NGen Celebrates Grand Opening of Nunavut’s First Factory

Advanced manufacturing investment in modular housing manufacturing facility helps drive Inuit-led innovation, workforce development, and housing solutions in the North

ARVIAT, Nunavut, Sept. 30, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NGen, Canada's Global Innovation Cluster for Advanced Manufacturing, joins Sakku Investments Corporation and Sakku Innovative Building Solutions (SIBS) in celebrating the official grand opening of Nunavut's first manufacturing facility. a modular housing production plant located in Arviat.

The Grand Opening Ceremony was held in Arviat September 29, in a milestone that marks a transformative step forward for advanced manufacturing, housing innovation, and economic development in Canada's North.

The 64,500-square-foot facility is a first-of-its-kind operation in Nunavut. As a 100% Inuit-owned manufacturing facility, SIBS will enable year-round production of high-quality modular homes and buildings specifically designed for northern conditions, helping address the territory's critical housing shortage while creating sustainable economic opportunities for Inuit communities.

NGen supported the project through its Advanced Manufacturing Homebuilding Challenge, providing funding for the installation and operationalization of specialized production cells and advanced manufacturing equipment.

The investment helps build advanced manufacturing capabilities in Nunavut for the first time, and demonstrates how innovation can be applied to address some of Canada's most pressing housing and workforce challenges.

QUOTES

“Arviat is about as tough a test case as you can get in Canada,” said Jayson Myers, CEO of NGen. “This factory shows that industrialized housing truly can be a coast-to-coast-to-coast Canadian solution."

"Advanced manufacturing isn't about robotics in southern plants,” said Robert Mastrotto, NGen VP of Projects. “It's a way of working: controlled environments, digital production management, repeatable quality. And it works anywhere, including a hamlet of 3,000 on the shore of Hudson Bay."

At full capacity, the facility will produce up to 40 housing units annually and create more than 40 full-time direct jobs in Arviat, with over 100 additional indirect jobs supported through transportation, installation, and supply chain activities across the region.

Approximately 93 per cent of the workforce is Inuit, reflecting the project's commitment to local employment, training, and capacity-building.

The facility will begin production immediately.

The project addresses longstanding challenges that have constrained housing development in Nunavut, including short construction seasons, limited local manufacturing capacity, and a reliance on imported labour and materials. By using advanced factory-cell manufacturing technologies adapted for Arctic conditions, modular construction can reduce project timelines by up to 60 per cent while improving quality, consistency, safety, and environmental performance.

SIBS has the capability to manufacture a wide range of building types, including single-family homes, multiplexes, staff housing, commercial facilities, and community infrastructure. The facility's production model keeps more housing investment, jobs, expertise, and economic benefits within Nunavut while supporting the development of a skilled local workforce in trades including carpentry, electrical, plumbing, cabinet assembly, and mechanical systems.

The grand opening celebration includes a ribbon-cutting ceremony, quilliq-lighting, cultural performances, community activities, and guided tours of the facility, recognizing a significant milestone for Inuit economic development and manufacturing in the North.

Quick Facts

• This SIBS project is Nunavut's first factory
• The manufacturing facility is dedicated to modular housing production.
• The facility is located in Arviat, Nunavut.
• The 64,500-square-foot facility is 100% Inuit-owned.
• Production began September 23, 2026.
• The facility will have the capacity to produce up to 40 housing units annually.
• More than 40 direct jobs and over 100 indirect jobs are expected to be supported by the project.
• Modular construction can reduce project timelines by up to 60%.
• NGen supported the project through its Advanced Manufacturing Homebuilding Challenge, contributing $3.4 million toward a $9 million project focused on advanced production cell installation and operationalization.
  
  

About NGen

Next Generation Manufacturing Canada (NGen) is the industry-led, non-government not-for-profit organization leading Canada’s Global Innovation Cluster for Advanced Manufacturing. NGen connects manufacturers, technology developers, researchers, developers and policymakers across Canada’s advanced manufacturing ecosystem. The organization works to accelerate the commercialization of advanced manufacturing technologies and strengthen Canada’s industrial competitiveness.

Photo and Video Assets of Facility and Opening Ceremony

https://we.tl/t-F2f27c49KXfLDHOE

Media Contacts

Robbie MacLeod
robbie.macleod@ngen.ca
613-297-3578

Sakku Investments Corporation
media@sakku.ca
867-645-2805