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Tofield Winterfest this weekend! Page 2
Your LOCAL Media since 1918! Volume 106 Issue 14
www.tofieldmerc.com
Wednesday, November 29, 2023
Claystone Waste bids farewell to CEO Kari Janzen Staff Reporter
Claystone Waste held a formal event to celebrate retiring Chief Executive Officer Pierre Breau in the Ryley Community Hall on Friday, November 24. Breau started in 2011, moving to the area from Nova Scotia. “I was on the board at that time. And I remember being pleasantly surprised by this applicant from Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. Lunenburg, with the tall sailing ships, where the Bluenose is anchored, around the corner from Mahone Bay, just up the road from Peggy’s Cove, this applicant, wanting to come to Ryley. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love Ryley, but there are some major differences in the landscape,” said former Beaver County Reeve Bob Young. “Within three years, Pierre and his team were able to take the landfill from having to be propped up every year by the participating municipalities through requisitions, to being a self-supporting entity, paying dividends back to the part i c i p a t i n g municipalities. A remarkable turnaround
in such a short period of time and it continues to this day. “With your retirement there is no doubt in my mind that you will be headhunted to consult, to sit on various boards, to provide input into Lord only knows what but if I can share some pearls of wisdom, it is to choose exactly what you want to do. Enjoy the fruits of your labour and always stop and smell the roses,” Young said. “We're very grateful, I know our entire region and partners are very grateful for the job that you did here in leading the group. We're very proud of what you've accomplished here in your organization and the way it's become a municipal control corporation,” said Reeve Kevin Smook. Ryley Deputy Mayor and former Beaver Municipal Solutions Chairperson Brian Ducherer also had the opportunity to speak and congratulate Breau on his retirement. “When Pierre became manager of what was then known as Beaver Regional Waste, there was a substantial debt. Over the next few years and under Pierre’s leadership the debt was reduced to
zero and the company started making money. Not only are we profitable today, we give back to the owners. The five municipalities received $3 million per year in dividends. That is substantial and we should all be very, very proud of that. “On behalf of the five municipalities I would like to thank you for everything that you have done for not only the landfill but also the five communities and we would like to wish you well in your retirement and new endeavors wherever they may lead. “Thanks for being here for us,” he said. Meryl Whittaker, Claystone’s Board Chairperson, spoke of the dedication Breau has had for the company. “You've been the driving force behind an incredible transformation from a small county landfill to a complex waste management. One thing we have noticed and have appreciated at board level from the very beginning is your commitment to excellence and innovation and a deep sense of responsibility to this community and to the environment. “The multiple years
Pierre Breau, retiring CEO of Claystone Waste Ltd., spoke to those gathered to celebrate his retirement at the Ryley Community Hall on Friday, November 24. KARI JANZEN PHOTOS
of zero workplace injuries at the landfill has been really nothing short of remarkable. And that's the result of your commitment to safety,” she said. The board had made plans to purchase a plane ticket so that Breau’s wife could fly out for the event, but she was unable to do so, and the value of the ticket was donated to the Tofield and Area Health Foundation.
Former Beaver County Reeve Bob Young talked about his reaction to receiving an application for the position from Lunenburg, Nova Scotia and the work that Breau has been able to accomplish.