Yellowknife (Jun 19/06) - ATCO unveiled its housing solution for Northerners during the Inuvik Petroleum show last week.

The Novel home took four days to construct.

Vice-president of ATCO structures Randy Hughes was in Inuvik last week to showcase the ATCO Novel home during Inuvik's petroleum show. ATCO Inuvik employee Lillian Brewster was also part of the team who displayed the home for public viewing. - Dez Loreen/NNSL photos

"We're here to show a new product innovation, which is workforce accommodations that provides the opportunity to be converted into affordable, high-quality homes," said Randy Hughes, ATCO's vice president of structures.

The home is a fifth of a larger structure and would serve as a dormitory for workers. It was moved from Calgary using special transportation equipment.

"We hauled the home over here with trucks, it took two of them, carrying the home in two pieces," explained Dean Smith, manager of Allen Services a company that helped move the structure.

Smith said pilot cars were needed for transportation once the crews left Alberta. Because of the awkward shape of the split house, Smith said an alternate route was used to get the building to Inuvik. The haul took four days.

"The load was too high for the Alaska highway, so we had to detour up the old Campbell highway which comes up from Carmacks, Yukon," said Smith.

Once set up, the home was fully operational with power, heating and water services including a water tank with a capacity of more than 2,200 litres.

Controversy There's controversy over a deal the territorial government made with ATCO structures to supply "Novel" trailers to the Mackenzie Gas Project during the construction of a possible pipeline. After pipeline completion, the trailers would be shipped to communities for conversion into homes. Some officials call it the opportunity of a lifetime but others are questioning the scheme. They say the government shouldn't be committed to only one single company.

Hughes said ATCO worked with the territorial government to optimize the home's energy efficiency.

The insulation in the walls is rated 'R-27', while both the ceiling and floors have an 'R-40' rating. 'R' value states insulation's ability to resist heat flow. The higher the 'R' value, the more effective it is.

The home had few structural deviations after the conversion from the dormitory format, said Hughes.

The cupboards, carpeting, and painting are some of the elements of the building that will change. Walls would be taken down, transforming the bedrooms into a living room, dining room and kitchen, explained Hughes.

"The camp format has no open areas or kitchens. It's just bedrooms and a bathroom," said Hughes. The home will remain on display in Inuvik for an undisclosed period of time.

Hughes said an ATCO employee will be in town to give tours.