Where It All Began
The Gatien Family.
I'm Dean Gatien, the host of Watts Up! Watts Up! is a blog and a soon-to-be podcast where we will discuss the services offered by DDG5 Advising. I will expand on those services and discuss being an "Opportunity Maker" in the Energy and Construction sectors. As Watts Up! develops and evolves, I will share stories from my decades of experience and introduce you to some of Canada's energy sector's most captivating and influential people. The blog and the podcast will bring advice and assistance where those looking for help will hear how to develop solutions and deliver results.
The story of DGG5 begins where most good stories start—in the home, with family. To give you a sense of where we are now, we must start with where it all began in Northern Ontario. Let me introduce you to my family, who have been integral to my success. Our journey has indeed been a family affair.
My grandfather Gatien was a carpenter who had excellent skills and tremendous drive. He worked in many towns in Northern Ontario, building many things with his hands. His son, my father, completed school up to grade 8, which was standard at the time. My father became a WWII Navigator in Canadian Air Force. After the war, he apprenticed at Ontario Hydro (1946). Later, he worked for various utility companies in Winnipeg and Thunder Bay. Rene, his older brother, mentored and encouraged him to develop his energy business. In 1953 he created a sole proprietorship called Central Canada Construction in Port Arthur (now Thunder Bay).
In 1964 we visited my uncle Rene in Colorado Springs for Christmas. His son-in-law had a mining background and was a quantity surveyor. During that Christmas trip, they planned a future that would continue for generations. In 1967 we left Port Arthur and moved to Iroquois Falls. My cousin, Uncle Rene's son, moved his family to join us, and a new company was born—Power And Telephone Constructors Canada Inc.
In 1968 we moved to North Bay. An accountant suggested they need to create an incorporated company. As a proud Canadian, my father hoped to incorporate on July 1. He soon realized the registry office was closed on Canada Day. On July 2, 1968, PowerTel Utilities Contractors Limited was incorporated.
In 1970 we moved to a large farm in Whitefish (now Sudbury). We became good farmers. We raised beef cattle, grew vegetables and cut hay to feed our herd. Many skills I developed on the farm served me well when working for PowerTel. The farm is where my mother’s influence was most remarkable. She was born and raised on a farm in Denmark and moved to Canada at 16 due to WWII. She was a born leader, coach, and mentor. She is my hero and cherished mother. She raised seven children, maintained a busy household, and grew and raised the food we needed. Her skills, knowledge, and love moulded us from a very young age. She showed us to care for and manage animals, grow the food we needed, and manage a farm. Not to mention keeping a house in order and clean or remembering everyone’s birthday, anniversaries, and milestones. She had a powerful presence in the community, giving much of her time by attending church and being active in many clubs and groups. Her most immense presence and joy was our family as a wife, mother, sister, sister-in-law, aunt, grandmother, and great-grandmother. Her joy was cooking for large groups and family gatherings—where our characters were formed around the kitchen table. She had enormous joy in the gifts she made for everyone—pyjamas, toques, socks, quilts, sweaters and more. Her birthday cakes were extraordinary. She was talented beyond measure, whether cooking, cleaning, baking, cutting meat, making butter, honey, pickles, and many other items.
My brothers and I worked for our father at PowerTel over the years, some more than others. I started working part-time in high school at 14 years old. My older brother and I bought out our father's half of the company on January 1, 1988. We created a new partnership with my cousin. We grew the business continuously. We developed all the items of health and safety and quality management systems, training, equipment maintenance, service centre, warehouse, and presence in the industry at contractors and safety associations. My cousin later retired in 2002. His two sons joined us as partners to continue his legacy. We also bought a manufacturing company in Montreal and moved it to Whitefish. We made the organization better and re-branded it as "PowerTraxx."
Together we became leaders in the high-voltage construction industry in Canada. Mainly in Ontario, we worked in Manitoba, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, and Maine. We also rented some of the tracked equipment across Canada and the US. PowerTraxx sold units across North America.
In 2014 we sold the business to a fellow from Halifax. My brother retired in 2016. My other partners got out of the company in 2018. I completed the Directors Education Program at the Univeristy of Toronto through ICD in 2019. I stayed, wanting to be part of the new group, but soon found it was time to move on.
In April 2020, when the pandemic hit, I was trying to figure out what I would do, as many people did. People in my network helped determine my new trajectory, and I became an advisor. It started with the help of a brand strategist. My passion for helping and coaching came out in the discussions with clarity. DGG5 Advising was born, including the counting sticks logo, created when a graphic designer entered the picture to help me build the visual brand, website, stationery and the like. My lawyer registered the business name for me in a few days, launching everything in late October 2020.
It has been three years, and business development and customer relationship building have been gratifying. The network developed over 40 years has helped me see opportunities when groups connect and work together—often where one provides a service to another in collaboration. After discovering synergies, I help with the company's strategy or pursuit and plan proposals and responses. I offer risk reviews for various endeavours, projects and contracts.
“Spanning the north for generations, we are familiar with the geography of this country and the logistics involved. ”
Spanning the north for generations, as you have seen, we are familiar with the geography of this country and the logistics involved. We are familiar with many aspects of projects in developing, designing, purchasing, installation, maintenance, First Nations relations, and Indigenous partnerships and services. We have an expansive knowledge of offroad transmission and substations, distribution, and generation.
Our family name and company became very well-known and respected. Reputation is earned in drops and lost in buckets. We worked hard to create our family business over the years and became a recognized leader in the industry. We always knew that most customers would ask, "What have you done for me lately?" and staying on top of the operations was critical.
Years of steady performance can be destroyed in seconds when faced with one devastating incident. We were very entrenched in all aspects of business and projects to see continued success, including all items of high voltage business operations and management and project management.
Years of expertise are now available for your organization through DGG5 Advising. Our clients benefit from the knowledge and ability to help with all the risk review, planning activities, management processes and strategies to help them develop and grow—and, most importantly, find opportunities and develop relationships for your organization. The attributes of respect, professionalism and confidentiality that I have valued over the years are available with a call, text, or e-mail.
You can find me on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/deangatien/. Let’s connect. Thank you for joining me for Watts Up! Sign up for the DGG5 newsletter below to receive updates on the blog and soon-to-be podcast.