Otokiak
Arctic Drill-and-Blast Where Accountability Stays Local

Who knows the land better than the people who have lived there for generations?

In Canada’s Arctic mining industry, operating insight is a decisive advantage. It determines how drill-and-blast work is executed in real conditions and how the right calls are made in the field.

Otokiak Corporation, a 100 percent Inuit-owned drilling and blasting contractor, stands out for how it structures that execution. As an Inuit-owned business led by Lisa Otokiak, Inuit ownership is embedded at the center of its execution, controlling how work is planned, delivered and sustained on site. This ensures operational decisions align with on-the-ground realities and translate into consistent, reliable performance for mining operators.

Field-led teams integrate regional insight into drilling patterns, blast planning and day-to-day operational judgment across remote Arctic sites. Backed by more than a century of combined experience in Arctic and sub-Arctic environments, Otokiak delivers continuity where it matters most. Its on-site leadership ensures safe operations while maintaining production momentum and sustaining consistent performance across extreme seasonal conditions.

“We don’t just deliver the work. We stay accountable for it,” says Lisa Otokiak, owner. “Inuit ownership isn’t optics. As the owner, I am responsible for what happens on the ground. It means consistent crews who know the region and own execution from the first plan to the final blast.”

The company’s Inuit staffing foundation strengthens execution on remote sites. Low turnover rates reduce reliance on imported labor while preserving continuity across shifts and seasons. Operational knowledge carries forward without reset. Instead of treating Inuit inclusion as a box to check—an Impact Benefit Agreement obligation or a hiring diversity requirement—Otokiak builds Arctic execution around Inuit expertise. That model is reinforced by ownership that remains directly accountable to the region, not external operators. It is not positioned at the edge of delivery. It sits at the center of the work, shaping the decisions that determine safety, productivity and trust on the ground.

Otokiak’s ability to deliver the whole equation—regulatory confidence, consistent commercial performance under extreme Arctic conditions and community alignment grounded in Inuit workforce continuity—is a rare operational achievement that has underpinned its recognition as the Top Mining Drilling and Blasting Services provider in Canada 2026.

A Partnership that Learned, Adapted and Endured

The partnership between Otokiak and Back River Corp. (B2G), a gold producer operating the Back River gold project in Nunavut, has been a journey of significant growth and transformation.

At the Goose Mine Site, Otokiak’s working relationship with B2Gold Nunavut is rooted in on-site execution, where contractor performance directly affects safety and production continuity. As site requirements evolved, Otokiak adjusted its operating approach to align execution while maintaining continuity and performance on the ground.

With a clearer understanding of B2Gold Nunavut’s operating framework, Otokiak’s role expanded beyond drill-and-blast execution into shared planning and long-term accountability. The shift strengthened trust with B2Gold Nunavut and created space for an Inuit-owned contractor to contribute more actively, bringing local knowledge into decisions that shape safety, productivity and continuity on site. This shift also reflects Otokiak’s accountability model, where execution remains rooted in the region rather than transferred externally. Today, Otokiak maintains a partnership built on trust that extends beyond transactional contracting. By aligning goals and fostering a shared vision, both parties have enhanced service delivery while contributing to the long-term economic resilience of the North and, specifically, the Kitikmeot region. The collaboration demonstrates the impact that can be achieved when partners prioritize mutual respect and a shared understanding of each other’s cultures and practices.

Economic reconciliation has remained a fundamental theme throughout this journey. The partnership reflects how long-term collaboration between operators and Inuit businesses can contribute to economic reconciliation efforts in the mining sector. By strengthening cultural understanding and fostering more inclusive on-site working relationships, the collaboration lays the groundwork for sustainable growth and long-term change within communities.

Over the past two decades, Otokiak has worked with multiple owners and operators both for project delivery and for Inuit business and community engagement. The partnership with B2G stands as an industry example of what is possible when operators invest in genuine collaboration rooted in cultural respect and inclusive on-site practices.

How is Otokiak supporting long-term Northern workforce development?

The focus of Otokiak is not only to deliver individual projects successfully, but to help build a more independent, skilled Northern workforce.

That is why the company works with Redfish Studios, a nonprofit focused on long-term workforce capacity building by supporting young people facing serious challenges, including mental health struggles and suicidal tendencies. The program provides mentorship and life skills, helping participants rebuild confidence and find direction again.

Otokiak’s leaders have been hands-on in that work. They have spent time with Redfish students teaching practical Northern skills such as harvesting, canoeing and trapping. For many youth, those lessons are not only about skills. They are about identity and belonging; the kind of grounding that often comes before job readiness.

Many instances show that the results have been life-changing. Participants have taken their first steps into employment through the program, including pathways into the mining industry. Several candidates have gone from crisis and instability to building careers, starting families and creating a more secure life.

Beyond Redfish Studios, Otokiak also works with regional and government-linked organizations to help strengthen local capacity as a foundation for long-term execution in the North.

“Community training and client support go hand in hand. As the local workforce grows stronger, execution becomes more predictable, creating continuity for operators while building durable opportunities for Nunavut communities,” says Lisa Otokiak.

Where Everyone Works as One

Otokiak runs more like a family than a typical contractor crew, where everyone has a voice, from the entry position to top management.

“Everyone of us matters,” says Mike Mauvieux, SVP. “We don’t sit behind a desk and direct them. We become part of them. That’s what family does.”

Since Lisa operates in her homeland, she brings deep, lived knowledge of the region, giving crews confidence that leadership understands the land, the conditions and the community realities firsthand. Her presence is not removed from execution; it remains embedded in day-to-day decisions on site. It also creates a bond that crews feel personally. Ask employees who they work for, and many won’t name the company first. They’ll say Lisa, proof of the trust she has built on-site. That’s what leads to the performance.

Scaling for the Next Phase of Arctic Mining Activity

How is Otokiak preparing for increased Arctic infrastructure investment?

Otokiak’s growth aligns with a broader geopolitical shift in Canada’s Arctic strategy. The federal government’s Our North, Strong and Free defence policy outlines $8.1 billion in new investment over five years and $73 billion over 20 years, alongside a stronger focus on Northern security and enabling infrastructure. Initiatives such as the Arctic Economic and Security Corridor and the Grays Bay Road and Port Project also reflect a growing emphasis on Arctic security and connectivity.

“We’re focused on readiness,” says Scott Martin, CEO. “There’s a significant increase in Arctic activity coming, driven by government investment. We’re making sure we are positioned to meet that demand.”

Projects of this scale require dependable earthworks capacity and the ability to mobilize quickly in remote conditions. Otokiak has prepared for this by building a network of strategic partnerships that allow the company to scale while retaining Inuit ownership and decision authority. These include collaboration with Ledcor on heavy civil construction and ice-road development, as well as with Otokiak’s partnered company Aomaoyak Ltd., which supports Red Seal trades and apprenticeship development. Together, these partnerships expand delivery capacity across Arctic projects while preserving the long-term accountability model Otokiak is built to sustain. Lisa’s ownership ensures that, even as capacity scales, decision-making authority and accountability remain anchored in the North.

Together, these partnerships give Otokiak the bonding capacity of a multinational, ensuring that economic value and operational control remain rooted in the North.

By fusing indigenous knowledge with technical execution, Lisa’s ownership has shown that the most effective way to manage Arctic complexity is to place authority in the hands of those who call it home.