About Willow-ICS
A First Nations economic development and digital operations firm based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, with thirty years of pan-Canadian experience.
Years of senior delivery experience across infrastructure, environmental services, and Indigenous economic development
In cumulative project and capital funding secured for clients and partners
Building retrofits delivered under Manitoba's energy efficiency program
Of project geography spanning a thirty-year career
WILLOW Indigenous Community Services Ltd.
Willow-ICS was founded in 2013 and is led by Darrel W. Olson, whose career spans environmental services, hazardous materials remediation, mine site reclamation, agricultural and oil and gas operations, energy efficiency program delivery, and Indigenous economic development.
Before founding Willow-ICS, Darrel held senior delivery roles across Western Canada — including Senior Program Manager at Ecofitt delivering Manitoba's province-wide energy retrofit program under Efficiency Manitoba (1,000+ building retrofits), Operations Manager at CBCRA for Manitoba's beverage container recycling program under Extended Producer Responsibility legislation, and Project Manager and Business Development Lead at Hazco Environmental Services (later Tervita) for remediation and hazardous waste programs across Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. Earlier career roles include over a decade as an environmental technician in oil and gas operations through D. Olson Environmental Consulting.
Since founding Willow-ICS, Darrel has contributed to engagements including hospital and health facility operational audits across Manitoba for Indigenous Services Canada, the design and delivery of solar PV systems in First Nation communities, and the development of governance, equity, and value-retention frameworks now in use across multiple Indigenous regions.
The firm is based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and serves the Prairies and Northwestern Ontario as its primary service region, with career experience spanning coast-to-coast Canadian work including engagements with Inuit organizations in the eastern Arctic.
The operating model.
Willow-ICS operates with a dedicated delivery team: Darrel W. Olson as Strategic Lead, supported by an in-house build team that handles website, marketing, and digital operations work.
The model is designed to scale — the firm is built to grow with its clients. Engagements are structured to leave more capability behind than they found, building the internal capacity of client organizations over time.
Willow-ICS is not Indigenous-owned. The firm works with First Nations and Inuit clients but is structured as a non-Indigenous services partner. Willow-ICS is not a law firm or financial advisor.
Darrel W. Olson
President, WILLOW Indigenous Community Services Ltd.
Darrel W. Olson's thirty-year career spans environmental services, hazardous materials remediation, mine site reclamation, agricultural and oil and gas operations, energy efficiency program delivery, and Indigenous economic development.
His career includes senior roles at Ecofitt (delivering Efficiency Manitoba's province-wide retrofit program, 1,000+ buildings), CBCRA (Operations Manager for Manitoba's Extended Producer Responsibility beverage container program), and Hazco Environmental Services / Tervita (Project Manager and Business Development Lead for remediation programs across three provinces). He began his career through D. Olson Environmental Consulting, providing environmental technical services to oil and gas operators across Western Canada.
Since founding Willow-ICS, Darrel has contributed to engagements including hospital and health facility operational audits across Manitoba for Indigenous Services Canada, the design and delivery of solar PV systems in First Nation communities, and the development of governance, equity, and value-retention frameworks now in use across multiple Indigenous regions.
Darrel's background combines hands-on operational delivery with senior strategic advisory work, allowing Willow-ICS to bridge the gap that frequently opens between strategy and execution in Indigenous economic development.
Connect with DarrelEnvironmental Technician — D. Olson Environmental Consulting
Founded D. Olson Environmental Consulting and spent over a decade as an environmental technician in oil and gas operations across Western Canada — hazardous materials handling, mine site reclamation, agricultural and oil and gas field work. The foundation of hands-on operational delivery.
First Nations Engagement — Alberta Oil & Gas
First Nations engagement work in the Alberta oil and gas sector, building the relational and technical foundation for a career at the intersection of industry, government, and Indigenous communities.
Project Manager & Business Development Lead — Hazco / Tervita
Project Manager and Business Development Lead at Hazco Environmental Services (later Tervita) for environmental remediation and hazardous waste programs across Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta — multi-jurisdictional delivery with government and industry clients.
Senior Program Manager — Ecofitt (Efficiency Manitoba)
Senior Program Manager at Ecofitt, delivering Manitoba's province-wide energy retrofit program on behalf of Efficiency Manitoba. Responsible for delivery of over 1,000 building retrofits across the province — one of the largest energy efficiency programs in Manitoba's history.
Operations Manager — CBCRA (Extended Producer Responsibility)
Operations Manager at the Canadian Beverage Container Recycling Association (CBCRA), responsible for Manitoba's beverage container recycling program under Extended Producer Responsibility legislation — complex multi-stakeholder program management at a provincial scale.
Founded WILLOW Indigenous Community Services Ltd.
Founded Willow-ICS in Winnipeg, Manitoba, bringing together thirty years of operational delivery, program management, and Indigenous economic development experience into a single integrated firm.
Indigenous Economic Development & Digital Operations
Engagements have included hospital and health facility operational audits across Manitoba for Indigenous Services Canada, the design and delivery of solar PV systems in First Nation communities, and governance and strategic advisory work across multiple Indigenous regions.
Winnipeg-based. Prairie-rooted. Pan-Canadian experience.
Willow-ICS is based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and serves First Nations communities across the Prairies and Northwestern Ontario as its primary service region. Active engagements are concentrated in Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario, with Saskatchewan as a natural service-area extension.
Career experience spans coast-to-coast Canadian work, including engagements with Inuit organizations in the eastern Arctic. The firm's geographic positioning reflects its actual capacity — not an overclaim of national reach.