SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Kevin Hodgins is a man who thinks bigger than himself.

Stantec's managing lead Kevin Hodgins at the company's offices on 53rd Street. The professional engineer was recently recognized as the 2015 Business Person of the Year by the NWT Chamber of Commerce. - Karen K. Ho/NNSL photo

The professional engineer and long-term city resident was recently given the award for the NWT Chamber of Commerce's Business Person of the Year. But Hodgins told Yellowknifer the award represented a recognition of the importance of the city's professional services, which he called uncelebrated or often forgotten.

"There's a significant industry in the North, in Yellowknife in particular, in the form of architecture, engineering, environmental services, accounting and other services," he said. "This award to me, (recognized) that we as part of an industry are significant to the economy of Northern Canada."

While Hodgins called professional services a "quiet industry," he stressed that the higher than average salaries allowed individuals to give greater contributions to the economy through taxes, investments in real estate, donations to local organizations and above-average spending on everyday purchases such as groceries. "They also tend to be active in the volunteer community," he said. "We give to the local teams and underprivileged youth to put breakfast in the schools."

Hodgins' pride in his career is evident, from his involvement starting in 1988, to his growth in local firm FSC Architects and Engineers, to its acquisition by Stantec and his currently leadership role managing staff across all three territories. He happily explained his work extended to pretty much every community in Northern Canada.

While Stantec's staff is currently at more than 50, Hodgins said the professional services industry at large numbered in the hundreds. However, Hodgins acknowledged that his industry's "behind-the-scenes" role wasn't the main reason why recruitment and retention were difficult. The isolated location of many offices in the North, along with the heavy competition from the private sector were the primary challenges to keeping qualified, experienced people.

Hodgins said he personally stayed in Yellowknife and the North for as long as he had because of the challenge of business here. He cited the experience of making many friends, meeting his wife and raising his family here as hugely positive.

"It's what they know," he said, mentioning that even his son has decided to follow in his footsteps after finishing his third year of engineering school. "Today he started working for Stantec for a year and a half as an intern, civil engineer."

Hodgins said it was people like his son that will keep the professional services industry going in the North. While most of them will require education from southern institutions, Hodgins said the GNWT's financial assistance program encouraged them to return.

"We have lots of examples in our organization who are kids who grew up here who came back," he said. "We're lucky to have them.'

When it comes to the future, Hodgins said his company planned to grow its workforce across its Northern offices in the future. "We intend to grow our staff as much as we can, as much as the market will allow."

Hodgins also pointed to Stantec's recent 10-year lease agreement with the Union of Northern Workers' new office tower that made it the primary tenant.

"That allowed that building to be what it is," he said. "By including commercial tenancy from an organization like ourselves that has allowed that building to be much more significant that what they would have done on their own."

Even though it wasn't equity, Hodgins called it a local investment in a "quality, architecturally-sensitive building," that Stantec was happy to be a part of the design and be a part of for the next decade "and beyond."

Hodgins' award was sponsored by the Royal Bank. It was presented by RBC commercial manager and Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce president Jason McEvoy.

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