The first homes under the Government of Nunavut’s deal with its federal counterpart and Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. (NTI) are being constructed in Baker Lake, federal Housing and Infrastructure Minister Gregor Robertson said during a stop in Iqauit on March 16.
Baker Lake received 10 modular homes built by Ottawa manufacturer Caivan.
“Those are the first that were shipped up by sealift,” Robertson said, “and those are already coming together right now.”
Rankin Inlet, Arviat and Cambridge Bay are also due to get new housing built under the plan, Robertson said.
But it’s likely that Iqaluit will get the lion’s share, according to Robertson.
“I think Iqaluit will have the most homes, given it’s the capital big city up here,” Robertson said.
On Jan. 30, the federal government announced it would help fund 750 homes across Nunavut with funding from the GN and NTI.
But when construction will begin on those homes, and how many each community will receive, is still unknown.
“We’re working on that schedule now with with the Nunavut government,” Robertson said.
Nunavut Housing Minister Cecile Nelvana Lyall said she is still optimistic about the project, despite not having a firm construction date for most of the housing yet.
Lyall said the $250 million coming from the federal government toward 750 homes — coupled with the $230 million from the GN — will help long-term planning.
“It’s coming in and finalizing what those agreements will be, but it will be a mixture of different types of units — not all public housing, but there’s also supportive housing, so shelters across Nunavut and also portions that will go to affordable housing,” said Lyall.
Under the agreement, 225 of the homes will be prefabricated modular homes built in factories down south and shipped by sealift to Nunavut.
Hamlet leaders at the Qikiqtani mayors forum on March 10 said they were skeptical that modular homes would survive Nunavut’s climate .
Sanirajak senior administrative officer (SAO) Manasee Ulayuk said he thought modular homes would likely be used as temporary shelters for homeless people.
“Manufacturers are very well aware of the challenges and the mistakes made in the past, and that’s part of the change we have to make. If we’re going to build prefabricated homes, we have to do it right,” Robertson said.
“We have to make sure what we’re building works for people and lasts for generations. This this is not about temporary homes. This is about building for the future.”
Lyall said she believes the new modular housing units would survive in Nunavut.
She added that she welcomes conversations with community leaders about their concerns over modular housing.
“I think modular housing has really evolved and really modernized over the number of years, and now we’re seeing design specifically for our climate in Nunavut and the North. Whereas before, a lot of the time they were taking just modulars that were designed for southern Canada,” Lyall said.
Robertson, Lyall, Nunavut MP Lori Idlout, and Premier John Main took a media on a tour of a new NHC 46-unit public housing project in Iqaluit on March 16.
Those 46 units will become available to families this spring.
By William Koblensky Varela, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Original Published on Mar 16, 2026 at 11:53
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