Nak'azdli Whut'en Housing Project

May 8
2 min read

Building Capacity on a $15M Project

Not every contract is about being the lead. Sometimes the most valuable work is getting in the room, learning the ropes on a large-scale project and proving what your crew can do.

The Nak'azdli Whut'en Housing Project gave NCL exactly that opportunity.

The Project

The Nak'azdli Whut'en Housing Project is a 32-unit residential development on Mountainview Road in Fort St. James, funded through BC's provincial Community Housing Fund. The development consists of two single storey apartment buildings and three four-plex townhouses, providing homes for Indigenous families, elders, youth and people with disabilities within the Nak'azdli Whut'en community.

Keller Construction was awarded the prime contract, with NCL brought on as a collaborative partner through a formal MOU. The agreement was designed to give NCL hands-on experience on a large residential project, working under Keller's supervision while contributing tradespeople, apprentices and labourers to the general conditions scope. NCL's total contract value on this project was $1.5 million within the broader $15 million development.

NCL's Scope

While Keller Construction managed the prime contract, NCL was awarded several independent scopes throughout the project.

On the electrical side, NCL installed three 200 amp temporary services across the building locations and supplied pole-mounted lighting to illuminate the job site. An electrical apprentice was also provided to support the electrical contractor under Keller's supervision.

NCL's most significant awarded scope was the roofing. Across all five buildings, NCL installed 35,000 square feet of asphalt shingles. The installation included a vented ridge with additional tall tier vents to manage snow pack, and two layers of underlayment across the entire roof area starting from the face of the fascia boards to the peaks. High temp underlayment was used under all metal flashings and specialized roofing cement was applied under each shingle.

On the carpentry side, NCL was awarded the wall flashing, door and hardware package and the window and closet trim package. A journeyman carpenter served as foreman for the NCL crew on site, supported by several carpentry apprentices. NCL also supplied a plumbing apprentice to support the mechanical and civil contractors under Keller's supervision.

As the project moved toward completion, NCL continued to pick up additional finishing scopes from Keller.

What It Means

The Nak'azdli Whut'en Housing Project represents a different kind of milestone for NCL. Landing a $1.5 million contract within a $15 million development and delivering across multiple scopes alongside an established contractor is meaningful experience that doesn't come from smaller jobs.

The MOU between Keller Construction and NCL was built around a straightforward idea: put NCL's crew on a large project, work under experienced supervision and come out the other side with the skills and track record to take on more. That's exactly what happened. From temporary power and site lighting through to 35,000 square feet of roofing and interior finishing, NCL's team contributed at every stage of the build.

For a construction company founded in 2021, working on a BC Housing funded development of this scale is a marker of how quickly NCL has grown and where the company is headed.