Helping advance complex initiatives with strategic coordination and solid project management. ambitious leadership teams develop and implement viable opportunities. consensus-building and collaboration on multi-stakeholder change initiatives. drive change and innovation with diverse teams to land results.

With a combined experience of nearly 40 years providing project development and business advisory services in Saskatchewan, HW Strategy is focused on facilitating the critical strategy, planning, engagement and development steps required to advance complex projects and improve organizational performance by being an embedded team member within our clients’ organizations.

How We Help

HW Strategy has a keen interest in supporting complex initiatives that require navigating diverse stakeholder networks in the various sectors we’ve worked in to align interests and develop shared outcomes. This may involve leveraging our expertise and capacity in a combination of the following support areas:

Business strategy and session facilitation
Business case development and feasibility analysis
Stakeholder engagement and alignment
Business and operational planning
Financial analysis and modeling
Funding strategies and proposal development
Project coordination and management
Partnership development and negotiation
Organizational development and performance improvement
Board governance development and support
Planning and establishing start-up operations
Procurement strategy and advisory support

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Muskowekwan Family Healing & Wellness Centre

Supporting the creation of a new model for healing intergenerational trauma for First Nations families through dedicated, collaborative and flexible project development services.

Muskowekwan First Nation is home to one of the few remaining standing residential schools in Canada. While the residential school has been closed for decades, the long-term legacy of trauma remains embedded in the lives of First Nations people in the area. It was important to the community that a better model for healing be developed for First Nations people, by First Nations people. Rachelle Holterman was engaged a number of years ago to facilitate, through engagement and collaboration with the community, the creation of a vision and concept plan for the Muskowekwan Family Healing and Wellness Centre. The Centre is specifically designed to focus on healing families, not just individuals, through a wide range of mental health, wellness services and life skills programming, with the foundation of cultural and traditional supports being weaved throughout the healing journey.

As project manager, Rachelle has played a variety of roles to advance this complex initiative working with community leadership and a number of project stakeholders to build awareness and support. The project planning launched to reality after an application that Rachelle developed for the ISC Indigenous Homes Innovation Initiative was successful in the Muskowekwan project being selected as one of 24 projects from across Canada from 342 applicants. The Centre is currently under construction and is expected to launch operations mid 2022.

Photo credit KDM Constructors

Cowessess Renewable Energy Facility

Supporting an emerging leader in realizing their sustainable energy vision through strategic project development and execution.

John Waller has been working with Cowessess First Nation for a number of years in realizing their sustainable energy vision, starting with planning on a $7M wind- battery project in 2009 up to implementation which occurred in the fall of 2012 and then continued to provide management support for a couple years thereafter. This Cowessess development has received accolades as the first successful utility scale wind turbine battery storage facility implemented in Canada and the second known installation in North America when commissioned. It resulted in putting Cowessess on the map as the third largest renewable developer in Saskatchewan and the only First Nation in the province with a utility-scale wind project.

In 2018, John was re-engaged by Cowessess to help build out their renewable energy footprint, this time with an investment in solar. Providing similar services, John was able to secure over $1.7M in funding for the solar addition and led procurement for the solar vendor. In 2020, Cowessess finalized a Power Purchase Agreement for a 10MW solar installation on the site which is currently in the design phase, creating a project 10x the size of the initial wind installation and further advancing the Cowessess’ vision for becoming a sustainable development leader in Canada. This leadership was significantly validated in June 2021 when SaskPower announced that a Cowessess partnered submission was approved for the next 200 MW wind power project in Saskatchewan.

University of Regina College Avenue Campus Renewal

Supporting the revitalization of a historic campus through complex partnership and funding development.

University of Regina President, Vianne Timmons, had a vision to save the College Avenue Campus and restore its heritage buildings for the thousands of children, adults and seniors who benefit from its programming each year. John Waller was an active project team member on the College Avenue Campus Renewal project over six years, acting as an advisor on a variety of project components including land and partnership development, business case development, funding and financing, negotiations with the City of Regina, and strategic communications.

John led market analysis and partnership strategy that considered a variety of land development and innovative concepts that eventually resulted in securing $27.6M in federal funding and $8.25M in land lease plus donation funding from Conexus Credit Union, which were the catalysts to the $70M+ renewal effort. John worked closely with University leadership and staff, including management of the Centre for Continuing Education (CCE) as the primary University program arm at the Campus. Work with CCE included understanding its business model and working extensively to identify select programs that would support the value proposition for funding, as well as collaboratively developing the business plan for renewal of Darke Hall. The restoration and modernization of Darke Hall and College Avenue Campus is drawing to a close late 2021.

Who We Are

Holterman Waller Strategy Inc. (HW Strategy) is based in Regina with a corporate focus on Saskatchewan initiatives that can have local, provincial and national impact.

The firm’s niche is acting as a trusted advisor to ambitious executive teams advancing strategic and complex initiatives. We have experience working with all three levels of government – provincial (including ministries, agencies, and Crown corporations), federal and municipal (including cities, rural municipalities and related associations). This allows us a strong understanding in how to navigate the government landscape and decision process to advance initiatives to execution. We have also worked for a number of years with several post-secondary institutions within the province and have worked closely with First Nation communities, band organizations and associated Indigenous organizations throughout Saskatchewan.

Our experience serving results-driven leaders through our hands-on approach working with their teams has included putting all the pieces together for a number of First Nation social and economic development projects, post-secondary capital projects, and even supporting the provincial public sector procurement evolution around best value and innovation. As project quarterbacks, we often work alongside technical teams of architects and engineers, research organizations, or expert specialists in planning and executing sophisticated initiatives. In addition, we also work with project funding stakeholders and financial institutions on behalf of our clients to get financial requirements in place to advance their important projects forward.

Rachelle Holterman and John Waller established HW Strategy in the summer of 2020 after more than a decade of collaboration at McNair Business Development Inc. We are proud of our roots and continue to collaborate with McNair as associates.

Meet Our Team

Rachelle Holterman

Partner & Senior Project Director

With over 16 years of consulting experience. Rachelle is motivated by working on initiatives that will have a significant impact on Saskatchewan’s appeal as a great place to both live and work.

She is driven by supporting her client’s in realizing their desired goals and outcomes through becoming part of their team to make this happen. Rachelle is a Certified Management Consultant (CMC) and Project Management Professional (PMP). She thrives in the areas of business strategy and session facilitation; stakeholder alignment; business and operational planning; organizational development; project governance, implementation and management; board governance development and support; and planning and establishing start-up operations.

John Waller

Partner & Senior Project Director

John has over a decade of consulting experience and has worked on a variety of projects in the areas of economic analysis, project management, process and policy review, financial analysis and modeling and strategic planning.

John has led a variety of transformative Saskatchewan First Nation economic development initiatives, managing all aspects of these complex projects to bring them to fruition. John has considerable experience working on strategic analysis related to infrastructure in the province, including extensive cost-benefit analysis work focused on major projects and complex initiatives seeking to balance economic, technical and risk considerations. John is B+ Certified in Best Value procurement and has a keen interest in the evolution of the procurement function as a strategic aspect of project delivery and organizational effectiveness.

Latest News

HW Donates 50 Games to Thomson Community School

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In December, HW Strategy donated 50 games to Thomson Community School in Regina to put in Christmas baskets provided to their families. HW recognizes the importance of giving back and was grateful to have this opportunity to do one small thing…

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The firm is co-located at the Path Cowork office complex in Regina, working alongside other Saskatchewan-based organizations and start-ups.