The Northwest Territories is a land of remarkable beauty and tremendous economic opportunity. An abundance of resources support a thriving economy; diamonds, gold and other minerals, oil and...
Construction
Most NWT construction firms are small, starting out with little more than a tool box and a pickup truck. Some have grown considerably, expanding into southern Canada, and even taking on projects abroad.
As an example, one time northern start-up Clark Builders erected an entire village in Yakutsk, Siberia in the 1990s based on plans developed by FSC Architects and Engineers of Yellowknife. Clark Builders has also constructed an airport, hotels and housing in Japan and China. Adco North, another northern start-up, has installed power stations in Chile and the Grand Cayman Islands.
Professional architects and engineers are always in demand in this steadily growing northern market. An average of 1937 workers were employed in construction in 2009, about 7.2 percent of the total territorial workforce and almost nine percent of private sector employment.
Schools, municipal infrastructure and mine construction are the principal drivers for the industry. Construction workers averaged $1252 per week in 2009, one of the highest earning sectors. In the same year the NWT construction industry contributed some $248 million to territorial GDP.