For nearly 40 years, Groupe Helios provides expertise in the management, operation and maintenance of facilities in the water, building, recreational and industrial sectors. Read how the company worked with a team of government partners, including CCC, to clean a segment of the Guajimía ravine and improve the lives of thousands in the Dominican Republic.
About Groupe Helios
Quebec-based Groupe Helios has been delivering installations and services management for customers in the municipal, institutional, commercial and industrial sectors since 1981. Its portfolio of services includes management, operations and maintenance services for water and wastewater treatment and energy production facilities, as well as, project management, technical assessments, lifecycle analysis, energy efficiency studies and construction management services.
For past two decades, Groupe Helios had worked with CCC to deliver water and wastewater treatment services to the Dominican Republic. Read more about their journey and how they have changed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people.
G2G Contract in Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic’s Guajimía ravine is a long basin in the Municipality of Santo Domingo Oeste, within the urban area of the Santo Domingo Province of Dominican Republic. The entire municipality is crossed by many gullies and residential housing on the banks of the ravine often don’t have access to basic sanitation services. As a result, solid waste and sewage is discarded into the gullies, which act as open sewers.
In addition to being a risk to the health of the residents, the accumulated waste is a source of nuisance odour during the dry season and blocks the flow of water during the rainy season thereby causing flooding.
Political will for change
To rectify these issues, in 2003 the Dominican Republic Congress unanimously approved the Guajimía Project to solve the flood and sanitation problems in the area. The Aquaduct and Sewer Corporation of Santo Domingo (CAASD) was tasked with leading the remediation and sustainability project and the organization developed a multi-phase proposal which included the removal of waste; civil infrastructure works; and the construction of necessary residential units to house families that will be relocated by the storm and sanitary drainage works.
Source: El Día
Improving quality of life for thousands
Phase 1 of the proposal was awarded to CCC through a government to government (G2G) contract between CCC with CAASD. The work was subcontracted to Groupe Helios and they were responsible for expanding the potable water and sewerage networks and construction of more than 800 apartments for the area’s locals. As the prime contractor, CCC oversaw the project as prime contractor and provided a Government of Canada guarantee that the project would be completed as per the terms of the agreement.
“CCC is pleased to work with CAASD to advance a project that will help the residents living in this area of the Dominican Republic,” says Cristina Amiama, Export Sales Manager at the Canadian Commercial Corporation. “This significant project will have a major impact on the lives of hundreds of thousands of people.”
Fostering ties
In the fall of 2021, CCC’s President and CEO, Bobby Kwon, joined a Canadian delegation of public and private sector representatives for a three-day trade mission to the Dominican Republic. The mission was organized by the Dominican Republic’s embassy in Canada, to help foster and expand commercial relations between our countries.
“We appreciate the confidence that the Government of the Dominican Republic has demonstrated to date in Canadian expertise and technology,” said H.E Christine Laberge, Ambassador of Canada to the Dominican Republic.
The mission helped cement the G2G contract to build the second phase of the Guajimía project.
Phase 2 of contract
In early 2022, CCC reached an agreement for a subsequent USD $50 million G2G contract with CAASD for the next phase of the Guajimía project. CCC once again subcontracted the work to Groupe Helios.
As part of phase 2, Groupe Helios is responsible for cleaning a segment of the Guajimía ravine, constructing 384 apartments for residents living along a portion of the canal and providing Engineering, Procurement and Construction Management (EPCM) services. In July 2023, the first 200 apartments were completed and formally delivered to CAASD in a ceremony held on site.
Source: AFG
Source: McGill University
Humanitarian work
In December 2022, Groupe Helios sponsored a group of dentists from McGill university known as Dental Bears to provide dental care to low-income residents and families in Santo Domingo.
The mission was carried out in partnership with Kindness in Action, an organization that brings dental care to low-income communities in Central and South America and Asia. During the four-day trip, the group treated 150 patients. The group returned to the region in April 2023 to provide additional oral care.
Canada’s Bilateral Relationship with Dominican Republic
$528M
Total Trade in 2021
$285M
Canadian Exports to Dominican Republic in 2021
$252M
Canadian Imports from Dominican Republic in 2021
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About CCC
The Canadian Commercial Corporation is a federal crown corporation and is only the Canadian agency that offers commercial advocacy, collaborative project development, and international contracting expertise to help Canadian businesses secure contracts with foreign governments at the national, state, and municipal level.
Our International Prime Contractor is a fee-based program where we sign government to government (G2G) contracts with foreign government buyers for the sale of Canadian solutions.
Our U.S. DoD Prime Contractor program is a free program funded by the Government of Canada and supported by the U.S. Government, to help Canadians sell their products, services and solutions to the U.S. military. To learn more about CCC and how we can help you, contact us.
Last updated: July 2023
