Sanikiluaq (Sep 18/06) - If you're a man walking past a construction site in Sanikiluaq, you may have a few whistles directed at you.

A group of young women at Nuiyak school are defying convention - they want to be construction workers.

"They're the best," said John Jamieson, principal of Nuiyak school. "They work a little slower, but they work safe and they show up. They love it."

In three years, the school's trades program has turned out 70 graduates, and nearly half of them are women.

As with most other programs in the community, the funding is filtered through the daycare, keeping as much money in the community as possible.

"We may have the only daycare in North America that has a radio station, a TV station, a polar bear taxidermy shop and construction firm," said Jamieson.

The construction program, as practical as it is popular, will result in homes being built this year, which is a much-needed commodity throughout the territory.

"The Housing Association is taking two houses that need repairs and we are adding a duplex to them," said Jamieson.

Guys work in the morning and the girls go in the afternoon.

Everything in the home - save electrical and furnace - is completed by the students.

These young women are proud to wear hard hats.

When asked about the dominance of men in construction, 17-year-old Charlotte Crow was practically indignant.

"That should change. There are people from school that want jobs. If they want a job, they need to go to school," said Crow.

Nivi Iqaluk, 16, thinks the difference in Sanikiluaq is that the women there are special.

"The girls are perfect, friendly and hard working," said Iqaluk.

You can't move in Sanikiluaq without running into a Cookie, and in this case it's 21-year-old Silatik Cookie. She had a practical reason for taking the course.

"I wanted to learn about building houses, so I can build my own, maybe a shack," said Cookie.

Louisa Sala, 16, wasn't quite as practical as Cookie.

"I wanted to learn it because it looks like fun. I like the hammering and sawing," said Sala.

With this program running well, Jamieson would like to see a pre-trades program at the school, teaching the math needed to work in modern construction.