Nunavik to get its own place in Quebec’s construction industry association

A construction crew works on a new home in Kuujjuaq last month. (PHOTO BY SARAH ROGERS)

Quebec’s construction industry association has approved the creation of a new job-placement region for Nunavik, thanks to more than 30 years of lobbying on the part of the Kativik Regional Government and Makivik Corp.

The Commission de la construction du Québec (CCQ) has always grouped Nunavik into two of the association’s other regions: Umiujaq and Kuujjuaraapik fall into Quebec’s James Bay region, while Nunavik’s other 12 communities are grouped under the Côte Nord region.

This means that construction workers from either of those regions have had priority hiring on Nunavik-based construction projects.

But that should change once the province’s National Assembly approves Nunavik as its own region under the association, said Charles-Olivier Picard. Picard is coordinator of the KRG’s Sanajiit project, whose goal is to improve Inuit participation in the construction sector.

The new regional designation will help build a stronger pool of Inuit employees in Nunavik’s construction industry, by offering more local jobs and training support, he said.

“There’s a huge untapped potential for an Inuit workforce here,” Picard said.

According to available statistics, workers put in 800,000 construction hours in Nunavik communities in 2012.

But the vast majority of those workers flew up from the South; Inuit construction workers filled about 40,000 of those hours.

Construction projects across Nunavik generally employ about 100 Inuit workers each year, Picard estimated.

All these are apprentices, Picard said, with various levels of training.

The vast majority — 80 per cent — of Nunavik-based construction workers receive on-the-job training, while a small group train at Inukjuak’s vocational school, Nunavummi Pigiursavik.

That centre offers programs like carpentry, plumbing and heating and heavy equipment mechanics.

On-the-job training is only basic training, Picard said, “but it gives them the opportunity to explore and see if they’re made for the construction industry.”

Picard now hopes the region’s new relationship with the CCQ could mean more collaboration with the region and new training opportunities for local construction workers.

Nunavimmiut workers say they want to see more training. That was one of the major needs identified in a KRG survey carried out in the region over the summer to gain a better understanding of the construction industry as seen by Inuit.

In working to grow the local industry, Picard said Nunavik can look to another Quebec region similar in size. The Magdalen Islands are home to about 15,000 residents (Nunavik’s population is 12,000.)

But the Magdalen Islands have three times the number of local construction workers, with about 300.

If Nunavik can double or even triple its number of Inuit construction workers over the next decade, “that’ll be a great achievement,” Picard said.

Quebec’s National Assembly should approve Nunavik’s new status with the CCQ sometime in 2015.