Nunavut's First Modular Homes Factory Begins Operations in Arviat

📅 Today

The opening of Nunavut's first modular homes factory in Arviat aims to address critical housing needs while boosting local employment and reducing construction timelines.

In Arviat, Nunavut, a new modular homes factory spanning 65,000 square feet has officially begun operations. This facility is anticipated to ramp up its production capacity over the next 18 months, ultimately reaching a peak output of 40 single and multi-family homes annually. Located 200 kilometers north of Churchill, Manitoba, the factory is poised to play a crucial role in addressing the pressing housing shortages in the region. With the plant's operations, the need to import labor and materials such as lumber and windows from southern Canada will be significantly reduced, which is expected to lead to lower costs and improved efficiency in construction. Caroline Nault, CEO of the Inuit-owned Sakku Innovative Building Solutions (SIBS), which constructed the factory in partnership with RG Solution, a modular manufacturing expert from Quebec, emphasized its importance. "It means quality modular homes built in the North for the North," Nault stated. As the first of its kind in Nunavut—a territory grappling with a severe housing crisis—this facility is anticipated to decrease conventional construction timelines by eight to 14 months. Currently, the plant employs 15 local residents, but at full capacity, it is expected to provide 40 full-time jobs and create around 100 indirect positions in areas such as transportation, installation, and finishing. The inaugural order from the Kivalliq Inuit Association consists of nine three-bedroom homes in Arviat. Each home will be built from two modular units, which will be assembled on-site, with designs developed in collaboration with community input alongside architects from SIBS and RG. Nault highlighted the commitment to building energy-efficient and comfortable homes, stating, "We want them to be forever homes so there wouldn’t be any hassle with mold, condensation." The designs will cater to the traditional lifestyles of the Inuit, incorporating features such as large communal areas for gatherings and cold porches that serve as buffers against the harsh winter climate. Prior to the factory's opening, SIBS had already completed several pilot projects, constructing multi-family residences in Arviat and other nearby areas. The target market for these modular homes includes the seven communities within the Kivalliq Region, which are only accessible by ship during certain seasons. Although shipping costs have yet to be determined, Nault anticipates that they will be significant; however, she believes that the final pricing of the homes will remain competitive with prefabricated modular homes that are shipped from southern Canada. Each home will consist of two modules that are craned onto trailers, then transported to the beach in Arviat, where they will be loaded onto barges and shipped to their final locations. Nault stated, "Overall traditional construction and modular construction prices are fairly competitive, but what makes the difference is modular is faster and quality control is better." While the new factory cannot single-handedly resolve the housing crisis in Nunavut, Nault sees it as "another tool to the toolkit for the industry." The facility was built at a cost of approximately $75 million, largely funded through Inuit equity and financing. Additional financial partners include Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. (NTI), Kivalliq Inuit Association (KIA), Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNor), Next Generation Manufacturing Canada (NGen), Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), National Research Council of Canada (NRCC), and the Government of Nunavut (GN).

Related Posts