NCC Development Ltd. will bring modular homes to Grise Fiord, Kugaaruk and Qikiqtarjuaq this summer. The homes are built by Calgary-based SEED-Homes Inc. An example of one of the modular homes being built is seen here. (Photo courtesy of SEED-Homes Inc.)
NCC Development bringing 6 modular homes to Nunavut
Buildings ‘can really take a pounding’ due to steel construction manufacturer says
NCC Development Ltd. announced plans to purchase six modular homes that will be delivered to Nunavut this summer.
The structures will be bought from Calgary’s SEED-Homes Inc., which specializes in building and shipping steel-based modular homes.
The purchase is part of NCC Development’s commitment with Nunavut Housing Corp. to create 3,000 new homes by the end of the decade under the Nunavut 3000 program, NCC Development president and CEO Clarence Synard said in an interview.
The communities of Grise Fiord, Kugaaruk and Qikiqtarjuaq will each receive two of the homes, he said.
Each of the modular homes will be 1,152 square feet in size, roughly equal to a standard two or three-bedroom apartment.
A news release announcing the purchase said NCC Development chose SEED-Homes because of how well-suited the modular homes will be to Nunavut’s climate.
The homes “can really take a pounding” because they are built with 22-gauge steel, SEED-Homes CEO Stephen Morgan told Nunatsiaq News.
The homes can be installed on above-ground screw piles, the news release noted.
“I think they’re a perfect fit” for Nunavut, Morgan said.
This shows an example of the interior of one of SEED-Homes’ modular units. (Photo courtesy of SEED-Homes Inc.)
He said the price of SEED modular homes is about 40 per cent of the cost of building a traditional Canadian home.
Synard declined to discuss the cost, but said that because SEED-Homes’ modular homes can fold up to be shipped, NCC Development can save up 60 per cent on shipping costs.
He called that “a bit of a game changer.”
Morgan compared the way the homes can be folded for shipping to the way the pages of a book close on top of each other.
When the home gets unfolded, he said, areas such as the kitchen and bathroom are already set.
The purchaser can decide where to place the walls in the rest of the living area, so the space is flexible in how many bedrooms or rooms can be accommodated.
Asked why NCC does not make modular homes using sea cans that already in Nunavut, Synard said the ones available in communities are not typically in the best condition to be transformed into reliable homes.
Including that factor, it is too costly to transform them into sturdy, well-insulated homes compared to a traditional build.
“I’m not saying we’re never going to get there, I just don’t think from a cost perspective that we’re there yet,” Synard said of converting community sea cans into usable homes.
So when does all that local labour, training, trade development fit into this scenario.
I hope these 6 are just testers! They are actually made in China and because NCC is ordering them from a middle company in Canada it is going to be way more expensive than NCC going to the source! What happened to made in Nunavut? Or even better yet, made in Canada!
Inuit companies like NCC and QIA getting houses built down south and in China but NHC builds in Nunavut and hires inuits to help build them . Something wrong here?
Hurrah at last Nunavut can explore some realistic alternatives for wooden frame houses.
I hope Nunatsiaq News will write a more detailed article about technical and finish details.
I am now even more firmly convinced this program will lead to an insufficient number of some of the most expensive homes ever yet delivered in the North.
This common sense approach has been slow to catch on. Yes, it makes a lot of sense, especially for the North where work on a construction site is so expensive and tends to be of poor quality. And volume rates by sea are through sky-high. It’s important to stress upfront the importance of extra insulation because steel carries cold.
May be a good opportunity to learn what goes into these homes and what kind of work needs to be done to make them a “best fit” for our environment.
Six homes appear to be a tester in Nunavut essentially. I suspect if this works, and their “test” does not how any immediate concerns the vast majority of NU3000 will end up these foldable homes.
NU3000 has fell well short of expectations thus far with total unit delivery falling below normal annual unit delivery numbers pre-pandemic without NU3000.
My issue is, because NU3000 has thus far been a failure, and they need to significantly catch up on unit delivery, the test period for these is likely going to be a single winter which is not a sufficient testing period to determine if they are adequate to suddenly put a 1000 of them.
Second, the entire sell of NU3000 and sole sourcing it to NCC was all the local benefits they promised, money staying in NU, training, development, etc. If this takes off, the bulk of the money won’t even touch NU’s boarders, it will go to SEED, NEAS and NSSI and use fly in labour to quickly put them up.
I’m not blind to the struggles of labour, there’s no surplus of local tradesman putting their hands up to work, but the entire sell and reason for sole sourcing was this was going to be an “inuit” build program, with the bulk of benefits going back to Nunavumiut in general.
If were going to just use modular from the south , why are we continuing to sole source NU3000 to NCC? Let other bidders in, see what prices come out to to bring up and put up SEED homes if that’s the case to see if NCC is just a bloated, mismanaged, overpriced mess.
Id say NHC should chunk up NU3000 and re-tender it if were going to route of modular. The entire premise and pitch of NCC’s build program has thus far been a farce.
NCC is under QC, so the profits made by NCC will indeed stay in territory. They are also not responsible of all 3000 units.
I hope there be affordable to rent or to rent to own
Well done NCC! We need to find alternative ways of delivering housing in Nunavut. Keep thinking outside the box as creativity and innovation is long overdue in Nunavut!!
“Innovation is the future delivered.”
Jorge Barba
“To avoid criticism say nothing, do nothing, be nothing.”
Aristotle (384 – 322 BC), Philosopher
It’s a good thing that they “can really take a pounding” if they’re going to be used for Public Housing.
There are two categories of housing costs. The cost to build or buy a house -the capital cost – and the cost to run a house, or operating cost. The NU3000 plan mainly deals with the capital cost of housing. Over the useful life of a house, however, operating costs end up being much higher than the initial capital cost.
While most people are now focused on whether the NU3000 goal can be achieved, and at what cost and within what timeframe, it may be a case of needing to be mindful what we wish for.
In 2022, NHC estimated it spent $37,000 per unit for maintenance, utilities and other expenses. This figure is high despite the fact that maintenance costs are probably low given how many units we know suffer from mold and need major repairs that are not being immediately addressed.
Given how little rental income NHC realizes, 3,000 new units for Nunavut adds at least $111 million in new or extra operating costs that NHC will have to shoulder each and every year going forward.
$111M is about the same amount of money the GN needs to run the Department of ED&T, or the Departments of NAC, Human Resources, Culture and Heritage, and Intergovernmental Affairs combined.
So, we can anticipate some new, potential long term financial impacts of NU3000.
Rental scales may need to be adjusted much higher to reflect the true costs of operating these units. Right now, that would mean around $3K per unit per month. People will need new income to pay for this additional rent.
Or, the GN will have to slash spending in other areas in order to address this new financial burden.
We have an election coming up in a year or so. It would be very worthwhile to hear what our potential new MLAS thoughts are on how they will tackle this looming and important issue.
Bertrand, your right, your right when the dust settles and this project finishes, the way it will be paid for is all capital projects will be cut again like the last time.only this time for multi years, digging us an even bigger infastructure hole, but housing for people that don’t pay any rent trumps health centres and schools, and water treatment plants.
Why couldn’t NHC send out a tender for these types of builds?
Why does the money have to flow into NCCD for a Tender NHC could of done themselves?
This prefab housing NCCD put a RFP for 132 prefab, how much is this costing?
is NCCD able to commit fully to this agreement with between them and NHC below the costing price?
Is NCCD going to commit to build a meaningful workplace for Inuit as it is in the agreement between them NHC?
Also ordering prefab housing is not materials purchased for constructing houses, it is purchasing houses and quickly assembling them.
as the RFP from NCCD website it is a completed house and they just have to assemble.
So many if not all standard gov contracts have protection built in for performance, failure to perform the intent, time frame, quantity, quality, local employment ratios result in penalties. Many contractor in the past had been hit with performance penalties specifically related to local employment ratios. Will this be applied to NCC since that are using the old magician trick of bait and switch. Or is NHC still blinded by smoke and mirrors.
Are we not headed into year 3 of this highly touted, new way, local employment filled, superior way of doing things. HOW MANY HOMES ARE READY FOR OCCUPANCY. Not a whole lot of flag waving ribbon cutting or fireworks celebrating. Could it be the target has not been met. No, really, that just can’t be, could it. This should be the easiest number to reveal. Just for the he’ll of it toss in a per unit cost of delivery just to see how good we are doing. Year three should have about 900 units. Anyone see 900 new builds. How about that apprenticeship program, burning up the years here. Call it a day before you get too far down the rabbit hole. Unless you’re trying g to find a shorter shipping g route from China.
What about that Inuit owned business that is supposed to be building pre-fabricated houses in Arviat, to be shipped to all communities in Nunavut?
How is that venture going?
How many houses has NCC bought from them?
Of those bought by NCC, how many were built in Arviat, and how many were actually built in Quebec?