Northern
consTrucTlon Residential•Industrial•Government
2019
Tlicho all-season road construction
$18.3 million budget for Housing Corp.
Fish plant contract up
Kugaaruk school takes shape
NORTHERN CONSTRUCTION 2019
2 NEWS/NORTH, Monday, April 22, 2019
$18.3 million capital budget for NWT Housing Corp in 2019-20 'I look forward to new contracts coming out. We need them,' says Inuvik contractor by Derek Neary Northern News Services
NWT
photo courtesy of the NWT Housing Corporation
A duplex built for the NWT Housing Corporation in Fort Providence in 2018.
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NWT HOUSING CORP. UNITS FOR CONSTRUCTION/ RENOVATION IN 2019-20
Aklavik – Major retrofit 11 units Behchoko – Major retrofit 8 units; construct local housing organization office Colville Lake – Major retrofit 1 unit Deline – Major retrofit 4 units Dettah – Major retrofit 2 units Fort Good Hope – Major retrofit 1 unit Fort Liard – Major retrofit 1 unit; construct local housing organization office/warehouse Fort McPherson – Major retrofit 1 unit Fort Resolution – Major retrofit 4 units Fort Simpson – Major retrofit 5 units Fort Smith – Major retrofit 8 units Hay River Reserve – Major retrofit 4 units
Hay River – Construct 2 market housing units; major retrofit 4 units Inuvik – Major retrofit 17 Lutsel K'e – Major retrofit 2 units N'dilo – Major retrofit 2 units Norman Wells – Major retrofit 2 units Paulatuk – Major retrofit 1 unit Tsiigehtchic – Major retrofit 2 units Tuktoyaktuk – Major retrofit 4 units Tulita – Major retrofit 4 units Ulukhaktok – Construct 4 units Whati – Major retrofit 1 unit Yellowknife – Major retrofit 7 units; construct seniors mixed rent complex Source: NWT Housing Corporation
The NWT Housing Corporation will use a portion of its $18.3-million capital budget in 2019-20 to build a couple of new housing offices, several residences and to renovate close to 75 units. The new housing offices will be constructed in Behchoko and in Fort Liard, where a maintenance shop will accompany the office building. Renovations will be most extensive in Inuvik, where $775,000 is allocated for repairs and upgrades. Yellowknife has the next highest total ($525,000), followed by Behchoko ($480,000), Deline ($395,000) and Tuktoyaktuk ($375,000). Between April 1 and Dec. 31, 2018, the housing corporation awarded 168 contracts to private businesses, amounting to nearly $21 million worth of work. However, last year's capital budget was heftier, at $23.8 million. Tara Beaulieu, owner of Beaulieu Contracting Ltd. in Inuvik, is upfront about how vital NWT Housing Corporation contracts are to her enterprise. Without them, "we wouldn't exist," she said. Beaulieu has been in business for close to 15 years and she has watched the Inuvik economy dry up since the oil
and gas boom. "We can't rely on just homeowners fixing their houses because Inuvik is kind of in a recession," she said. "We definitely depend on that (Housing Corp) money. Without it, I would have left this place a long time ago. Without NWT Housing putting out contracts, we wouldn't try." There are quite a few vacant and boarded up private homes in the community, but they're outnumbered by the numerous public housing units. "Without government funding, I think things would be pretty dire here," Beaulieu said, adding that she has also obtained periodic work through the Inuvialuit Development Corporation. Even though the local economy is stagnant, Beaulieu still has plenty of competition for Housing Corporation work. "If I'm bidding a job, I've got probably four or five guys bidding against me. I'd say three of them are always in there. We always are the ones bidding against each other. There's the odd new person who starts up," she said. "I look forward to new contracts coming out. We need them." The housing corporation's portfolio consists of approximately 2,400 public housing units and 500 affordable housing units across the NWT.
NORTHERN CONSTRUCTION 2019
NEWS/NORTH, Monday, April 22, 2019 3
photo courtesy of Nunavut Housing Corporation
Construction workers open crates of supplies to begin building new homes in Arviat in October. Twenty units are scheduled to go up during the 2019-2020 construction season. While costs vary by community, the NHC uses $500,000 as its typical budget per unit, which includes administration expenses and costs associated with acquiring and preparing the land.
$55 million for earmarked Nunavut housing construction Major home energy efficiency upgrading program in planning stages by Derek Neary Northern News Services
Nunavut
With a $55-million construction budget, the Nunavut Housing Corporation is planning to build 79 new residential units in communities outside Iqaluit in 2019-20. That's down from 2018-19 when the housing corporation had $65.7 million earmarked for construction of 153 residential and staff units. The communities that will see the most spending on the renovations of public housing units are Iqaluit ($790,000), Arviat ($691,000), Baker Lake ($627,000), Kugluktuk ($492,000) and Rankin Inlet ($482,000). The NHC budgets approximately $11 million per year for modernization and improvement of its housing stock. Last year, the NHC spent $1.9 million among 10 private contractors in the Kivalliq, close to $1.6 million on Kitikmeot private contractors while $540,000 went to Qikiqtaaluk region contractors. For Jonathan Poirier, general manager of Iqaluit-headquartered Sanaqatiit Construction Ltd., projects through the housing corporation account for 50 to 60 per cent of Sanaqatiit's annual revenue. "So it is an important part of our program," said Poirier. But it's also riddled with uncertainty due to the competitive bidding process. "We never know until the tenders close and we see the results. Some years we are successful and some years we are
"The Low Carbon Energy Funding Project is in the plannot," he said. "We are hoping that we can get our share of the ning stages. The LCEF project is a multi-year initiative and work available." On years when several contracts fall into place – like in will be rolling out in the coming years." stated Stephen Hooey, 2018 when Sanaqatiit built units in Chesterfield Inlet, Cam- NHC's vice-president and chief operating officer. bridge Bay, Taloyoak and Gjoa Haven – Poirier said the company, which has been operating in Nunavut since 2010, has NUNAVUT HOUSING construction crews that it can call upon. CORPORATION "They generally are ready to go," he said. "Some years you need to build up crews and have a few new workers." 2019-20 TENTATIVE The job isn't easy. Long, cold winters and blizzards create CONSTRUCTION challenging work environments and there's no readily accessible lumber stores when supplies run short, Poirier noted. "Working in the Arctic is a real challenge but we enjoy Arviat – four five-plexes working with the local workers, suppliers and trades; also Cambridge Bay – two five-plexes developing relationships in the communities," he said. "We feel Gjoa Haven – three five-plexes the relationships we build make us stronger." Hall Beach – one duplex Iglulik – four five-plexes LOW-CARBON EFFICIENCY PROGRAM ON THE WAY In the next few years, there will be a major initiative to Iqaluit – NHC has two locations suitable for multiplexes. upgrade insulation, weather stripping, vapour barriers, ventila- Details unavailable as of press deadline. tion, windows and doors in public housing units through the Kimmirut – one five-plex federal government's Low Carbon Energy Fund. This will Kugaaruk – two five-plexes involve 500 NHC units. Pangnirtung – one five-plex In addition, 500 hot-water tanks are expected to be replaced Rankin Inlet – two five-plexes along with 120 furnaces and boilers, some of which are up to 30 years old. More energy-efficient hot-water tanks and Resolute – one duplex heating units will be installed. The objective is to lower greenSource: Nunavut Housing Corporation house gas emissions.
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Nunavut & NWT Construction 2019 QXQDYXW QHZV
www.nnsl.com
Iqaluit: 867-979-5990
Yellowknife: 867-873-4031
STORIES BY
Derek Neary
NORTHERN CONSTRUCTION 2019
4 NEWS/NORTH, Monday, April 22, 2019
'We need to be pushing for more' Nunavut MLA contends that government can hire more Inuit in construction by Derek Neary Northern News Services
Nunavut
The Government of Nunavut can employ more Inuit on its capital projects, insists Arviat North-Whale Cove MLA John Main. "We're 20 years into Nunavut this year and it's a crying shame that we have not built up our construction tradespeople. We have not sufficiently invested into requiring more Inuit to be working at these projects," Main said. "We have the people. We do not lack the labour force. We haven't had the coordination and the investment into people's education that would allow them to take these conArviat North-Whale struction jobs." The GN's current practice Cove MLA John Main: "The local labour force is is to set Inuit labour targets on a community by commun(deemed) inferior comity basis, based on the local pared to this transient labour market and past conworkforce and I think it's tracts of a similar scope. an unfair comparison." The territorial government reached 37 per cent Inuit employment on contracts valued at more than $100,000 in 2015-16 and in 2016-17. However, since the Nunavut Housing Trust overspending controversy of 2010 – when the budget was exceeded by $110 million and Inuit hiring was blamed for a portion of that – Main said he feels Inuit employment has never rebounded. "What's driving that I'm not sure. It could be tighter
budgets. It could be the way that the Housing Corporation is contracting out their builds," he said. "We need to be going in the opposite direction. We need to be raising those Inuit labour requirements ... We're trying to maximize the local benefit for these capital dollars." Although the Sanatuliqsarvik Trades Training School opened in Rankin Inlet in 2010, Main said it's been a "learning curve for the college." The trades school can accommodate more than 80 students at a time but hasn't graduated near that many on an annual basis. Main pointed out that the GN has set a goal of 85 per cent overall Inuit staff and has achieved 50 per cent. Yet MLAs had to fight to get the Inuit hiring target set at 20 per cent on the new correctional centre in Iqaluit instead of the 15 per cent that the Department of Justice was prepared to accept. Complacency is a legitimate concern, he warned. "If we just throw up our hands and we say, 'Oh well, I understand we can't get enough workers so I guess 15 per cent is enough – that, in my mind, is a real danger to us," said Main. "We need to be pushing for more." The unemployment rate in Nunavut stood at 16.3 per cent as of the end of February. COMPETING FOR WORKERS The construction industry is at somewhat of a disadvantage in trying to attract employees because the GN and mining companies can afford to pay more, according to Victor Tootoo, who has experience as a deputy minister dealing with procurement for construction projects. "You're not on a level playing field when it comes to attracting Inuit employment ... so it's difficult to attract and retain good, qualified Inuit employees," said Tootoo, president of the Baffin Regional Chamber of Commerce, although he said he was speaking on his own behalf. Another knock against many construction jobs is that they only last as long as the project itself, as opposed to permanent employment in other sectors, Tootoo noted. During a March trip to Cambridge Bay, Matt Belliveau,
fact FILE INUIT LABOUR ON GN CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTS OVER $100,000 2016-17: 37 per cent achieved 31 per cent required 2015-16: 37 per cent achieved 29 per cent required 2014-15: 28 per cent achieved 23 per cent required
BONUSES AND PENALTIES PERTAINING TO INUIT LABOUR ON GN CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS 2016-17: $655,771 in bonuses $54,445 in penalties 2015-16: $1 million in bonuses $21.595 in penalties 2014-15: $402,810 in bonuses $26,968 in penalties Source: Government of Nunavut
executive director of the NWT and Nunavut Construction Association, said he heard that the education system, particularly under-performance in math, is a barrier. Lack of continuity in teachers is hindering learning, he said, and math is Please see next page
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NORTHERN CONSTRUCTION 2019
NEWS/NORTH, Monday, April 22, 2019 5
NNSL file photo
Construction companies can struggle to attract Inuit workers because employment is often seasonal, compared to jobs available through the Government of Nunavut and mines, which are year-round.
Debate over Inuit availability Continued from previous page
critical to passing the trades exam. "It is a systemic issue, absolutely," said Belliveau, adding that educators need to be informed of pathways to trades. "It's a matter of creating those linkages between employers and apprentices and ensuring that youth had the education they need to take on the skilled work in this industry. If governments can support that, I do believe that they will see great improvements in the opportunities available to youth." Until more Nunavummiut workers become more readily available, Belliveau said it's essential that construction companies aren't hit with penalties due to a lack of local hiring unless it's been made clear what more they can do. FROM FULL INUIT EMPLOYMENT TO OUT OF BUSINESS In Pond Inlet, Simon Merkosak, owner of Merkosak Construction, told Northern Construction last year that he has completed several major projects with crews consisting exclusively of Inuit workers. When contacted in March for additional insights into his success in recruiting Inuit employ-
ees through his decades-old venture, Merkosak provided a startling response by email. "I'm no longer in building construction. Only one factor that brought this about of hardly Inuit being employed, Gov't of Nunavut. Case closed," Merkosak wrote. He didn't answer any other questions. Main has heard the arguments against higher Inuit labour requirements. For one, there's often the threat that it will inflate costs. Even if that's true, it's likely worth it, he maintained. "If we take a holistic look at our needs as a government, we have to pay people who are unemployed, we have to support them. We have to provide them with housing; we have to pay them social assistance; unemployed people have higher health care needs," he said. "In terms of dollars and sense there's a very good argument for taking a look at Inuit employment and raising the bar." More analysis is needed if contractors are insisting that Inuit workers aren't available, Main said. Are wages and benefits attractive enough and on par with imported southern workers' compensation? Is recruitment happening from the surrounding region rather than just a single community? Are education standards an impediment, as Belliveau stated?
These are questions that need to be answered in each case, said the MLA. Another factor that has arisen is that it's sometimes difficult for local Inuit with families and other community commitments perhaps to meet the same output as transient southern hires who arrive with the expectation of working 12-hour days for weeks on end, said Main. "The local labour force is (deemed) inferior compared to this transient workforce and I think it's an unfair comparison," he said.
NORTHERN CONSTRUCTION 2019
6 NEWS/NORTH, Monday, April 22, 2019
Tlicho all-season road construction set for fall
The Tlicho Government and Tlicho Investment Corporation have been holding training programs for years to prepare the local workforce for various projects, including Tlicho allseason road construction, which will begin this fall. Pictured here is a Tlicho McCaw North blast hole drilling training program. From left are Jason Villeneuve, Jessie Williah, Mike Paul, Pamela Adzin, Chris Mann and instructor William Smith. Tessa Macintosh photo
‘Targetted training’ offered to local workforce in advance of all-season route by Derek Neary Northern News Services
Tlicho
After years of planning, construction of the $214-million, 97-km Tlicho all-season road is expected to begin in September. The Tlicho Government is a 20 per cent equity owner in North Star Infrastructure, the consortium that has been awarded the contract to build and maintain the two-lane
gravel route that will connect Whati to Highway 3. The other partners in North Star are project designers Hatch Corporation and Thurber Engineering Ltd., along with Kiewit Canada Development Corporation and Peter Kiewit and Sons, who are acting as equity provider, design-builder and service provider, according to the Government of the Northwest Territories. The road is scheduled to be in use by industry and the public by December 2022. North Star will then collect $10.4
million annually from the GNWT for 25 years of upkeep along the all-season route. The agreement includes terms to ensure the Tlicho benefit from road construction. North Star "is contractually obligated to ensure Northern and Tlicho businesses deliver a meaningful proportion of the project, and achievement of these obligations will be carefully monitored through the project," according to Todd Sasaki, senior communications officer with the Department of Finance. The specifics of "meaningful proportion" were still being defined in mid-March but Jasper Lamouelle, president and CEO of Tlicho Investment Corporation, spoke of the negotiations in an optimistic tone. "I give credit to all of the stakeholders ... there are minimums that we have to meet that sets precedent that’s never been seen before in a P3 (public private partnership) process in terms of local inclusion, or Indigenous inclusion," he said, adding it is a "game changer." Lamouelle noted that with $8 million in skills development funding, the Tlicho Government provided rounds of heavy equipment operator and commercial vehicle driver training to local people last year. Further training, of a similar nature, was being organized in partnership with Aurora College. "We have targetted training so that our people can partake in the (road building) project," said Lamouelle. "We’re quite excited, not only for the fact that it’s going to benefit the Tlicho but all Northerners. We’re certainly happy for the community of Whati because they’re going to be connected with the rest of the world, which is awesome." Employment for Tlicho citizens will continue as the road transitions into its operations and maintenance phase, the GNWT stated. Design and permitting work along the route were still underway in March. Geotechnical aspects of the project are planned for summer. Getting the road in place sooner than 2022 is prevented by the need to place bridges and culverts, address various environmental challenges and identify and obtain quality materials to construct the road, stated Binay Yadav, director of transportation with the Department of Infrastructure. The territorial government has put up 75 per cent of the funding to make the road a reality while the federal government is responsible for the remaining 25 per cent. The year-round transportation corridor has also hailed by Fortune Minerals, which has regulatory approvals to build a spur road to its Nico cobalt-gold-bismuth-copper deposit, 50 km north of Whati.
NORTHERN CONSTRUCTION 2019
NEWS/NORTH, Monday, April 22, 2019 7
GN, industry at odds over some contract costs; stalled projects Construction ‘high-risk industry,' says business advocate; construction association calls for large projects to be split into smaller parts by Derek Neary Northern News Services
Nunavut
Some Government of Nunavut architectural and construction projects are fetching proposals that are rejected for being too costly, forcing adjustments in approaches and timelines. Education Minister David Joanasie recapped a couple of stalled projects in the legislative assembly in November. Two architectural firms jointly drafted a plan for the Kitikmeot campus building in Cambridge Bay, which would serve as an academic and administrative centre for Nunavut Arctic College. However, the design came to $4.3 million more than the GN was prepared to spend. When the architects couldn't meet the government's budget, the contract was scrapped and a design-build approach was endorsed instead. That method elicited five bids from contractors. "We are acutely aware that each and every infrastructure dollar is of vital importance to our territory and we cannot be expending them without careful consideration," Joanasie told his legislative colleagues. Another capital project that didn't proceed as planned was the re-levelling of one of the student residences at the Nunatta campus in Iqaluit. The single bid for that work was "well above the allocated funds," said Joanasie. The college consequently chose to examine a larger-scope project to repair all three of the student residences. Also in Iqaluit, the Department of Justice's Qikiqtani Correctional Healing Centre attracted only a single bid that the GN said was too high. A negotiated contract with the lone bidder ensued.
The GN doesn't track the overall number of situations where tenders are cancelled or adjusted due to high bids, so it's not apparent whether it's a growing trend, according to Mark McCulloch, senior manager of procurement for the Department of Community and Government Services. In explaining possible reasons for little interest in some GN contracts, McCulloch said, "Often it depends on what other work is going on. There are a relatively small number of companies that bid on Nunavut construction. If there is an excess number of projects, they may not bid on some work if they cannot meet the capacity." He added that the territorial government advertises contract opportunities in Nunavut newspapers, on the Nunavut tenders website and through MERX, an electronic tendering service. GN officials also attend trade shows to promote projects, he said. Preventing bids from coming in too high is "difficult to control," McCulloch said. "The GN uses professional companies to provide estimates for our projects. These companies specialize in construction cost estimating," he stated. "Sometimes the prices are impacted by other factors such as the project timeline and the volume of other work in the marketplace." DIALOGUE NEEDED Industry and government ought to have a dialogue when tenders only attract bids that are far too high, said Victor Tootoo, president of the Baffin Regional Chamber of Commerce, speaking on his own behalf. "What are the assumptions that government made that were incorrect? What are the assumptions that
Michele LeTourneau/NNSL photo
A proposal to re-level one of the student residences at Nunavut Arctic College's Nunatta campus in Iqaluit only attracted a single bid in 2018 that the GN declined due to it being too costly. The government doesn't track the overall number of contracts that go unfulfilled or are adjusted due to bids that are excessive, according to a GN official. maybe industry made that are incorrect," he reasoned. Construction companies have to add considerable risk in many communities due to a lack of infrastructure and the ability to find local workers. Timelines are also a critical consideration, said Tootoo, a former deputy minister. "Construction in Nunavut is a high-risk industry, especially with supply," he said. "If you're in a rush to bid on a job and you're not sure if you can get all your supply to the dock on time in wherever – Montreal usually – and you're having to pay a premium as a result of that, that all adds to the cost," he said. "You can't afford to miss a sealift on a construction project and in
order to make sure you make that sealift, you may incur extra costs." Matt Belliveau, executive director of the NWT and Nunavut Construction Association, agreed with Tootoo about the level of risk, particularly relating to sealift. "Businesses know if those deliveries are not made, they are the ones who are on the hook to find alternatives," Belliveau said. He added that it's important for government, whenever possible, to break up large projects into smaller pieces to make them manageable for smaller, local companies. "If you're putting out a huge project all as one contract then, yeah, you're only
fact FILE
INUIT CONTRACTOR BIDS RELATIVELY STEADY
In 2005-06, 35 per cent of bids received (excluding goods) on GN contracts were from Inuit-owned firms. In 2016-17, Inuit-owned firms accounted for 30 per cent of bids. As the overall volume of contracts has increased by 150 per cent, the relative share of Inuit bids remains between 30-35 per cent. Source: GN 2016-17 Contract Activity Report
going to have huge companies bidding on it," he said. "The government is wondering why small businesses are not thriving in the North. They're not taking the steps that they need and they're not listening to what contractors are say-
ing. You're shifting all your risk onto us and you're putting out work packages that are well beyond the capacity we have to bid on. That's really undermining the growth of the private sector in the North, especially in construction."
NORTHERN CONSTRUCTION 2019
8 NEWS/NORTH, Monday, April 22, 2019
Contract opportunities in the reclamation industry
Det'on Cho among Northern companies positioning themselves to clean up Giant Mine, other sites by Derek Neary Northern News Services
Somba K'e/Yellowknife
photo courtesy of the Giant Mine Remediation Project Team
Paste backfill, a cement-like mixture of material and water, is used to fill stopes, areas where ore was extracted at Giant Mine. The project requires approximately 231,200 cubic metres of backfill material for the underground holes.
Cleaning up Giant Mine carries a $600 million price tag, which is subject to rise as stipulations from environmental regulators are met, according to the Giant Mine Remediation Project Team. Most of that money will go to contractors, who will carry out portions of the project over the 10-year cleanup phase, although the peak period is forecast to be between 2021-2024. Det'on Cho Corporation, the economic development arm of the Yellowknives Dene First Nation, will vie for a share of the upcoming contract opportunities, said Paul Gruner, Det'on Cho's CEO. "Obviously for groups like ourselves and other groups, Giant Mine reclamation/ remediation is a strong economic opportunity," Gruner said. "We're objectively looking at Giant Mine and saying, where do we want to be involved and at what level?" While Gruner credited the parties behind the project – Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, Public Services and Procurement Canada, main construction manager Parsons Inc. and the GNWT – for strong efforts to solicit at a local level, he recommended that contractors be put in place for longer terms, rather than the common 18 to 24-month windows. "If we're truly intentioned around building capacity and securing local, what's going to be important is that we
fact FILE STAGGERING SUMS OF SOIL
An estimated 1,154,300 cubic metres of soil will require clean up at the Giant Mine site. Another 145,200 cubic metres will be addressed at the town site. Some of that soil will capped by layers of clean soil and rock. Other sections will be dug up and either placed in containment areas or frozen, depending on the level of contamination.
CONTRACT BENEFITS
Between 2006 and 2017, Giant Mine contracts totalled $356 million, of which $169 million went to Indigenous businesses, according to the Giant Mine Remediation Project. The project's workforce, from 2009-2017, comprised 56 per cent Northern employees and 15 per cent Indigenous employees. Source: Giant Mine Remediation Project Team
also look at length of contract," he said. "Let's look at opportunities that we're not piecemealing up into two- or three-year type contracts. Are there opportunities where we can have contracts run the Please see next page
NORTHERN CONSTRUCTION 2019
NEWS/NORTH, Monday, April 22, 2019 9
photos courtesy of the Giant Mine Remediation Project Team
Plenty of heavy equipment will be needed to move enormous volumes of earth at the Giant Mine remediation site, five kilometres north of Yellowknife.
Longer contracts Continued from previous page
length of the cleanup itself? That's going to allow groups like Det'on Cho and other local companies to build that capacity over time because you've got a lot more runway to deal with." Gruner cited Det'on Cho's Bouwa Whee Catering as an example of a joint venture being transformed into a 100 per cent Yellowknives-owned company. It evolved through long-term contracts with Diavik and De Beers and has put emphasis on hiring locally. "Nobody can look at that and say that isn't a strong Northern company," he said of Bouwa Whee. COMPLEX WORK Because work at the Giant Mine site is very complex, a range of contracts is required to carry out the duties safely and efficiently, said Rob Turek, Public Services and Procurement Canada's procurement manager with the environmental services acquisitions team. "Some contracts were designed for the interim until there is approval to fully implement the remediation plan, at which point the main construction manager will continue to tender its work packages, aligning with Northern and Indigenous capacity," Turek stated. Natalie Plato, deputy director of the Giant Mine Remediation Project, noted that Parsons, a U.S.-headquartered global firm, maintains a website detailing upcoming contract opportunities and announcements of recent contract awards. Parsons also posts all contracts through Merx, an online tendering service. In addition, Parsons has an office in Yellowknife, where information on tenders and sub-contractor opportunities is available. Recent contracts posted through the Giant Mine Remediation Project have included surface water
and groundwater monitoring, ambient air quality monitoring and a security fencing project at the mine site. Det'on Cho and various partners won four out of five Giant Mine care and maintenance contracts in 2018, although Det'on Cho had already held those care and maintenance contracts for more than a decade with its partner Nuna Group. Responsibilities included maintaining facilities and equipment, providing security, demolition of buildings and bulk fuel storage, upgrading pipe works and operating the effluent treatment plant. Det'on Cho also posts all of its employment openings online and the company has its own capacity building program, Gruner said. "We're going to secure as many (employees) as we can locally, whether that be YKDFN (Yellowknives Dene First Nation), but also for Northern residents," he said. Gruner is also looking at mine reclamation as a burgeoning Northern industry and is eyeing the future when Diavik, De Beers, Ekati and other sites shut down. He said it represents an estimated $3 billion worth of work, plus, he added, there's more in the neighbouring territories. "Let's reserve as much of that as we can within the NWT and across the North in general," he said. "Mines are great and there's also the closure piece that I think often isn't captured in terms of the value creation." Giant Mine operated between 1948 and 2004, producing seven million ounces of gold, but leaving behind 237,000 tonnes of arsenic trioxide – a byproduct of mining – in underground chambers. Once the cleanup is done and the underground freezing system is fully in place at the mine, long-term monitoring and maintenance is planned for the next century, according to the Giant Mine Remediation Team.
Thermosyphons, used in the process of keeping the underground arsenic frozen year-round, stretch into the sky at Giant Mine.
NORTHERN CONSTRUCTION 2019
10 NEWS/NORTH, Monday, April 22, 2019
All systems go for Brandon Oolooyuk Red-seal electrician works underground at gold mine and runs his own business by Derek Neary Northern News Services
Rankin Inlet, Nunavut
As a red-seal journeyman electrician, Brandon Oolooyuk is now working for the biggest power consumer in the Kivalliq region and, at other times, for himself. He puts in his shifts underground at Agnico Eagle's Meliadine gold mine, looking after newly-installed electrical infrastructure: maintaining electrical systems on the mining equipment, underground wi-fi, radio communications and the electrical distribution system. "There's so much," he said of the site, which was constructed over the past couple of years. Although Meliadine is a massive operation and much more complex than the electrical installation involved on a housing site, Oolooyuk said the same theoretical principles are still germane. "There's certain codes that we have to apply to every job that we do," he said. "It's a requirement because of safety also." Matt Belliveau, executive director of the NWT and Nunavut Construction Association, said there is tremendous demand for local tradespeople in the North, particularly electricians. "There's a huge opportunity out there for the youth who can complete the trades entrance exam and complete their apprenticeships," Belliveau said, adding that he's heard stories about companies engaged in "bidding wars" for the services of Inuit electricians. Oolooyuk got into the profession when he noticed a posting for an apprentice electrician with the Rankin Inlet Housing Association while he was in his final year of high school. "There was just a job opening and I thought it would be interesting to try and that's how I got in," he said. "I'm the first tradesman in my family."
photo courtesy of Agnico Eagle
Rankin Inlet's Brandon Oolooyuk is a red-seal journeyman electrician at Agnico Eagle's Meliadine gold mine. He is also the proprietor of Oolooyuk Electric. His first two years of post-secondary schooling were done at the Sanatuliqsarvik Trades Training Centre in Rankin Inlet. He went to Alberta to complete the final two years of the trades program. When he graduated in 2016, Sakku Investments Corporation hired him to maintain power and electrical systems in their buildings.
About a year and a half later, Agnico Eagle came courting and Oolooyuk accepted a position underground. "It interested me to try something new," he said. "It's a little bit weird at first when you first start and you first go underground and you're down there for 10 hours a day. Then you sort of get used to it after a few runs and it sort of
becomes normal." He also started his own business, Oolooyuk Electric, which keeps him occupied during his time off from the mine site. "I've always wanted to be a company owner. I just do little jobs here and there," he said, adding that the summer construction season brings plenty of work.
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NEWS/NORTH, Monday, April 22, 2019 11
inset photo courtesy of Ryfan/main photo NNSL file photo
(Inset photo) Ryfan installed the mechanical controls, fans and pumps for the indoor air quality system at the new Stanton Territorial Hospital and also set up the cable network for the digital internal communications system.
A new hospital delivered Stanton's most-engaged Yellowknife-based contractor recounts what it took to get the job done by Derek Neary Northern News Services
Yellowknife, NWT
Of the numerous Yellowknife-based sub-contractors involved in building the new Stanton hospital, Ryfan stood atop the rest in terms of value of contracts. The mechanical, electrical and plumbing company was awarded approximately $3.6 million worth of work among the $71 million spent on Northern goods, services and labour, according to Jhillian Adams, spokesperson for the Stanton Renewal Project. Ryfan was responsible for installing the pumps, fans and mechanical devices related to the hospital's indoor air quality and putting the cable network in place for the digital internal communications system, according to Ryfan managing director David Tucker. The work involved significant “planning intensity" because of hygienic requirements at the site, he noted.
"Work areas needed to fully complete by all trades so they could be sanitized. One does not want to have to go back to fix something or add something that’s been missed," Tucker explained. During peak construction in summer 2018, Ryfan had close to 35 tradespeople assigned to Stanton construction. To give a sense of scale, the company had fewer than 20 tradespeople working on other sites in and around Yellowknife at the time and about 90 others on jobs elsewhere in the North and Western Canada, according to Tucker. Ryfan, which was founded in Yellowknife in 1979, will celebrate its 40th anniversary this year. The company has grown substantially across Western Canada and in Ontario over that time, broadening its staff, said Tucker. While the business is "very proud of our local roots and local workforce," it is able to call upon a "substantial itinerant workforce that travels to worksites were there isn't sufficient local labour to complete the work in the required time frame,"
Tucker said. One of the challenges involved with building Stanton, with its overall $300 million budget, was the "layers" of contractors and sub-contractors executing their various duties, Tucker noted. Such circumstances necessitate extra vigilance. "In some cases there were five layers of contracts between ourselves and the people requesting the work. That creates a lot of opportunity for misunderstanding and miscommunication, especially as the design of the project and systems evolved," said Tucker. "We have done projects in the North that were both larger and more complex but in those cases we were much closer to the client and very much in tune with what was required to support project success. “In the Stanton hospital case, it was often more difficult to stay connected with project requirements as they changed, especially since we had no part of the designbuild activities that drove the project specifications." Stanton is scheduled to receive its first patients in late May.
NORTHERN CONSTRUCTION 2019
12 NEWS/NORTH, Monday, April 22, 2019
Bridge outside Hay River gets $13-million, steel girder overhaul Work follows $9.5M fix-up of Buffalo River bridge on highway between Hay River and Fort Smith; MLA raises concerns over level of Northern participation in project by Derek Neary Northern News Services
South Slave
A 1960s-era Highway 5 bridge is being replaced for close to $13 million as the government ensures South Slave spans are able to accommodate heavier loads. The 166-metre long Pine Point bridge spanning the Hay River, at km 2 along Highway 5, is being transformed into a steel girder bridge with a concrete deck. The bridge’s three trusses have been removed, meaning it no longer has a ceiling of woven metal beams, and its piers and foundations are being reused in the new design, according to Ann Kulmatycki, head of the structures/bridges section with the Department of Infrastructure. The new structure has a 75-year lifespan. The replacement Pine Point bridge is expected to reopen to the public by Oct. 30,
bringing an end to the use of a single-lane bridge as an interim measure, Kulmatycki stated. The work comes on the heels of $9.5-million in rehabilitation work on the 129-metre Buffalo River truss bridge, also built in the 1960s. That 2016-2017 project, situated at km 56 of Highway 5, included strengthening of the span by adding steel plates, removal and replacement of top half of the concrete deck, other concrete repairs, replacement of the expansion joints and bridge bearings as well as sandblasting and painting, Kulmatycki explained. Eiffage Innovative Canada Inc., a French multi-national firm with a Western Canadian office outside of Edmonton, was awarded the contracts for both bridges. "Contractors are encouraged to utilize as Please see next page
Eiffage Innovative Canada Inc., the same contractor that made improvements to the Buffalo River bridge, seen here, has been retained to replace the Pine Point bridge at Hay River. Both spans are located along Highway 5. photo courtesy of the GNWT
NORTHERN CONSTRUCTION 2019
NEWS/NORTH, Monday, April 22, 2019 13
photos courtesy of the GNWT
It cost $9.5 million to bring the Buffalo River bridge up to modern standards in 2016-17 Replacement work is now being done on the Pint Point bridge for $13 million. The project is expected to wrap up by the end of October.
Minister provides jobs summary Continued from previous page
much local and Northern labour, materials, supplies and services as is possible," Kulmatycki stated. "For the Hay River to Pine Point bridge project, the general contractor has procured local contracting services for removal of the old steel bridge trusses, heavy civil equipment, trades workers, concrete, accommodations, fuel and other services." However, Hay River North MLA R.J. Simpson expressed concerns in late March based on complaints from constituents that there are not enough Northern contractors and labour involved. "I think the GNWT definitely needs to do more when it comes to ensuring that Northerners are benefitting from these large infrastructure projects," Simpson said. Infrastructure Minister Wally Schumann provided a summary of local/Northern workers and sub-contractors who have been involved in the project as of March 20: • Three local labourers and two carpenters working directly for the general contractor, Eiffage Innovation Canada Inc. • Two welders from Aurora Manufacturing. • Equipment operators from Rowe's Construction and Carter Industries. • Steel salvage work being completed in a joint venture of the Hay River Metis Government Council and ABC Recycling, a southern company. • Eiffage Innovation Canada Inc. has received three resumes from local journeyperson carpenters and is in the process of reviewing/hiring. Simpson said he has previously raised the issue of local employment on infrastructure projects involving public money in the NWT. The federal government is paying 75 per cent of the cost to replace the Pine Point bridge, while the GNWT is picking up the remaining 25 per cent. -with files from Paul Bickford
Work is performed on the deck of the Buffalo River bridge. Elsewhere along Highway 5, the Pine Point bridge is being overhauled. The federal and territorial governments both contributed to cover the costs.
NORTHERN CONSTRUCTION 2019
14 NEWS/NORTH, Monday, April 22, 2019
Maintaining homes for 47 years
photo courtesy of the Nunavut Housing Corporation
Members of Nunavut's legislative assembly recognized Kugluktuk's Peter Taktogon in March for his long-term service. He's been a housing maintainer for 47 years and has no plans to retire as of yet.
Peter Taktogon has been a housing maintainer in Kugluktuk since 1972. "I still enjoy the work. It keeps me busy. I learn lots of new stuff from new technology," he says.
Kugluktuk's Peter Taktogon has seen numerous improvements in technology by Derek Neary Northern News Services
Kugluktuk
Peter Taktogon has been a housing maintainer in Kugluktuk for a remarkable 47 years and he's not done yet. Taktogon started the job in 1972, having taken his training in Fort Smith and Iqaluit. He's witnessed many advances in construction tech-
niques, materials and tools over decades. "They used to have only oil-burning space heaters in the units," he said. "Then they renovated quite a few houses and started putting in furnaces and plumbing systems. In the past they used to use honey buckets and the water tanks used to be in the units, they had no plumbing in those days.
That's when I first started." He's also grateful for cordless drills rather than having to torque screws by hand all the time. A typical day for him involves maintaining and repairing furnaces and plumbing, he said. He doesn't work as much overtime as in years past when there were more frequent power outages in Kugluktuk.
"It used to burn out a lot of controls," he said of electrical shortages. "Now they've got the power plant running good and everything. It's OK now." Taktogon grew up on the land near Contwoyto Lake – an area also known as Lupin – when he was young. He moved to Kugluktuk with his family and that's when he learned of this occupation. He said he
remains fond of it after all almost half a century. "I still enjoy the work. It keeps me busy. I learn lots of new stuff from new technology," he said. "The new technology has really changed everything." Taktogon, who has achieved journeyman status, was recognized in the legislative assembly in March for his long-term
service. He said he recommends trades to Nunavummiut who are seeking careers. "I encourage lots of young people to get into apprentice programs and heavy equipment operators (training)," he said, adding that he knows of some youth who have been hired at the mines in Nunavut as a result of trades training.
NORTHERN CONSTRUCTION 2019
NEWS/NORTH, Monday, April 22, 2019 15
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image courtesy of the Government of Nunavut
These renderings show what the grounds of the $73.5-million Qikiqtani Correctional Healing Centre will look like. It is designed to accommodate up to 112 medium and maximum-security prisoners. Site work began on March 18.
Work starts on correctional centre $73.5-million negotiated contract goes to Hall Beach company by Derek Neary Northern News Services
Iqaluit
After a year's delay, work is underway on the Qikiqtani Correctional Healing Centre, now that a $73.5-million negotiated contract is in place. Pilitak Enterprises Ltd. Construction of Hall Beach was the successful proponent, after initially tendering a failed bid – the only bid submitted – during a public tendering process. "We cannot say for sure why this competitive bid attracted one response. However, there are a limited number of companies operating in Nunavut that are capable of completing a project of this magnitude and the few that are may have already committed themselves to other major projects within Nunavut prior to this RFP (request for proposals) being issued," said William MacKay, deputy minister of Justice. In order to get the project within the gov-
ernment's budget, changes were made to exterior wall panels, window trims, and insulated soffit panels. "No structural changes or product of a lesser quality were selected," MacKay said. Pilitak Enterprises is partnering with Kudlik Construction, one of Nunavut's largest and longest-standing construction firms, to build the new 61,350-square-foot correctional centre, which can house up to 112 male medium and maximum-security offenders. The GN has confirmed Pilitak Enterprises is listed on Nunavut Tunngavik's Inuit Firm Registry and the Nunavummi Nangminiqaqtunik Ikajuuti (NNI) policy – adopted to enhance economic development opportunities for Nunavummiut – is applicable to the negotiated agreement, according to Eiryn Devereaux, assistant deputy minister of infrastructure with the Department of Community and Government Services. Devereaux added that Pilitak has an insurer
for performance, labour and materials in the total amount of the $73.5-million contract, which she said is "a very strong indication of their ability to meet their performance requirements under the contract." MINIMUM INUIT LABOUR FORCE Pilitak Enterprises will be required to maintain a minimum Inuit labour force of at least 20 per cent. In addition, inmate labour will be used during construction, subject to individual skill level, MacKay added. Besides living quarters for offenders, the correctional facility will feature programming space, a gymnasium, a designated area for visitation, space for health services, kitchen and staff offices. "The new facility will improve the access to program and services for offenders housed in Nunavut," said Justice Minister Jeannie Ehaloak. The project is broken into two phases.
Phase one is scheduled to be finished as of June 2021, allowing some inmates to take residence. Phase two is targetted for completion by June 2022. The correctional centre is designed to be in service for 20 years. The federal government is contributing $56.6 million toward the facility through the Small Communities Fund. The Qikiqtani Correctional Healing Centre will replace the oft criticized Baffin Correctional Centre, which was built in 1986. The structural integrity of the aging building and the overcrowded conditions drew condemnation from the Office of the Correctional Investigator and the fire marshal over the past decade. The GN previously aimed for a completion date of 2020 for the new correctional centre but the inability to line up a construction contractor at an acceptable price led to the project's postponement.
NORTHERN CONSTRUCTION 2019
16 NEWS/NORTH, Monday, April 22, 2019
Fish plant contract up for grabs this summer
NNSL file photo
The existing fish plant in Hay River was built in the early 1970s. The new $9-million plant will be approximately 17,000 square feet.
Head of Tu Cho Fishers Cooperative wants a building that will remain affordable
by Derek Neary Northern News Services
Hay River
Although a design contract for Hay River's new $9-million fish plant was awarded last June, a construction tender likely won't be issued until summer, according to the GNWT. Stantec Consulting landed the
$982,000 in architectural work for the plant in 2018. Bert Buckley Sr., president of the Tu Cho Fishers Cooperative, a small Indigenous consortium based in Hay River, said his organization stands to take over the new fish plant in about five years. For that reason, he's hoping to see a modest building with a straightforward
design because the facility must have an operational cost that the Tu Cho Fishers can manage. "We want something that we can afford, which matches our poundage on Great Slave Lake," Buckley said. "When we take it over in so many years, we want to make sure it's viable. We don't Please see next page
NORTHERN CONSTRUCTION 2019
NEWS/NORTH, Monday, April 22, 2019 17
NNSL file photo
New fish plant is expected to be approximately 17,000 square feet.
Plant to provide seasonal employment Continued from previous page
want to take over something that doesn't work ... what's it going to cost in the long run?" The Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment is proposing a 17,000-squarefoot facility that will be constructed on a lot next to the Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation in Hay River. The plant could employ a few dozen people seasonally, according to the GNWT. The territorial government is attempting to revitalize the Great Slave Lake fishery as annual catches regularly fall
well short of quota for whitefish, Northern pike, pickerel and trout. Buckley acknowledged that the Tu Cho Fishers comprises only 15 or so fishing captains from Hay River. He said he expects Fort Resolution and possibly Yellowknife to have representation on the cooperative in the future. He also said it's extremely difficult to find fishing crews in the North. "It's a seasonal thing up here, it's summer and winter. I'd like to see it come back to life," he said. "It's a real good life for people who want to make a living."
The GNWT is planning to continue training opportunities to develop more fishers and will work with the Tu Cho Fishers on marketing strategies to expand demand for Great Lake fish, domestically and internationally. Buckley said he wants the Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation to remain part of the equation because of its longstanding name recognition. In addition to filleted fish, the new fish plant is expected to produce "value added" products such as smoked fish, roe, candied fish and oils. Fish waste can be sold as pet
food and fertilizer, according to the GNWT. "If the fish plant goes through it would be really good for the fishers that want to fish here," said Buckley, who's close to retirement after close to 50 years of experience on Great Slave Lake. "It's a real good fishery. We've got a lot of fish... I'd like to see some of our aboriginal people get into this, even the youth. It's good for them." The Government of Canada has allocated $6.6 million for the new plant. The territorial government is contributing $2.3 million.
NNSL file photo
NWT MP Michael McLeod, left, and Wally Schumann, territorial minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, shake hands at the site of what is to become the new fish plant in Hay River. The Government of Canada is investing $6.6 million in the project. The territorial government is contributing $2.3 million.
NORTHERN CONSTRUCTION 2019
18 NEWS/NORTH, Monday, April 22, 2019
photos courtesy of the Government of Nunavut
The atrium of the building, which started going up in 2017, following a fire that destroyed Kugaardjuk School.
Portions of the building will have a wood-slat ceiling. The school, being built by Kudlik Construction, carries an estimated $40-million price tag.
The new school in Kugaaruk is scheduled to open in September. Since fire razed the community's former school, students have been forced to learn their lessons in modular classrooms and makeshift quarters at the old hamlet building.
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NEWS/NORTH, Monday, April 22, 2019 19
Kugaaruk school takes shape by Derek Neary Northern News Services
Kugaaruk
Close to 300 students are expected to occupy Kugaaruk's new school as of September. With the future in mind, the school was designed to accommodate up to 450 pupils. Kudlik Construction, which has built many of Nunavut's educational facilities, was award-
ed the contract in 2017, only months after fire destroyed Kugaardjuk Ilihakvik on the night of Feb. 28, 2017. A teenager was charged with arson shortly after that costly incident. The new building, with a budget of approximately $40 million, will be 49,470 square feet, considerably larger than the former Kugaardjuk Ilihakvik, which measured 36,425 square feet.
photo courtesy of the Government of Nunavut
This aerial photo taken from a drone gives a sense of the size of the school in comparison to the other buildings in the community of close to 950 people.
The vast expanse of the gymnasium, among the largest rooms in the 49,470-square-foot school.
20 NEWS/NORTH, Monday, April 22, 2019
NORTHERN CONSTRUCTION 2019