Photo by Photo Submitted
‘HISTORIC’ DEVELOPMENT SET – This artist’s rendition shows the project to be built by Chu Níikwän LP and partner Northwestel Inc. It will be located off Quartz Road. Artist’s conception submitted
New Northwestel HQ planned for Quartz Road
Northwestel Inc. is teaming up with the Kwanlin Dün First Nation (KDFN) to construct a new Yukon headquarters in Whitehorse.
Northwestel Inc. is teaming up with the Kwanlin Dün First Nation (KDFN) to construct a new Yukon headquarters in Whitehorse.
According to a news release issued last Thursday, Chu Níikwän LP and Northwestel are partnering to build a new headquarters for the northern Canadian telecommunications company. It’s expected to be completed in 2024.
The building is slated to cost $22 million, and will represent Chu Níikwän LP’s biggest-ever property development project since it was incorporated in 2015.
“The headquarters will be located on Kwanlin Dün First Nation settlement land on Quartz Road in Whitehorse, with the architecture inspired by Kwanlin Dün artistic and cultural traditions,” the statement said.
The property is located at 9023 Quartz Rd., near the Walmart store and the nearby Yukon Territorial Parks building, on the same side of the road.
Northwestel’s main employees” building on Lambert Street will be sold by the company.
“The First Nation-owned, energy-efficient 41,250 ft² office building will be equipped with electric car charging ports, secure bicycle lockups, and open collaborative spaces to support Northwestel’s high-tech workforce,” the release stated.
“Over half of Northwestel’s approximately 300 Yukon employees will work from the headquarters, located a short distance from the Yukon River with access to walking and bike trails as well as local commercial services.”
Northwestel will have a long-term lease on the building, which will be owned by Chu Níikwän.
“Chu Níikwän, the business arm of Kwanlin Dün First Nation, will build and own the three-storey office building, with Northwestel leasing the top two floors for a minimum of 20 years.
“The ground floor will be developed on spec in anticipation of a growing need for modern office space in Whitehorse.”
The Wildstone Construction Group has been chosen to design and build the project, while the CIBC is the financing partner.
The development is the latest addition to Chu Níikwän’s strategic portfolio of businesses, investments, and partnerships to service growth opportunities in the Yukon.”
“Through this partnership, Chu Níikwän LP is exercising the powers in Chapter 22 of KDFN’s Final Agreement to grow equity and resources for our First Nation,” said Chief Doris Bill.
“This parcel of Settlement Land has been designated for revenue generation through our agreements. This development is another step forward in building for the future of KDFN and providing much-needed services to the Yukon.”
Rick O’Brien, the CEO of Chu Níikwän, said he is “very proud to be a part of the incredible team at Chu Níikwän LP that has proven time and time again that they can deliver large and complex projects like this for our valued utilities and telecommunications partners.”
Northwestel president Curtis Shaw added, “This modern, energy-efficient headquarters speaks to our long-term commitment to investing in the Yukon, to growing First Nations partnerships, and to supporting our high-tech northern workforce.
“We are honoured that our employees will be working in a modern space built by a First Nation partner on First Nation land for decades to come.”
Mark Melissen, the president of Wildstone Construction, said the company is grateful to have been chosen by Chu Niikwän LP as the Design Builder the for this historic project.
“We are committed to the success of this project, and continued success of the Kwanlin Dün First Nation, and Chu Niikwän LP.”
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Comments (24)
Up 1 Down 5
Chuck Farley on Jun 17, 2022 at 3:14 pm
Aurora and your point is?
Up 13 Down 7
The Real Just Sayin' on Jun 16, 2022 at 9:54 am
The building looks like a box. Boring.
Up 20 Down 1
Aurora on Jun 16, 2022 at 8:55 am
"Chu Níikwän is wholly owned by the Kwanlin Dün First Nation (KDFN) and governed by an arm’s length Board of Directors. Chu Níikwän develops and leases real estate within its real estate holding company, Da Nan Properties (operating as Whitehorse Properties). " Taken from the website of Chu Niikwan.... look at the names on the Board of Directors of this FN company. BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Rick O’Brien, Chair & CEO
Antonio Zedda, Board Member
Lesley Cabott, Board Member
Michael Muller, Board Member
Jim Coyne, Board Member
https://www.chuniikwan.ca/
Up 21 Down 4
Sheepchaser on Jun 15, 2022 at 11:05 pm
If you know about what’s going on behind the scenes, this is essentially a bribe. Rather than getting bought out by a group of FN interests who want to bring a higher quality of service to all Yukon communities after decades of neglect, NWTel is using this scheme to wash themselves of “colonization” baggage and prevent a reckoning.
The truth is that NWTel, even with their fibre connections, are throttling traffic and are never open or honest about it. They have participated in anti-competitive practices for years in the northern cellphone and data markets. A recent comment on their dealings was filed in their latest application to the CRTC. An application where they essentially tried to ask for an exemption to new national initiatives around equal access and reasonable competition. That comment details their misdeeds using their own documents and that of their parent company, Bell Canada.
Misdeeds you ask? How about Bell Canada offloading their old infrastructure and technology from the elsewhere in the country into the North under the NWTel brand and charging higher rates for access to outdated connections than they charge for access to good connections in the South? How about assuming Yukoners were too stupid to notice? It’s all in black and white, on paper, in Bell Canada records.
KDFN is the most powerful FN group in the territory by coincidence of location at the heart of Yukon’s major hub. By helping NWTel erase their neglectful and discriminatory past, they only ensure a lack of accessibility and fairness for most other FN persons in rural Yukon. This move is to guarantee the company is shielded from further inquiry.
Furthermore, this is a great deal for NWTel as they know their days are numbered in the North. Offload a property for millions, take on a lease for pennies. Just in time for Starlink and other Low Earth Orbit systems (with their faster, less restricted and more reliable access at lower cost) to end their monopoly. The company is so bloated with extras for their employees like yearly budgets for each to attend a ‘conference’ related to their field anywhere in the world, how could they be competitive? It’s the end of their unrestrained profiteering and what they have chosen to do is extend that exploitation for as long as possible.
KDFN probably shouldn’t look this gift horse in the mouth.
Up 21 Down 3
Max Mack on Jun 15, 2022 at 4:42 pm
How many ways can we spell "graft"?
@Groucho
There is absolutely no way Northwestel will save money with this deal. Rate payers will be expected to cough up more to pay for this posh arrangement with FN. Just like the deal to sell community fiber to FNs and then lease it back while Nwtel maintains responsibility for maintenance and upgrades. This is more expensive than the status quo BY DESIGN.
Unfortunately, customers get no say in these dealings. All are done behind closed doors and under the guise of "reconciliation". Meanwhile, our utility charges continue to go up and up and up . . .
Up 15 Down 5
Mick on Jun 15, 2022 at 4:34 pm
Yup just what we need. 300 more commuters on what is becoming the busiest stretch of road in Whitehorse.
Idiocy.
Up 33 Down 14
drum on Jun 14, 2022 at 7:29 pm
First Nations already own a huge part of Whitehorse. Let's see the maps!!!!! They should look after their own homeless people- not already stretched taxpayers.
Up 26 Down 5
Groucho d'North on Jun 14, 2022 at 2:53 pm
I am pleased KD is stretching out into the business world and making partnerships with long-term anchor tenents. NWTel may be saving some big money with this partnership but they still do not produce an Annual Report so their many customers know how well the company is doing. I'll bet the ink on their ledgers is VERY black.
Up 11 Down 21
Mitch Holder on Jun 14, 2022 at 12:33 pm
@ Chuck Farley - Newsflash yourself my man, they are building internet instead, nice to see First Nations values are no better than our own by your logic. How are their priorities any better than anyone else when internet is more important than the well-being of the most vulnerable of a community, regardless of race, ethnicity or culture? KDFN internet is Whitehorse City Hall, change my mind.
Up 36 Down 5
Bruce Bark on Jun 14, 2022 at 12:31 pm
@Rod
You are absolutely right that Northwestel have " bent yukoners over the years and charged us as much as possible". I have noticed on my phone bill that all Marsh Lakers are still being charged $6.50 per month for the privilege of calling Whitehorse and not being charged a long distance fee. I believe all Whitehorse residence are being charged approximately $3.50 per month for the privilege of calling Marsh Lakers and not being charged long distance. This "extended long distance" fee was put in place ( I'm guessing) somewhere around 2002?. Since that time cell phone use has become the norm, where all long distance is free. My question for nothwestel is this. Why are we being hosed for $6.50 /$3.50 per month for a service that is long ago REDUNDANT??? Who in this day and age use their landline for long distance calls?, I know I don't.
Up 23 Down 19
Your future will be leased and your quality of life based on your ability or willingness to pay… on Jun 14, 2022 at 10:20 am
Because one of the things that colonialism did was remove the possibility of tax/revenue generation from First Nation people through the removal of lands and everything else.
Assets are necessary to generate downstream revenues. Your future will be leased. There will be a redistribution of wealth until there is some socioeconomic parity. This is in part what Trudeau and his cabal were alluding to when they utter the phrase, “You will own nothing and be…”.
So settle down, human rights are pie and as we advance further into a systemic structure of “equity” many more rights will disappear as the commons shrink to nothingness.
If you don’t like it stop voting Liberal, protest, write letters, and stop whining on the opinion pages.
Up 27 Down 18
Mitch Holder on Jun 14, 2022 at 8:28 am
Nice to see that your homeless will at least have indigenous internet - we will beat racism, one stupid step at a time. But will we beat homelessness, a driver of racism? Probably never under the Liberals.
Up 31 Down 7
Yukoner on Jun 13, 2022 at 10:48 pm
@drum
While not the biggest fan of this... if KDFN is making smart investments that are profitable, that gives them additional profits/money that can be re-invested elsewhere.
Up 36 Down 7
jack on Jun 13, 2022 at 10:19 pm
Only 2 floors on such a small footprint to replace the existing building? They'll almost certainly run out of usable space on day 1.
Up 23 Down 15
Politico on Jun 13, 2022 at 8:55 pm
@ drum The article clearly states this land has been designated for revenue generation. It's possible the money could be used to build band housing, who knows! Also, that would be a lousy place to put up housing, too industrial and with a major highway right out front. So good for children's lungs.
Up 28 Down 16
bonanzajoe on Jun 13, 2022 at 8:30 pm
@Drum. "The First Nations should be investing in their own people and taking care of them". No profit in that. That's all part of the white race reconciliation.
Up 43 Down 9
Matthew on Jun 13, 2022 at 8:19 pm
Can we PLEASE get another architect in town.. these buildings are extremely ugly and unimaginative! $22M.. right, closer to $32M, I said it first.. LOL
Up 42 Down 19
JohanG on Jun 13, 2022 at 7:17 pm
Indigenous band members are disproportionately represented in the perennial population of unemployed homeless drug addicts with mental health issues. Why isn't KDFN focusing their resources to address ongoing problems that affect too many of their members? Perhaps KDFN can explain how a new Northwestel office building will solve their member's overwhelming issues with unemployment, homelessness, drug addiction and mental health issues. KDFN should be dealing with those issues, and not expecting the municipal, territorial and federal "colonial" governments they openly despise to solve those problems for them.
Why isn't KDFN training and employing the large population of unemployed band members to build housing for their homeless population on the empty streets in their McIntyre neighborhood?
Up 34 Down 14
Guncache on Jun 13, 2022 at 6:53 pm
Why is NWTel going to lease? Why don't they buy a parcel of land and build their own building ? I guess us phone users will be picking up the monthly tab for our poor service.
Up 18 Down 16
Chuck Farley on Jun 13, 2022 at 6:20 pm
drum; news flash sparky KDFN announced late 21 of the big housing development on their settlement lands, you need to get out more.
Up 15 Down 7
Wilf Carter on Jun 13, 2022 at 5:38 pm
Wow I worked on a new building in 1987 for Northwestel. So what takes place with the old building site?
Up 18 Down 19
No way jose on Jun 13, 2022 at 4:54 pm
@ drum if you you don't know most homeless FN are not from KDFN a lot are from old Crow.
Up 34 Down 18
Rod on Jun 13, 2022 at 4:28 pm
Well only the best for Northwestel considering they’ve bent Yukoners over for years and charged us as much as possible.. Yet we still have some of the worst service for internet in our communities! And 1000% agree with “Drum”, invest that First Nation money in housing and your people…but I’m pretty sure if they need more money my taxes will go up and help pay for it. Why not!
Up 112 Down 104
drum on Jun 13, 2022 at 3:57 pm
Why is the Band not investing in housing for their homeless - why as a taxpayer am I paying for all the housing for homeless which is 90% First Nation. The First Nations should be investing in their own people and taking care of them - not making profits in investments.