Bell subsidiary Northwestel and Chu Níikwän LP on Tuesday celebrated the official opening of the northern telecom company’s new tech headquarters in Whitehorse, Yukon.
Now housing Northwestel’s hybrid tech workforce, the new headquarters spanning 41,250 square feet is situated along the Yukon River on Quartz Road in Whitehorse on Kwanlin Dün First Nation (KDFN) settlement land. KDFN created Chu Níikwän LP in 2015 to implement economic development measures on behalf of the First Nation.
“We are incredibly proud to unveil our new Yukon tech headquarters and honoured to have been able to do this in partnership with Chu Níikwän. Our tech workforce will call this space home for decades to come, bringing shared benefits right back to the Indigenous communities we exist to serve,” Curtis Shaw, president of Northwestel, said in a statement.
“As the CEO of Chu Níikwän LP, I am immensely proud of the steps we are taking towards economic reconciliation,” said Rick O’Brien. “Our commitment goes beyond business; it’s about fostering understanding, empathy, and cooperation. By working hand in hand with Indigenous communities, we not only strengthen our company but also contribute to the fabric of our society.”
In addition to Shaw and O’Brien, community leaders who attended the grand opening ceremony included Kwanlin Dün First Nation Chief Sean Uyenets’echᶖa Smith and council members, Yukon Premier Ranj Pillai, Whitehorse Mayor Laura Cabott and Northwestel vice president Tammy April.
The ceremony began with a traditional prayer to honour the space, the partnership and the land where the new headquarters is located.
“Northwestel pays homage to the traditional meaning of Chu Níikwän, ‘Shining Waters,’ by naming their new meeting and collaboration spaces after beloved Yukon waterways,” explained a Northwestel press release.
Those collaborative workspaces have been tailored to accommodate Northwestel’s hybrid workforce, and the headquarters’ cutting-edge design incorporates the latest in energy-efficient technology, the release says.
“The new headquarters is a commitment to progress, partnership, and sustainability for the coming decades. It is an important step in growing its Indigenous partnerships across the North and taking real action towards economic reconciliation,” the release says.
Photo of (l-r) Tammy April, Curtis Shaw, Chief Sean Smith, Yukon Premier Ranj Pillai, Whitehorse Mayor Laura Cabott, Rick O’Brien and Elaine Shorty courtesy of Northwestel. Photo credit: Kailen Gingell.
