Lack of housing for builders delays construction of new daycare in Sanirajak, Nunavut

Roger Beaudry, chief economic development officer for Sanirajak, Nunavut, calls it the "biggest infrastructure project since the 1990s" in his community — but construction on the new daycare facility has been hampered by a local housing shortage. 

Beaudry still remembers the joy he felt in 2022 when he heard the funding announcement for the new daycare.

"I was excited like a little kid. Everybody was excited," he said.

The $11-million facility is slated to open in January 2026. At roughly 500 square metres in size, with a 191-square-metre deck, it's expected to accommodate up to 44 children and create dozens of jobs. 

But Beaudry is concerned it won't be ready on time because the community can't find local accommodation for the builders.

"I've been looking everywhere. The co-op's got three houses and all three of them just got condemned," Beaudry said. 

The lack of housing has already delayed the installation of piles, which was supposed to have started last fall.

"We need that daycare, we need those jobs," Beaudry said.

"Lots of women … they want a job, they need daycare."

Dinah Pikuyak will be the manager of the new daycare, and she's eagerly awaiting the return of such a facility to the community.

She said the previous facility, which she also managed, was much smaller than the one being built. That old building shut down in 2004 when the pipes burst in the extreme cold, and the centre ran out of funding. 

"Most of the parents stopped working [due to a] lack of babysitters," she said. 

Other projects also delayed due to housing

A local housing shortage is also affecting construction of other projects in the community. 

In 2020, the Hunters and Trappers Association in Sanirajak received funding from the territorial and federal governments to install new community freezers.

But Beaudry said that's also been affected by a lack of housing for builders. 

As for the daycare, he said he's exploring every option possible to get construction going. He's now appealing to the Nunavut government for housing in their facilities. 

In a statement to CBC News, the Nunavut Housing Corporation said housing for construction workers is an ongoing challenge across the territory.

It said it's reaching out to Sanirajak officials to learn more about this particular concern.