Karen Mackenzie
Northern News Services
Published Monday, November 26, 2007

POND INLET - When Pond Inlet journeyman Shem Katsak made the decision to complete his carpentry apprenticeship, he had to bounce between job sites in Iqaluit, Fort Smith and Edmonton.

Journeyman Shem Katsak muds the ceiling of a five-plex in Pond Inlet. - photo courtesy of Colin Saunders

"It was sometimes hard to get the funding to do it, and the places to stay," he said.

He persevered, and 18 years later is watching over four local apprentices as they work towards their certification right in their home hamlet.

Pond Inlet is one of a number of communities across Nunavut reaping the benefits of Nunavut Housing Corporation's (NHC) $200 million Housing Trust, approved last year.

As part of its delivery strategy for 700-plus housing units, more than 60 registered apprentices will have at least three years work, and the support they need to complete coursework and exams.

"It's amazing. We were looking at over three to four years of delivery to try to get 35 to 40 (workers) established as new journeymen to take over the maintenance of these housing units in the communities. We figured the first year would see about 15 to 20. We got 65," said Peter Scott, president of NHC.

He estimates the construction of the five-plexes could put up to $300,000 into the local economy over a three or four month construction period, while employing a number of other workers as labourers on site.

Part of the success of the first year is likely due to an under-utilized local workforce that has been lying in wait for an opportunity like this one to come along, Scott said.

"One of the barriers has been the working conditions with outside construction crews, coming in and working 14 to 16 hour days, seven days a week, because when they come up here, they just come to work, make money and get out," Scott said. "This was not attractive to local families, who want to work but also get out and do traditional activities on the weekend."

Restrictions were therefore put into place on worksites for a maximum of nine hours a day, or 45 hours a week, he said. Construction will likely shut down in December until the warmer months return, and to give the apprentices a chance to study and complete their course work.

Minister of Education Ed Picco recently announced that there has been a 50 per cent increase overall in the number of registered apprentices in Nunavut in the past six months.

This, he said, bucks the trend seen across the country.

"Canada is really starting to fall back on having these skilled people. Nunavut, on the other hand, has a very young population. That's something we can build on and grow here. We also don't see in the next seven years a decrease of construction in our territory, we actually see an increase," he said.

Apprentice Isa Koonark said it was a member of the local housing association who initially drew his attention to the idea of becoming a carpenter's apprentice.

He'd done a few small carpentry projects since high school, and would now like to get his certification to work in construction full time, he said.

"I would definitely like to see them all complete it," Katsak said. "I think we can work together, and maybe start our own business, all the apprentices now. We would be able to contract projects together."