Heritage centre taps Arctic Fresh as project contractor

Arctic Fresh Group has been named the general contractor for the proposed Nunavut Inuit Heritage Centre in Iqaluit.

The Inuit Heritage Trust made the announcement in a news release Wednesday.

Arctic Fresh — a Nunavut-based and Inuit-owned company — will work alongside Manitoba’s Penn-co Construction to finish the engineering, planning and logistics.

“This appointment reflects real and measurable progress,” Inuit Heritage Trust executive director William Beveridge wrote in the news release.

“Bringing the construction partner to the table means another critical piece is now in place to move this long-awaited vision closer to reality.”

Arctic Fresh Group’s co-CEOs Merlyn Recinos and Albert Netser said their company is “honoured” to have been selected.

The concept of the Nunavut Inuit Heritage Centre stems from Article 33 of the Nunavut Agreement, which sets out obligations to protect, maintain, restore and display Inuit archaeological sites and specimens.

The Inuit Heritage Trust has announced several developments to the centre in recent years, including selecting Danish firm Dorte Mandrup Architects’ design.

Plans for the centre include areas to display artifacts — or “cultural belongings,” as the heritage trust is referring to them — which are currently being stored at museums and other facilities outside of the territory.

The centre will also have spaces for workshops and other events.

The trust is aiming to break ground in 2027, said spokesperson Kevin Kablutsiak in an email, pending fundraising and approval from the City of Iqaluit.

The heritage centre, estimated to cost $225 million, is planned for an area of Iqaluit that overlooks the water and neighbours the Arctic Winter Games Arena.

“Currently, we have $50 million federal support for construction. Nunavut Inuit organizations have provided another $20.2 million that is used for covering soft costs and advancing the overall project,” Kablutsiak said.