Blue Heron Environmental (BHE), an environmental consulting company based in Timmins and Sudbury, Ontario, is expanding its operations into northwestern Ontario.
Founded by Linda Byron in 2004, the company has already established itself in the mining industry, but it is now diversifying its services across various sectors and regions in the province.
"Historically, our focus has been on mining, and many of our staff come from that industry," Byron said. "But we've grown to 43 employees, and with new hires from different parts of the province and different industries, our skill set has expanded.”
And now with an extended footprint across the province, the company has increased its reach, Byron said.
“We're not just in Timmins anymore — we have a presence in Thunder Bay, Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie, Red Lake, and we're doing more than just mining work. We're involved in environmental components of construction, dam and bridge work, mineral exploration, industrial remediation and even aggregate pits."
But this isn’t your typical environmental consultant.
BHE distinguishes itself from standard consulting firms by offering long-term support and integration with clients' on-site teams.
"Standard consulting firms work on a specific project, and when the project is complete, they're done.” Byron said. “But our approach is different —we very often become an extension of the clients’ corporate or on-site teams. We're there for mentoring, training, and ongoing support, in addition to strategic planning for permitting or baseline studies, as well as fieldwork like water sampling and biological studies."
We’re There From Day One
A key aspect of Blue Heron's approach is their commitment to being involved throughout the entire lifecycle of a project.
"From day one, we're there,” Byron said. “We're there all the way through initial baseline studies and planning, through the construction and during operations, and we're there at the closure stage as well."
"Even after a mine or project has closed, we're still on-site, monitoring. We're there from day one, all the way through to the end."
The company also places a strong emphasis on building capacity within the industries they serve, and also within the communities they work with, particularly Indigenous communities.
That’s a key element of helping build a sustainable future.
"We work very closely with local eastern Ontario Indigenous communities, and are currently building relationships in the more western communities as well," Byron added.
The Age of EV Batteries
Blue Heron's expansion comes at a time of ramped-up exploration and high demand for battery minerals like lithium, which in Ontario requires specialized environmental oversight.
"In the northeast, we mostly deal with base metals and gold, as well as industrial minerals, but the expansion across the province is really about supporting the battery minerals and exploration projects,” Byron said.
“We're enjoying working with exploration companies, assisting with setting up their environmental monitoring programs, mentoring and training monitors and exploration staff with respect to environmental best practices and legislation.”
BHE currently has between 150 and 200 projects underway and is actively seeking to form more partnerships with other consulting firms and Indigenous communities, particularly in the construction industry across the province but with a main focus in Northwestern Ontario.
"For small companies like us, forming good relationships and partnerships is key to success. We have several relationships now, but we're looking to grow more in the northwest," Byron said.
Blue Heron Environmental's headquarters remains in Timmins, with brick-and-mortar offices in Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie, and a network of home offices spread across the province.
But now, as BHE continues to grow and diversify, its commitment to environmental stewardship, mentoring, and community collaboration remains at the forefront of its mission.
“I'm enjoying doing this,” Byron said. “I really like to share my experiences. That's how the company was originally formed, in that sort of “mentoring and capacity building” niche.”
“We’re more about helping people to do their job better, for the long term, rather than doing it for them.”
For more information about BHE, visit their website by clicking here.
For information about Blue Heron’s indigenous community support “wing”, click here.