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Trade show honours the best
NCC Development Ltd. wins twice at annual event

Walter Strong
Northern News Services
Published Monday, October 20, 2014

IQALUIT
Iqaluit's NCC Development Ltd. was a big winner during the Nunavut Trade Show Gala earlier this month, taking home two prizes.

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Baffin Region Chamber of Commerce president Ike Hauli, left, presents the Lifetime Achievement Award to Akhaliak Group's Helen Klengenberg, who also represented partner Paul Murphy. - photo courtesy of Michel Albert

The company was named as Business of the Year, while NCC Development president and CEO Greg Cayen was named Business Person of the Year.

"(Oct. 8) was a great one for our organization," stated NCC Development vice-president Clarence Synard. "It was a very humbling night to say the least and a joy that our entire group is proud of."

NCC Development was founded in 1999 as a subsidiary of the NCC Investment Group to help meet the infrastructure needs of the newly formed government of Nunavut.

By 2001, NCC had developed a real estate portfolio valued at more than $150 million leased to the territorial government. Since then, NCC Development has built more than $300 million worth of projects across Nunavut, including housing projects, the Inuksugait Plaza, the Canadian North hangar, and many projects for the territorial government.

The NCC Investment Group is wholly-owned by the Qikiqtaaluk Corporation, Sakku Investments Corporation, Kitikmeot Corporation, and Nunasi Corporation.

Since 1999, NCC has employed more than 200 Inuit beneficiaries, logged more than 100,000 apprenticeship hours, supported Inuit suppliers, contractors and professionals and contributed to Nunavut by providing corporate sponsorships and paid dividends to its shareholders.

NCC Properties, NCC Development sister company, now owns commercial, residential and industrial property in 11 Nunavut communities, including 10 office buildings, the Nunavut Legislature building, 264 residential units leased to the Nunavut Housing Corporation, Iqaluit's Inuksu gait Plaza, and the NCC/AC industrial park in Iqaluit.

Akhaliak Group's Helen Klengenberg accepted the Lifetime Achievement award on behalf of herself and her husband and business partner Paul Murphy.

Despite dropping out of school at a young age, Klengenberg completed her education and went on to earn a degree from the University of Western Ontario and MBA through Nunavut Arctic College and Saint Mary's University.

In 2003, Klengenberg moved from Rankin Inlet to Iqaluit, bringing Akhaliak Consulting Ltd. with her, where she quickly launched Akhaliak Promotional Products and Printing Services Ltd.

"I feel very privileged to be recognized," Klengenberg said.

Klengenberg told Nunavut News/North that everything she and her husband have achieved in the North has been the result of struggle, even in the face of organizations designed to benefit an Inuk like herself.

"When we first started it was difficult," Klegenberg said. "There are a lot of funding agencies, but it took us two or three years to go through (the process). They are very slow, especially the federal government. When we moved from Rankin Inlet to Iqaluit, it took almost three years."

That was in 2003. Since then, Klengenberg said finding a permanent location for her printing and office supply store has been an ongoing struggle.

"We've moved about three times to different locations," Klengenberg said.

"We've rented space but landowners find buyers for their space."

Klengenberg's business is now located in Iqaluit's industrial area, but she said the location is neither central nor ideal.

When she moved her business to Iqaluit, Klengenberg had hoped she would be able to obtain land under the land claim settlement process, but that never came to fruition.

"We've succeeded only through our hard work," Klengenberg said. "My husband, Paul Murphy, has been there to help out. Without him I probably wouldn't have survived so long."

Klengenberg said they are considering pulling out of Iqaluit.

"We have a home in Kugluktuk," Klengenberg said. "Being in business there are lots of other opportunities."

Also awarded during the trade show gala was the Special Achievement award to Mike Murphy of the Government of Nunavut economic development and transportation department.

The Special Recognition award went to the late Michael Hart of Arctic Cooperatives Ltd.

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