The house the students built

An opening ceremony for the student-built house in Sanikiluaq was held last Tuesday. The house was built by high school students with the help of a teacher. They learned valuable job skills in the process. The Qammaq Housing Association will own the finished house and use it for their staff. At the ceremony, Grade 3 students Sara Ippak, left, and Mina Kittosuk held the ribbon with the help of Minister of Housing Olayuk Akesuk, far left, and Minister of Education Ed Picco, far right. The ribbon is being cut by Premier Paul Okalik, left, and MLA Peter Kattuk, right. The Grade 3 class weaved the ribbon on a loom. - photo courtesy of Tim Hoyt

The house the students built

Daniel T'seleie
Northern News Services

Sanikiluaq (June 20/05) - One Northern community has found a unique way to educate youth and combat Nunavut's housing shortage at the same time.

Sanikiluaq celebrated the official opening of its student-built house on June 14, in a ceremony attended by Premier Paul Okalik, Nunavut Commissioner Ann Meekitjuk-Hanson, Housing Minister Olayuk Akesuk and Minister of Education Ed Picco.

Eleven students worked on the project, building a three-bedroom house from scratch with the help of journeyman carpenter and high school teacher Brian Furgal.

"This is basically a school course," said John Jamieson, Nuiyak school principal and Najuqsivik Society board member.

The student-built house was a joint project between the Nunavut Housing Corporation, the Department of Education, the Department of Economic Development and Transportation, Najuqsivik Society and the Qammaq Housing Association.

The students, who split their time over the past school year between the construction site and the classroom, will receive school credits for the project.

Valuable job skills and work experience were gained by the students involved.

"Most of these kids are interested in vocational programs," Jamieson said.

Housing help

With the population "growing very fast" in the territory, lack of housing continues to be an issue in Nunavut, Minister Akesuk said.

This project has helped address the issue in Sanikiluaq.

"Any house will help us out with the housing shortage," Akesuk said. "It was nicely done, well done."

The house was constructed from the same standard package of materials used by Sanikiluaq's Qammaq Housing Association.

"It's identical to the one I live in," said Allan Rumbolt, the association's manager.

Following the normal process, construction of a dwelling begins in September and is completed by Christmas, Rumbolt said.

The student house was not finished until June, but with a total price tag of around $160,000, it was significantly cheaper to build.

"The average price to construct a unit now would run $250,000," said Craig Power, acting manager of community development-technical for the Nunavut Housing Corporation.

A finished house of the same size would sell on the market for upwards of $300,000 in Sanikiluaq, Jamieson said.

The materials package, worth $119,000 according to Jamieson, was donated by the Nunavut Housing Corporation. An additional $40,000 - for tools, electricity, work clothes, and a $10 a day honoraria given to the students - came from Sanikiluaq's Najuqsivik Society.

Kakivaq Association is helping Najuqsivik Society to fund another house next school year.

Thirteen girls and 13 boys will take turns working on the project, Jamieson said.

It will be used as staff housing for the Qammaq Housing Association.

Qammaq plans to build 10 other housing units in Sanikiluaq by the end of the year.