David Toews - CEO |
David started his building construction career as a teenager doing manual labour and then joined a framing crew. After a few years, he and his brother started their own framing company and, in 1973, they also began building houses, mostly spec but also a few custom homes. After 5 years, the housing market in Vancouver slumped and that’s when they heard the call of the wild: come north young man! In the summer of 1978, with a wife and two babies in tow, David moved to Fort St. John where he immediately had work framing. Before long, with a new business partner, he reactivated his construction company and began building houses again. They bought land and developed a subdivision in the Finch School area.
In 1981-82, the North Peace (and much of Canada) was hit hard with a recession that brought an abrupt end to construction and most of the Fort St. John economy ground to a halt. The timely arrival of a third child ensured that, though there was no money to spare, at least there were always entertaining diversions at home.
After a few years of finding whatever work wherever he could, David slowly got back into the building business, beginning with the purchase of a lot on 103rd Avenue that contained an undamaged foundation after a house fire. That house became Job#1 for Colteran Developments Corp. The late 80’s and early 90’s were a grind, but slowly and steadily the economy improved and with it, the building business.
Fort St. John was and is a great place for young people to get a start in business, whatever they want to do!