Despite some labour challenges, some pandemic delays and a harsh winter, Qulliq Energy CorporationsSA国际影视传媒� new head office in Baker Lake is still targeted for August completion on a $16-million budget, according to the person overseeing the project.

Ten to 25 employees have been needed on site at various stages, said Aaron Doyle, project manager with Kivalliq-based Sanaqatiit Construction Ltd. The workforce has exceeded the target of 20 per cent Inuit labour, according to a statement from Qulliq Energy Corporation (QEC), which added that SA国际影视传媒淚deally, QEC would like to have a 40 per cent Inuit labour workforce on projects.SA国际影视传媒�

However, finding enough workers overall proved to be difficult because of obstacles posed by Covid-19, Doyle said. Likewise, the pandemic had an effect on the flow of construction supplies.

SA国际影视传媒淲eSA国际影视传媒檝e experienced quite a bit of cost increase and lack of availability for materials,SA国际影视传媒� he said, adding that some items had to be flown in after the bulk of supplies were shipped via sealift last fall.

The two-storey, 14,550-square-foot office building was originally proposed in 2019 at a cost of $13 million. The structure will feature a boardroom, multipurpose rooms for training and meetings, a staff common area and kitchenette on each level.

For more stories on construction in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories, click here:

From a construction standpoint, Doyle said there are a lot of details to the project but itSA国际影视传媒檚 not complex in nature, relatively speaking. Based on his tenure with the company over much of its 12-year history, the office building is in line with the scope of contracts that Sanaqatiit Construction tends to take on, he added.

SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 the type of construction that we do all the time,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

What proved to be one of the greatest hindrances was the winter weather.

SA国际影视传媒淚t seems to be very extreme this year. I donSA国际影视传媒檛 have the data to back that up. ISA国际影视传媒檓 just being told (by local residents) that for Baker Lake that itSA国际影视传媒檚 even tougher,SA国际影视传媒� he said of the winter months, noting that construction activity was shut down some days or workers were shuffled to other tasks due to the unforgiving conditions. SA国际影视传媒淲hen itSA国际影视传媒檚 blowing 70-plus (km/h) outside and itSA国际影视传媒檚 -70 (C), you just canSA国际影视传媒檛 do it.SA国际影视传媒�

For QEC, the head office in Baker Lake will allow close to 45 staff to come together under one roof instead of working out of three different buildings.