Nuna Logistics celebrates 25 years

Nuna, the largest Inuit-owned heavy civil earthworks and mine construction contractor in Canada, is celebrating 25 years. The company has been involved in all the major mining projects in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut over its years in business. Remote construction and mine development projects are Nuna's specialty—clients appreciate the company's consistent performance on these challenging sites.

Nuna and the diamond industry

Nuna works especially closely with Canada’s diamond industry. “Our direct remote heavy civil earthworks and mining experience has come as a result of being involved in Canada’s diamond discovery from day one and working with the majority of stakeholders in the regions,” said Grant Pearson, vice-president, Business Development.

The company has since expanded to other Canadian provinces and territories. “Our practice of working with our clients rather than for our clients, our focus on innovative solutions to problematic situations in harsh environments, and our proven commitment to building value for people in the areas where we work through employment and business partnerships has really set us apart,” he said.

Nuna values innovation and attention to detail

Pearson attribute’s Nuna’s success to its longstanding focus on safety and training, as well as its attention to detail on projects. The company is known for technical expertise and bringing together multiple subcontracts to complete a job effectively and efficiently for its clients.

All the while, the company has been driven by innovation with the satisfaction of clients as the end goal. “Nuna remains focused on identifying innovative solutions, synergies, and continuous efficiency improvements for potential cost savings for our clients,” said Pearson. He added, “Nuna’s success and longevity is not without the support and participation from our clients, partners and suppliers.”

The challenges of the North

Nuna is well-versed in overcoming the challenges of Northern Canada. Aside from the unpredictable weather and companies competing for the same labour force, the most challenging aspect of working in the North is the lack of infrastructure. Co-ordinating travel and the delivery of supplies makes exploration, construction and ongoing maintenance difficult.

“The Northwest Territories and Nunavut need infrastructure development to reduce the cost of goods and services to the communities, promote exploration, and remove the dependency on sea lift or winter-only resupply for existing and future operations,” said Pearson.

Dominion Diamond’s Ekati Mine, for example, is a project Nuna has been a part of since exploration. This mine is accessible only by air year round. In the winter, it can be reached by ice road for about two months.

Celebrating 25 years

After all the challenging projects Nuna has successfully completed for its clients, the company is thrilled to celebrate 25 years.

“We are very proud to celebrate 25 years and have been doing so in subtle ways,” Pearson said. Nuna Logistics is ringing in the occasion with a 25-year logo, an employee appreciation gift and Kitikmeot Region celebrations. “Other than that, we are on top of the world busy at work!” Pearson said.