Building has always been a passion of mine. As a child, I would ask my parents for packages of Scotch Tape for my birthday so that I could put together pieces of cardboard, plastic, and anything else that looked interesting. It made sense that when I moved to southern Alberta at 19, I got a job with a local construction company.

After completing my carpentry apprenticeship and becoming Red Seal certified, I started my own business. I worked mainly in small renovations, finishing, and window replacement, and did the odd commercial job. After relocating to Manitoba, Waalnut Construction started to grow and assumed the role of general contractor.

As time passed, I found it harder and harder to continue building conventional homes. Day after day, I watched immense amounts of lumber arrive on site then disappear into a home being constructed in a way I knew wasn’t sustainable. I was implementing small changes to the way Waalnut Construction built and did business, but it didn’t seem enough.

Work, however, was not a problem. We could be booked for the next five years had I not made the very difficult decision to switch completely over to Earth conscious building methods. I watched the torrent of job offers dwindle to a trickle. Now I know that people who are interested in Waalnut Construction have similar ideas about the Earth and sustainability.

I moved to Regina, Saskatchewan, in December 2008. The area seemed ready for this type of focus in building methods. I officially launched Waalnut Construction as an Earth conscious builder on April 22 (Earth Day) 2009. I made this change to my company because I believe in it. Building is not so much a job as it is a life passion. Much of my spare time is spent reading, taking workshops, or somehow learning about other ways to build.

I believe that integrity is absolutely essential in any relationship, professional or personal. I have seen too many jobs where the contractor has completely disrespected the client, either through poor workmanship, or overcharging, and often both.

I can’t say that I, or Waalnut Construction, is perfect; we simply are not. What I can say is that we will do everything in our power to make our clients as satisfied as possible. I want to deliver a service that no one else comes close to. This means that not only do we have the appropriate insurance, worker’s compensation coverage, permits, and licenses, but that we will go above and beyond a contractor’s duties and responsibilities to assure our clients they made the right decision hiring us.

I hope that reading about us on our website moves you to think differently about the way we live in and build our homes. Even if you are not looking for a contractor and stumbled here randomly, I urge you to become conscious of this Earth and your impact within it.

As Gandhi said so well, “Be the change you want to see in the world!”

Eric Penner de Waal (owner) - email me