Lack of loader leaves 2 modular homes on Kimmirut beach
NCC Investment Group Inc. CEO says NEAS is sending machinery needed to move units
Two modular homes in Kimmirut await assembly due to a lack of equipment needed to move them to where they’re going to be assembled. (File photo by David Venn)
Two modular housing units are sitting unassembled on Kimmirut’s waterfront because there is no front-end loader in the hamlet to move them.
This situation offers a glimpse into various logistical challenges NCC Development Ltd. faces in fulfilling its goal to build 2,000 housing units in Nunavut, said Clarence Synard, president and CEO of NCC Investment Group Inc.
“We have modular units currently in Kimmirut, but no equipment large enough in the community to move them,” he told the territorial government’s government oversight committee on Sept. 5.
“Every single community has its own intricacies in the ability of what we can and can’t move.”
NCC Development Ltd. is the major sole-source contractor responsible for delivering 2,000 units as part of Nunavut 3000, the Government of Nunavut plan unveiled in 2022 to build 3,000 new units across the territory by the end of the decade.
Synard was on hand Sept. 5 to answer questions about findings in the auditor general’s report on Nunavut Housing Corp.’s management and delivery of public housing in Nunavut.
He said his company has found a solution for the Kimmirut situation: The sealift is scheduled to arrive in a couple of weeks and its crew has agreed to transport a front-end loader to the hamlet so local workers can move the materials from the beach to the construction site.
Once that arrives, he said it should take four to six weeks to assemble the homes.
He said the issue in Kimmirut only affects the two modular homes.
Work is also underway in Kimmirut to provide the community of 400 people with a sixplex. Materials for this project were delivered to the hamlet in fall 2024, according to an update provided by Nunavut Housing Corp. in June, and the project isn’t set for completion until 2026 or 2027 due to site-work delays.
Synard said the front-loader example in Kimmirut is an example of how crews can pivot to find a solution when equipment issues come up.
“We have different people in different communities that help us out with their equipment and the local hamlets as well, when available,” he said.
There are 34 multiplex projects in various stages of site preparation and construction across Nunavut’s 25 communities as part of Nunavut 3000.
Nunavut Housing Corp. is also procuring modular housing to meet its Nunavut 3000 goal.
In 2023, 22 of 172 homes Nunavut Housing Corp. entered into contracts for were modular, according to numbers provided during last week’s hearing by Eiryn Devereaux, the organization’s president and CEO.
This year, 54 of NHC’s 114 construction contracts were for modular homes.
Thinking ahead, anticipating what comes next… these are real ‘logistical challenges’
What a weak excuse on why these homes are sitting on the beach. It is NCC’s responsibility to ensure the community has what they need before they ship things there, plus they want a pat on the back for coming up with a solution to a problem they created. What if they arrived on the last boat would they just sit on the beach for a year?
This is project management 101, and they are failing.
I thought the excuse always used is that the workers are qualified
The NCC guy couldn’t talk to the town of Kimmirut and use the town loader it’s for a good reason
To many times Qualified is used to not hire Inuit
I think these people in hire up should have the qualifications checked
There’s also dozens that have been installed successfully.
Please cover the entire news instead of just focusing on the negative.
Just another stunning example of how Synard, on behalf of NCCD, explains incompetency by replacing that word with “Intricacies”.
Good Project Management and Project Planning address the challenges and “intricacies” of a project. Everyone in Nunavut knows that if you bring something really, really big (size and weight wise) to a community you need to be able to move it from the beach to wherever its going, once offloaded by the Maritime transporter on the beach. So, you start by figuring out what equipment can move it. Then you find out if that equipment exists in the Community. Then you either by arranging with the Hamlet or local contractors (if they have the equipment) to use their equipment. If that is not an option, you bring your own equipment or change your plan. This is a brutal reminder to all Nunavummiut why NCCD is failing so miserably in its delivery of its NU 3000 contracts.
So ” Every single community has it’s own intricacies…..”. Really shocking to hear something like that from a contractor who is supposed to deliver hundreds of millions of project value. Contractors have been working in the North and other challenging locations around the globe for centuries. The explorers for the most part had it figured out and they didn’t have phones or internet or even knew exactly where it was they were headed or than to find new locations. When a contractor used to have to bid competitively to get a project they would search the project community for all local resources such as hotels, transportation, equipment, flight schedules, granular stock piles, landfill locations, law enforcement, nursing clinic, local administrations, local labour, trades, business, shipping schedules, lead time for ordering material and all associated costs including royalties and any required permits or related inspection costs. Once armed with this information the estimators begin to assemble their quote for submission. Anything that is not available but required to perform the work must be either bought and shipped in or rented and shipped in factoring that costs which may included multiple years and backhaul charges. In the case of prefab or modular building one must factor in road conditions, sharp turns, narrow road surface, steep inclines, overhead wires. Sound complex, yes it is, that’s why they are called contractors. They get stuff done. But now we have the new NHC/NCC construction methodology. Think about a problem when it arises, no worries about cost, just spend a couple of hours coming up with a ridiculous response “Every single community has intricacies…” and by the way we didn’t consider this so we have to charge more. For heavens show some courage and admit this is a complete FUBAR. Sit down at your desk, write up a resignation, tear up the contracts, recover any unspent money, secure all materials, do an inventory of what material is landed and the status of each project, hire a competent project manager, contract manager, purchasing manager , and required support staff and go to public tender. Eventually this will be straightened out and for the sake of everyone’s sanity invest in a very large sign placed in front of all NHC offices “DON’T EVER DO THIS AGAIN, PUBLIC TENDERING WORKS”
Material arrived for 6 plex in fall of 2024, expected to be completed in 2026 or 2027. Somewhere between 24 and 36 months. The CN Tower in Toronto took 40 months to construct. I know the CN Tower is not a 6 plex. How can one deliver this kind of message without a punch line. Come on either Clarence or Eryn give us the punch line it has to be some kind of twisted joke. Anyone with any self respect would quit. I guess pride in accomplishments has died with the start of NU 3000
And if Clarence hired a bunch of Newfies with trade qualifications to do the build, he would be ostracized for not hiring the local unqualified. Clarence – you can’t win for trying.
Ever try and book accommodation in remote communities?
Limited rooms, then you have to compete with other interest such as the Nunavut Court of Justice’s traveling circus, maybe medical professionals arriving to hold specialty clinics etc.
Not to mention auditors who have to be auditing Hamlets’ Non Profits, Co-op Stores, Local Hosing Offices, etc.
Accommodation is a premium and contractors should be building contractor/construction bunk houses in every community so they do not have this problem. When they are completed their jobs, these bunk houses can be transformed into homeless shelters/drop in centers etc.
Submitting proposals for services and projects that you aren’t actually prepared to carry out is the Nunavut way.
I left an organization recently because I was being asked to prepare proposals that made lofty promises, far outside of their capacity at the time.