Harry Flaherty, right, CEO of Qikiqtaaluk Corporation, gives Glen Cowan, founder of ONE9, an Inuit drum Oct. 17 as a symbol of their partnership. The pair have joined together to create Sapujjijiit Inc., what they say is the first Inuit-owned defence company. (Photo courtesy of ONE9)
New Inuit defence company seeks to harness Arctic expertise
Partnership announced last week still in the early stages, but long-term hope is to bring defence technology manufacturing North
An Inuit-led company has partnered with an Ottawa venture capital and military contracting firm to create what they are calling the first Inuit defence corporation.
There has been a lot of interest in the North from a national defence perspective, said Harry Flaherty, CEO of Qikiqtaaluk Corp., in an interview.
But, he said, the people on the ground in the North haven’t really been engaged.
“I always [say] that we are the flagpole of sovereignty,” he said.
The new company is called Sapujjijiit Inc., which means ‘defender’ in Inuktitut. The majority owner is Panarctic Communications Inc., an Inuit-led communications company that’s a subsidiary of Qikqitaaluk Corp., which is the business development arm of Qikiqtani Inuit Association.
“We Inuit, we live here in the Arctic, we are accustomed to the climate and we are accustomed to the changes in the seasons,” said Flaherty, describing why it’s important to have northerners directly involved in defence.
He is partnering with Glenn Cowan, founder of ONE9, an Ottawa-based venture capital company that funds startups involving technology such as drones, aerospace engineering and robotics. They announced the formation of the new corporation on Oct. 21.
Flaherty called it a merger between northern expertise and southern technology.
He said the company will facilitate work between southern defence companies and locals in the North, harnessing their expertise of conditions in the Arctic.
Military technology, such as drones and unmanned submarines, need to be developed and tested in the cold-weather environments of the Arctic in order to deploy them there long-term.
“We know the communities, we can engage with the hamlets,” Flaherty said.
He said a long-term plan would be to manufacture technology in the Arctic, perhaps at a small factory. That would enable development, manufacturing, testing and research to be done at the same location.
“If it makes sense to do it in the North, why can’t we do it in the North?” he said, adding that creating a small factory in the North is something they intend to explore.
Flaherty noted there already is engagement between the military and partners in the North, particularly with Canadian Rangers, but there are even more opportunities involving technology and research.
He said he has spoken with business leaders about the formation of a defence company and called it an easy decision to partner with Cowan and ONE9.
Not only does ONE9 have expertise, he said, but firm is strongly committed to working with northerners. The company is open to sharing information, working with locals and is keen on training people in the North.
Flaherty said Sapujjijiit Inc. is still in the early stages of discussions on possible projects, but he expects there will be an announcement on projects in early 2026.
poh tay toe company
oh well, good luck to them.
All of the Dev Corps talk about their “Inuit-owned” companies, but they’re just southern owned companies that create a shell company with the Inuit Orgs to operate under.
Qikiqtaaluk Environmental is just Sanexen.
Toromont Arctic is just Toromont Cat (didn’t even get creative with the name on this one.)
Nunavut Sealink and Supply Inc is just Desgagnes Transarctik
QC-Canadian Helicopters is just Canadian Helicopters.
Uqsuq Corp is just ATCO.
The list goes on. Those companies then get to bid on government contracts at a discount and priority because they’re “Inuit-owned”, but QC’s involvement stops there. They just collect some of the profit that the southern business makes.
Ya’ll cry and whine so much, it’s pathetic.. open your own business or shut up honestly.
btw, if you create perverse incentives, expect perverse results.
Once people are aware of it all, contracts and grants/funding will go to actual inuit owned businesses and this won’t be a problem. But it’s nice to see some wah wahs are still trolling Nunavut.
What you don’t get is that when they aren’t fully Inuit owned, Inuit companies cannot get billions in contracts which otherwise would be taken in by for example hydro. Dyor
I understand it all. More and more people are starting to understand it. 50/50 split when it should be 95/5. Once they start asking more questions they’ll see all the revenue goes to the same machine. What you don’t understand is that when people get tired of being ripped off changes happen.
Hey look everyone a new Corporation (another one) owned by…none other than….. Wonder how long they will take to approach this new Government for Nunavummiut’s and taxpayer money? Want to bet it won’t be long? And you can count on it being low on details, transparency and accountability.
I wonder when people and the GN will finally wake up to all of this? …when finally someone will decide that enough is enough. Perhaps this new Government? Naaahhh…who am I fooling…More things change. More they stay the same.
If this doesn’t help get the fibre optic link to Iqaluit, then nothing will
During the election coverage on CBC, Manitok Thompson went on a rant about the GN senior staff failing to “train and make modules” for more inuit to work at the GN. Yes, she’s right that it is part of the NLCA and the numbers are embarrassingly low. She did also say that the senior management needs to go because “what’s wrong with hiring inuit?”. This is part of a bigger problem that not only plagues the government but all other employers in Nunavut.
Now look at the private sector (and these so-called inuit-owned businesses), how many are hiring inuit? I think that is a good indicator that more needs to be done. A good work-ethic needs to promoted. A willingness to be at the office 7.5 hours a day and not do personal errands on company time. A restriction on employees drifting away on their phones all day. Not letting work trucks be used to haul personal cargo and snowmobiles around town. Regular performance reviews and achieving development targets. This is something that needs to be focused on.
Sadly a grade 12 education in nunavut doesn’t give u the foundation you need to be successful in the private or public sector. Keep pushing young inuit to go and get diplomas and degrees, this is the only way nunavut can reach inuit employment targets. You cant train someone that doesnt have the principles required to retain complex knowledge and apply it to the work place. And sadly until the number of postsecondary grads increases, for every unskilled inuk hired, a highly-paid skilled southern consultant fills the void.
What is the point of this private owned company, and what, exactly, are they hoping to accomplish?
It would be more beneficial to keep defence objectives with the Canadian government through the CAF, and are equipped to provide national security for all of Canada. They have the ability to contribute through the establishment of defence and security protocols while simultaneously creating practice objectives and scenarios catered to the north. They can operate practice runs across the territory where Inuit can contribute their knowledge to refine operations, and this would in turn also ensure accountability to the public and allows individuals to provide input.
Keep it taxed, and for the benefit of all. Manufacturing would only be possible if they created the railroad to Rankin Inlet from the south, and kept the facility there to make it financially feasible and economical.
It’s because they want to bid on federal government procurement with set aside programs for indigenous businesses.
Since the feds announced a military push the GN and Inuit orgs want in on the action, basically it’s in the name of Inuit participation when in reality it is sole source contracting and procurement under the guise of Inuit organizations.
Your welcome!
Where have you been for the last 11 years? Socialism is one step away from communism.
NTI has the duty to consult.
How can this Inuit Organization do this without any accountability?
There is a total disconnect between QC and QIA. Like Manitok said, the royalties need to go directly to the people! Not to sewing programs.
They don’t have the duty to consult. The Crown does. You’re consulted when you vote in the election for the Board of Directors. You could try contacting them. It’s your right to do so.
Frankly, I’m surprised Flaherty and QC’s governance haven’t been flagged as a national security risk.
Adding a layer of Inuit ownership just adds cost if there is no real participation. Added cost means less return for dollars invested. ie: less housing. The only solution to get the population working and achieving set goals such as 85% Inuit in the GN is to stop paying people to do nothing.
Inuit ownership adds preferential treatment for bidding on government contracts and qualifies the business for investment and funding otherwise limited for non-indigenous owned firms. It also ensures a share of profits flow to the Inuit organizations in the form of dividends.
There is no” investment and funding otherwise limited for non-indigenous owned firms” this is why shell companies are created. No non Inuit firm would create a shell company if they could get investmwnt and funding. After 25 years of this policy the proof is that they are exactly that, just shells with no real Inuit participation. I know personally because this policy created such a disadvantage for my company that I became an Ex-Northerner.
They were quick to the start.
Carney announces lots of major investments in defense and this was expected for quite awhile . And what do you know there is another “INUIT OWNED “ company specialized in that field !!
When are people gonna get tired of these photo ops which demonstrate the easy way to manipulate the system ?
Watch for grants and set aside contracts to flow their way.
Maybe they will announce that the new F35 will be built in Clyde River?
Thanks