Canada's Territories Labour Market Bulletin

July 2011

Canada's Territories Labour Market Bulletin - July 2011 (PDF version, 105 kb)

The Labour Market Bulletin is produced monthly by economists and labour market analysts employed by Service Canada in the Western Canada and Territories Region.

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Editor, Labour Market Bulletin
Labour Market Information Directorate
Western Canada and Territories Region
Labour Market and Social Development Programs
Service Canada
#1100 - 300 West Georgia Street
Vancouver, British Columbia, V6B 6G3

Yukon

New mining programs offered at Yukon College: The newly established School of Mining and Technology now offers two new mining exploration programs that will address the employment needs of the territory’s booming mining and exploration industry. The Camp Maintenance Manager and Exploration Field Assistant programs will expand opportunities for Yukon residents, and reduce the need for employers to fly in workers from outside the Territory. The College collaborated with the Yukon Chamber of Mines, the Yukon Mine Training Association and Yukon First Nations to develop the mining-related programs.

Key source: Yukon College media release, April 11, 2011.

Strong demand for housing in the Yukon: A lack of affordable housing is a serious problem in the Yukon, affecting emergency shelters, and the number of rental housing and affordable homes. Reduced housing options are also affecting local businesses, making it more difficult to attract and house workers to fill industry demand. Moreover, the lack of housing has begun to affect the local tourism industry as hotels fill up with workers, leaving little availability for visiting tourists.

Key source: Whitehorse Daily Star, May 20, 2011.

Whitehorse - New residential housing project leads to jobs: Development of a 20-unit waterfront condominium has begun in downtown Whitehorse. The project will employ 200 to 250 workers during the construction phase, including jobs in trades, and sales. The expected completion date is June 2012.

Key source: Ketza Group Representative, June 2, 2011.

Whitehorse - Project funding provides jobs: The Yukon’s Community Development Fund (CDF) has awarded a total of $1.2 million for eight new projects, which will employ up to 60 people. The CDF provides support to organizations for a variety of social and economic projects throughout the Territory. The Skookum Jim Friendship Centre, a non-profit organization that provides services to First Nations people, received the largest sum of funding for renovations to their facility.

Key source: Yukon Government News Release, June 3, 2011.

Whitehorse - Youth Employment Centre opens: Youth in the Yukon Territory will have a new resource to help them develop the necessary skills to successfully gain and maintain employment. The three year pilot program, located at the Skookum Jim Friendship Centre, will provide much needed employment services to youth who are often excluded from the labour force, such as First Nations people and youth at risk. The current youth unemployment rate is 14.3% in the Yukon, almost double the rate for the total population.

Key source: Yukon Government News Release, April 15, 2011; Yukon Bureau of Statistics, June 2011.

Northwest Territories (NWT)

Gold exploration at Courageous Lake up: Seabridge Gold plans to employ an average of 40 people at their exploration camp, working in environmental, engineering and exploration occupations, between June and the end of September 2011. Overall, the company plans to spend upwards of $7.3 million this year on its gold exploration program in the Courageous Lake area, 240 km northeast of Yellowknife. The data collected will be used for a preliminary feasability study to determine the viability of an open-pit mining operation, potentially providing a new source of jobs for NWT residents.

Key Source: News North, May 30, 2011; Seabridge Gold, annual report release, May 11, 2011.

Federal budget supports northern highway: Employment opportunities in civil engineering, environmental studies and road construction activities will emerge as a result of a $150 million commitment from the Federal government to help design and construct a highway between Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk. Should it receive a positive environmental assessment, the initial portion of the long awaited highway from Tuktoyaktuk to Wrigley will lead to an acceleration of northern economic development by supporting oil and gas exploration and development.

Key Source: Government of the Northwest Territories, June 8, 2011.

Environmental assessment for proposed mine begins: Pending the approval from the Mackenzie Valley Review Board, the Fortune Minerals' NICO mining project will create an estimated 231 full-time construction and civil engineering jobs over the 12-18 month construction period. During the 18-year, predominantly open-pit, operational phase of the cobalt-gold-bismuth-copper mine, about 127 full-time workers will be required annually after the initial underground mining is completed. The development will primarily employ workers in mine engineering, mine labour and camp support occupations.

Key Source: Mackenzie Valley Impact Review Board website, Fortune Minerals Developers Assessment Report, May 2011; News North, June 13, 2011.

Private company proposes to develop Yellowknife community energy project: Local contractors and construction workers are likely to see business opportunities and jobs emerge by 2012, pending an agreement between the city and a private developer to build a $60 million geothermal, central heating system for downtown Yellowknife. While the City of Yellowknife will participate in governance and ownership of the Con Mine Community Energy project, Corix, a company specializing in energy systems, will finance and take the lead in the design, construction and operation of the project. A final contract is expected to be signed in October 2011.

Key Source: City of Yellowknife, news release, June 13, 2011.

Nunavut

Rankin Inlet correctional facility 70% complete: Construction activities continue at the $40 million Rankin Inlet Correctional Centre employing approximately 108 people to date, 50% of whom are from Nunavut. Workers are currently employed in the mechanical, electrical, drywalling and exterior cladding trades. The building is expected to be completed by October and ready for occupancy by early 2012. As this project winds down, northern construction workers can still expect to find work on other currently budgeted government infrastructure projects such as public housing projects and airport improvements. 

Key Source: News North, Construction 2011, May 2011.

Drilling program for diamonds to start in June: Stornaway Diamond Corporation plans to start the mobilization of equipment, supplies and workers by the first week of June to the Hammer diamond exploration camp. This will create opportunities for both direct and indirect employment in drilling, transportation services and local camp support. The company has budgeted $1.3 million for exploratory drilling at the Hammer Property, located within the Coronation Gulf/North Slave Diamond District of Nunavut.

Key Source: Stornaway Diamond Corporation, new release, May 25, 2011.

Progress on Roche Bay Iron Ore project: Local employment and business opportunities are being created in support of the field camp, drilling activities and technological studies required for the Roche Bay Iron Project, located near the Melville Peninsula. Advanced Explorations Inc. plans on more drilling for the project this year, to test ground conditions and assess ore resources. The company has hired an engineering firm to produce an environmental impact statement in order for the project to be prepared for an environmental regulatory review.

Key Source: Advanced Explorations Inc, news release, May 25, 2011.

Xstrata Zinc to invest $50 million in exploration for zinc and silver project: The prospects of business and employment opportunities in the west Kitikmeot region have now increased for local stakeholders following Xstrata Zinc’s acquisition of the Hacket River property. Employment opportunities in the fields of geology, mine engineering and mineral exploration support services will emerge as the project develops. The global mining company's purchase of the property will boost the likelihood of the property transforming into a producing mine within a shorter timeframe. Under the terms of purchase, Xstrata has committed to spending $50 million to further explore the property and complete a socio-economic proposal to construct a mine within four years of the transaction’s closing.

Key Source: Sabina Gold and Silver Corp., news release June 2, 2011; Xstrata Zinc., news release, June 02, 2011.

Potential jobs in uranium and gold exploration: Uranium North is employing drillers and geologists to collect and analyze geophysical data at the Amer Lake property in the Kivalliq region. The additional geological data has the potential to increase both the property’s value and the possibility of a mine development, which in turn, could lead to full-time mining employment.

Key source: Uranium North Resources Inc, news release, June 8, 2011.

Cruise ship industry to boost economic activity in Nunavut communities: Nunavut's Department of Economic Development is helping local communities to promote themselves as international cruise ship destinations, in order to generate local business, and tourism related employment. In addition to providing funding to coordinate cultural events, arts and craft fairs, and other land-based tours, the Department is including a cruise ship management plan. The plan will provide advance notice of cruise ship itineraries, to help communities plan activities for visiting ships. Around five cruise ships plan to visit 12 coastal communities during August and September.

Key Source: Government of Nunavut, Department of Economic Development and Transportation, June 13, 2011.