minto Mines in the Yukon in receiving a Robert Lemke award. The award is presented to worthy recipients for excellence in environmental stewardship, outstanding social responsibility and leadership and innovation in overall process. Simair shares, “That one involved an integration of technologies. Genomics, microbiology, chemistry, engineering it was great to see them all come together and work so well.”
Simair and Friesen plan to keep growing their team of twenty-five based in Saskatoon. “I think Saskatoon is one of the most innovative places in the world. We have people that are innovative here because we are used to solving these kinds of problems. We now have people moving from Toronto and Vancouver for jobs here,” explains Simair. Although unintentionally, as 80% of the employees at Contango Strategies are women, this organization is leading the charge for encouraging more women into careers in technology. We find we have a lot more female applicants for our jobs than the other firms we collaborate with, and this is likely linked to the visible female ownership and leadership at Contango.
Watch Simair’s acceptance speech for the Saskatchewan Advantage Innovation Fund and be inspired by this innovative business.
Founders: Monique Simair
Incorporation Date: November 2010
Website: www.contangostrategies.com
Employees: 25
