Our Story

A Foundation of Belonging: The Story of SOAR

The roots of SOAR Professional Services are deeply personal, beginning with the story of founder Ryan Dunbar and his family’s enduring connection to the Bilijk Wolastoqiyik (Kingsclear First Nation). Decades ago, Ryan’s grandmother had lost her status due to marriage (this inequality of the Indian Act has since changed). She was welcomed back to Bilijk when her husband passed—a profound demonstration of community and belonging from the place she always viewed as her home. This home grew to become a place where he would spend his days under the care of his grandmother. She instilled a sense of pride in the Wolastoqey culture that would later be fostered by his mother and extended family.

Seeing the tangible impact, and believing that true community-based sovereignty requires economic sovereignty, Ryan sought to create a lasting platform for change. In 2019, Ryan approached his mentor at Dillon with a plan. The vision for SOAR was to create job opportunities and a more accessible space for Indigenous engineers, geoscientists, planners, and knowledge holders. By forming a limited partnership with Dillon, SOAR gained the strategic technical capacity needed while offering Indigenous-focused planning, engineering, and environmental services.

Launched in June 2021, SOAR’s core purpose is to create opportunities for Indigenous professionals to lead change within their communities. By fostering a culture that values and integrates diverse perspectives and experiences, SOAR ensures solutions are co-created with the communities themselves, establishing a clear path for progress and self-determination. The company’s work reflects a commitment to extending similar opportunities to others, using engineering and planning as a tool to support community-led development.

Ryan’s Great Grandparents former Chief Arthur and Louise Polchies practicing their craft.

As an environmental engineer and hydrogeologist, Ryan was driven by a desire to support Indigenous communities, with a particular focus on improving water safety. After his mother was elected to the Bilijk Council, he gained a deeper understanding of community governance and needs. Leveraging resources at his then employer, Dillon Consulting Limited (Dillon), Ryan led a successful three-year project to renew Bilijk’s water system, preventing potential crises and creating a much safer, reliable drinking water source. This success proved that a First Nation-grounded, collaborative approach to technical services was highly effective and transferable to other First Nations across Canada.