At Pine Creek, our values didn’t come from a handbook, they came from the people who built this place. To understand how we got here, you have to start with Jasper Veenstra.
Most people know Josh and Glen in their roles today, but fewer know the story that shaped them: parents who built homes the old-fashioned way, raised their family alongside the work, and passed on the mindset that still defines our culture. This conversation offers a straightforward look at Jasper’s beginnings, the industry as he lived it, and the lessons that continue to anchor Pine Creek.
Can you share a bit about your family background and upbringing, what shaped the values you carried into your work and eventually into Pine Creek?
“My parents immigrated from the Netherlands in ’52 with almost nothing- just the bare minimum. Everything they needed or wanted, they had to work hard for, and they did it honestly and fairly. My dad was a baker in the Netherlands; he and his brother owned a little shop. My mom’s dad owned a furniture store. So, yeah—I come from a family of entrepreneurs.
After the war things were tough, so they moved to greener pastures. They worked on a farm for a few years and then moved to Winnipeg, where my dad became a fruit and vegetable dealer for more than 30 years. My grandpa even brought their house from the Netherlands- prefabbed, shipped in pieces, and re-built here. It’s still standing in Winnipeg.
From a young age, we had to work hard. I worked at my uncle’s greenhouses in my early teens, and by 18 I was in the workforce. Hard work wasn’t optional- when my dad came home, we cleaned the truck and got everything ready for the next morning. I have six sisters and one brother, and everyone worked. If you weren’t at a job, you helped with chores. That’s just how it was.”
Where did your career first begin, and how did that shape the path that eventually led you into homebuilding?
“My career really started at my uncle’s greenhouses: fixing glass, furnaces, shovelling soil, whatever needed doing. You learned fast because you stayed until it was done, and things were simpler back then, so you figured it out.
From there I went into insulation and drywall, then into framing, foundations, and finishing—that’s where I really fell in love with carpentry. I learned under someone for about nine months before he moved out west. They asked if I wanted to keep going, and I did. After that it was mostly self-taught, cut roofs, figuring out structures, all of it.
If you made a mistake, it came out of your own pocket, so you learned to think twice and cut once. There were lots of evenings spent planning the next day. Back then you didn’t “clock out, you worked until it was done.”
Tell us about some of your early days in homebuilding—what was it like getting started in the industry?
“Homebuilding started a bit unexpectedly. I was framing for a lot of different builders, and one builder couldn’t pay my bill. He had a few lots, so I took one in exchange for what he owed me, and that’s really where it all began.
I was framing nonstop, so Lori became my business partner. She looked after permits, selections, drawing- all the office work and I handled the site. We were starting a business and a family at the same time. She’d take Josh to the permit office; they knew her so well they’d ask where her “sidekick” was when Josh wasn’t with her.
When my brother John came back from the States after learning all about timber-frame work, we combined everything. He ran the shop and timberframe, I handled the builds, and Lori ran the office.
The boys were part of it from the beginning. Glen was maybe four or five when I had him walking a two-by-six wall in front of me… Lori just shook her head. But the boys were comfortable with heights and tools early on. They learned carpentry, the foundation work, how structures went together. Even now, they can answer questions quickly because they grew up around it.
Josh & Glen also had to figure things out themselves sometimes—I wasn’t always on site—so they learned to make decisions.”
You’ve watched the homebuilding industry change over the years—what shifts have stood out, for better or for worse?
“For better, definitely the equipment. When I started, there were no cranes, no concrete pumps, no zoom boom- everything was manual. If you needed a steel beam in place, you carried it. Same with shingles—you walked them up the ladder. It kept you strong.
Computers helped too. Lori didn’t have to redraw everything. And cell phones were a big improvement. You could deal with problems during the day instead of working all day and then dealing with phone calls at night. I do miss the days though where you could go to the lake and nobody reached you, the cell phone is good and bad.
For worse, the bureaucracy. You used to go to the permit office at 8:30 and be home by 9 with your permit. Now there are layers and layers and it takes forever.
And choices, people have way more options now. It can overwhelm some folks, but the positive side is you can really get exactly what you want in a home.”
Running a family business comes with its own challenges and rewards—what do you think made Pine Creek successful as a family-run company?
“Mutual respect. Everyone had their role. Lori ran the office; I ran the site. We helped each other where we could.
That carried on when Josh and Glen joined. Josh leaned toward the office, Glen leaned toward the site, just like Lori and I.
For years the office was in our home, and the shop, where the office is now- was strictly the timber shop. It was simple back then. Now it’s bigger, more people, more going on, but the foundation is the same: everyone doing their part and respecting the work the others do.”
Over the years, what are some standout projects you’re especially proud of, and what made them meaningful?
“One project that stands out was a rural home from 1908. The couple wanted “something old, something new.” We kept the original shell and roof but gutted everything else- after the demo, only the four exterior walls and roof were left. They wanted a reclaimed timber-frame structure built inside. After the first meeting, Lori asked how I was going to do it, and I said, “Right now I have no idea, but before the next meeting I’ll figure it out.” That was always our mindset. The hard stuff still got done; the impossible just took longer. It pushed me creatively.
The other standout was a remote build where everything had to come in by snowmobile. You had to go down a trail and cross a lake- no trucks. Every window, truss, and piece of material came in on sleighs behind snowmobiles. Even the trades came in that way. Glen and his friend Billy ran the 12-kilometre trips every day. It was a challenge, but I loved it. After you’ve built a lot of homes, you look for something exciting… and that one was.”
Looking back, what lessons from the early days still guide the team today?
Respect, honesty, hard work, and fairness. There was no such thing as “can’t be done.” You figured it out. Being honest with trades and staff was important and it had to go both ways. That’s how you build trust.
Those are values you pass down. You can teach tools and software, but you can’t teach character. Hard work was part of life for us. The boys grew up with that- working together, helping the next person, taking pride in what you do. It makes the whole team stronger.”
When you first started Pine Creek, did you picture it becoming what it is today- what makes you most proud of seeing how it’s grown?
“No, I didn’t picture it becoming what it is today. It’s gone way beyond what we expected. Josh & Glen have done a great job pushing things forward and choosing the right team. Seems like everyone they hire fits exactly what the company needs.
They’ve also built strong repeat customers. When people come back or tell their friends, that says a lot. You don’t recommend someone if you had a bad experience. That part makes me proud.”
And finally… What does the next chapter look like for you?
“As long as I’m able and enjoying it, I’ll keep helping out. I did concrete work a couple weeks ago, and next week they want me doing a concrete grade beam—stuff like that doesn’t bother me. Even at 70, I’m still ready and willing to work hard if the people with me are willing to work hard too.
Outside of that, I like staying busy- travelling, being at the lake, finding things to do. Even this past weekend I was working on the set for Calla’s school musical. There’s always something that needs doing.
And I still help Glen, Josh, or my daughter with whatever they need. Working with my grandchildren is fun too—they’re learning the same way the boys learned. Passing that on means a lot to me.
Retirement? I don’t know. Maybe someday. But for now, as long as I’m useful, I’ll keep going.”
Talking with Jasper gives you a sense of how much of Pine Creek’s character traces back to those early years- the work ethic, the honesty, the willingness to figure things out. None of it was intentional branding; it was simply how he operated.
As we continue to grow as a company, these roots matter. They remind us where our standards come from and why they still hold. And while Jasper may call it “just doing what needed to be done,” it’s clear that the foundation he built continues to influence how we operate today.
