NCC may have to hire from the South: Curley

ANNETTE BOURGEOIS

The company building the residential and office buildings for the Nunavut government may have to go outside the territory to find skilled labor.

“That’s a preoccupation of our training co-ordinator,” said Nunavut Construction Corporation president Tagak Curley.

Curley said he’s recruiting not only in the 11 communities affected by a decentralized government, but throughout Nunavut. This week NCC officials travelled to Coppermine seaching for apprenticeship trainees and site superintendents. Coppermine is one of five communities where NCC will construct residential units this summer.

“There’s only so much of a labor pool in particular communities,” Curley said.

Curley suggested that, because of a lack of skilled laborers in Nunavut, NCC may have to look to the western territory or southern Canada for workers.

“Maybe for some of the skilled labor force,” he said. “If we can’t find any certified carpenters then we may have to look elsewhere. At the moment our plans aren’t at that stage.”

Curley said he’s in the process of determining how big a workforce he’ll need during the next three construction years.

“We’re just now starting to put the detailed community plans for employment labor together.”

Curley wants to have the labor force hired by the end of July. Construction will begin in Arviat in August, where supplies arrive early, and as late as September in Igloolik, depending on the arrival of the sealift. NCC will also build in Iqaluit and Cape Dorset this summer.

Curley said he’s committed to employing 50 per cent Inuit, even in the plumbing, electrical, mechanical trades.

Although the company had only six months to designs plans and order supplies for this year’s sealift, Curley is satisfied with the pace.

“Things are going great,” he said.

Next year NCC will concentrate on building office buildings in the communities.