Scaling North: EWS Establishes Canadian Presence

Australian environmental technology specialist EWS’s decision to establish a permanent presence in Canada follows a year of technical deployments and early project wins that validated the performance of its satellite-first monitoring systems in Canadian conditions.

“Canada is the obvious next stage of growth for EWS Monitoring,” EWS Founder and Managing Director Brad Phillips says. “We’ve been testing the waters there for about a year and had some really good wins and some exciting opportunities come out of that. Now it’s time to pull the trigger, set up EWS Monitoring properly and really focus on growing the brand in that region.”

The expansion marks a significant milestone in the company’s 12-year history and signals the next phase of its international growth. Backed by a multi-million-dollar investment and the appointment of respected industry leader Jason Luty to help lead operations locally, EWS is formalising its presence in one of the world’s most technically demanding monitoring markets. 

Satellite-first architecture built for remote performance

EWS was founded in Western Australia’s mining sector, where remote deployments are routine, temperatures regularly exceed 45 degrees and infrastructure is often minimal or non-existent. From the beginning, the company designed its systems on the assumption that reliable connectivity would not be available.

The result was a satellite-first data logger platform engineered for durability, low power consumption and long-term unattended deployment. Rather than relying on local cellular coverage or fixed communications infrastructure, EWS systems are designed to transmit securely and reliably from remote environments where traditional networks may not exist or cannot be relied upon.

That architecture has enabled EWS to scale monitoring networks across vast and isolated regions, reducing reliance on manual data retrieval while improving real-time visibility and operational responsiveness.

The EWS platform supports satellite connectivity via the Iridium network and can also operate across cellular, radio and LoRaWAN, allowing systems to be configured according to site conditions and client requirements. EWS dataloggers are sensor-agnostic, integrating seamlessly with third-party groundwater, geotechnical and environmental instrumentation across mining, oil and gas, dam safety, flood monitoring and permafrost applications.

For operators, the benefits extend beyond operational expenditure and compliance reporting.

In many northern Canadian regions, monitoring locations are accessible only during limited seasonal windows – via ice roads, boat access or helicopter. Systems must be installed efficiently and then operate reliably for extended periods without intervention. Reducing repeat site visits is not simply a cost consideration; it is a health and safety priority.

“As soon as I started working with the EWS telemetry devices, I could see how straightforward they were to deploy,” says Jason Riendeau, EWS’s Canadian Technical Lead. “You’re not spending hours configuring communications or trying to integrate multiple third-party systems. The unit is installed, powered up, and it begins transmitting immediately. In remote Canadian environments, that simplicity translates directly into time savings, lower risk, and faster deployment.”

Riendeau contrasts this with legacy monitoring approaches that rely on manual data retrieval and periodic site visits.

“In many cases, organisations are still deploying personnel into remote areas to retrieve data from standalone instruments,” he says. “When you model the true cost of sending teams out by helicopter or ATV, the operational expense quickly exceeds the cost of deploying a satellite-enabled device that transmits data continuously. The safety benefits alone are significant, particularly in isolated or environmentally challenging locations.”

 In regions where access can be unpredictable and weather windows are narrow, autonomous satellite-enabled monitoring fundamentally changes the economics and safety profile of remote asset management.

Industry-led capability, not theoretical design

EWS’s technical model is grounded in sector expertise. Phillips is a hydrologist and hydrogeologist by background, and he has built a team of meteorologists, hydrographers, hydrologists and geotechnical engineers within the business.

“That helps us develop solutions that are driven by real industry experience, because we genuinely understand what our sector requires rather than forcing solutions that haven’t been tested in the field,” Phillips says.

That experience-led approach shapes product development in practical ways. Hardware is engineered for environmental exposure rather than laboratory conditions. Systems are designed for intuitive commissioning. Data platforms reflect how engineers and regulators actually interact with monitoring information.

“We’ve spent a long time enhancing our product to get it to a point I’m genuinely comfortable with,” Phillips says. This focus on real-world application, rather than theoretical capability, underpins EWS’s ability to transition seamlessly between extreme environments. 

From Outback heat to Arctic cold – a long-term commitment

Canada presents prolonged sub-zero temperatures, permafrost movement, snow loading and remote northern access.

“Canada presents unique environmental challenges, compared to Australia and other global markets,” Phillips says. “But our focus has always been on building systems that perform reliably in extreme conditions, and that’s exactly what we see in Canada.”

Early Canadian deployments have confirmed that the same engineering principles forged in Western Australia’s heat and Brazil’s humidity translate effectively into Arctic conditions. Battery performance, enclosure integrity and satellite transmission reliability remain consistent in severe climates.

For Canadian operators, equipment failure can mean helicopter mobilisation, regulatory delay or seasonal disruption. Reliability is not optional.

The appointment of Jason Luty to help lead Canadian operations reflects EWS’s long-term commitment to the region. Luty brings deep experience and established relationships within Canada’s mining and extraction sectors.

“Having leadership on the ground is important as we scale,” Phillips says. “This isn’t about managing Canada remotely. It’s about building the capability locally and doing it properly.”

New Market Development Manager, North America, Jason Luty says he is looking forward to the challenge. 

“Having spent years leading sales in the remote monitoring industry, I’ve seen a wide range of technologies. What impressed me about EWS is how well the product performs in real-world conditions. It’s practical, robust, and clearly built by people who understand the field, which made the decision to join an easy one,” Luty said.

EWS currently employs approximately 35 staff globally and has expanded manufacturing capacity in Perth to support growing international demand. Workforce numbers are projected to increase as Canadian operations mature.

“Many tier-one miners operate in both Australia and Canada,” Phillips says. “The technical requirements are comparable, the regulatory standards are high, and the need for reliable, remote monitoring is non-negotiable. We see strong alignment.”

Scaling north is not simply geographic expansion. It is the continued application of an engineering model built inside the industry, refined through real-world deployment, and proven where reliability matters most.

“We’ve built this business carefully over more than a decade,” Phillips says. “Canada is a natural next step for us. We’re investing properly, putting the right people in place, and building something that will last.”