Wasaya group plans to build steel framed houses for north

A model steel-frame two-to-three-bedroom housing unit that can be used in remote First Nations or on mine sites is being planned for construction in Thunder Bay through Wasaya Group’s joint venture with Dowland Contracting.
Wasaya Dowland Ventures LP is also considering the construction of a steel-frame housing factory in Thunder Bay after Dowland Contracting signed a housing agreement with PTF China, an ISO 9001 certified company that manufactures high quality pre-engineered building products.
“Day by day, the Wasaya Group of Companies is moving closer to becoming a “one stop shop” for mining companies and others who seek to work in the north,” said Tom S. Kamenawatamin, Wasaya Group’s president and CEO. “We are constantly being asked to help develop Ring of Fire business models and partnerships by stakeholders in the Ring of Fire region and by others who are interested in offering their services and products towards the development there.
Kamenawatamin said Wasaya was requested by industry to help grow businesses in the region.
“We have met with many of the major players in the Ring of Fire over the past two years and have been asked to become more active in fostering business development so that the people in the region can benefit from the developments in their region,” he said.
Kamenawatamin said the steel-frame housing units could be used to provide safer and healthier living conditions for families in First Nation communities or as mining camp accommodations.
Kamenawatamin estimated the lifespan of the steel-frame housing units would be about double the lifespan of wood-framed on-reserve housing.
“The new joint venture is good for the region’s First Nations and has brought us expertise and capacity that were previously beyond the scope of our remote communities,” Kamenawatamin said. “Project capability such as mine site construction, hydro transmission, and the building of infrastructure such as hospitals, hotels, ice-hockey arenas, and educational institutions are now a reality.”