We work with Northern and remote indigenous communities, municipalities and organizations who are seeking help and support in developing, implementing and operating sustainable initiatives
Improving peoples health, lives, creating jobs and delivering results for our clients
FOR THE COMMUNITY, BY THE COMMUNITY, WITH THE COMMUNITY
WHO
- Northern Community Solutions Social Enterprises Inc., (NCS) was established to connect Northern Communities with technologies that will meet the challenges faced in the North such as lack of viable employment, poor housing conditions, high energy costs, high food costs and a lack of basic infrastructure that most of us in Canada take for granted. These are focus areas in which NCS is actively seeking partners and technology providers from around the world to provide the best possible solution for Northern Communities, at the lowest possible cost.
- NCS is a socially conscious, performance, results and technology driven company which, through its founders and partners, has over 30 years of extensive experience and achievements in developing and executing large numbers of successful business concepts, market-entry strategies and projects for our clients and partners.
- We work with northern and remote Indigenous communities, municipalities and organizations seeking help and support in developing, implementing and operating sustainable initiatives that improve peoples’ health and lives, create jobs, and delivers results for our clients.
- We look for communities, organizations and businesses that have a focus on growth and increasing sustainability of operations. This can mean anything from reducing the heating cost in buildings by improving insulation to creating local growing areas that provide fresh fruits and vegetables for local consumption. Our objectives revolve around reducing costs, increasing economic growth and creating long-term and sustainable jobs in the communities we work with.
To deliver many of these solutions, NCS has a strong network comprised of government bodies at all levels (Federal, Provincial, Municipal, Foreign) and technology providers that have experience in delivering solutions based on remote, rural and Northern needs.
Our Team
Northern Community Solutions is proud to have a diverse and experienced team of professionals that have a
strong focus on providing practical solutions to challenges that face businesses and organizations throughout Northern Ontario.
Ari Elo
Ari Elo is an experienced project developer and management consultant with extensive experience in assessing Northern Canada’s remote community challenges, forming valuable long-term partnership with public and private industry stakeholders in provincial, National and International level organizations. Ari utilizes his industry contacts and provides the communities with the best possible solution.
Andreas Zailo
Andreas is the CTO for NCS and works with groups of technical experts and engineers on planning and implementing projects. Andreas also leads the business and community development planning projects which includes feasibility studies, business plans and marketing studies. Andreas has a diploma and degree in mechanical engineering and has two Canadian patents in sustainable greenhouse design.
William Stover
Will joined NCS in the spring of 2020 as a Community Sustainability Technician. Will's role includes conducting energy audits, researching, creating proposals, implementing projects, construction management and community sustainability initiatives. Will graduated from St. Lawrence College and the Technological University of Dublin's with diplomas and degrees in Sustainable Energy Engineering.
Benefits of Working with US
Northern Community Solutions SE was founded on the idea that there are challenges in the North that could be solved through careful planning, the application of specific technology or simply the assistance of a skilled and experienced team. We believe that through embracing sustainability in all of our projects we bring benefits that every organization wants – the desire to expand, improve and above all sustain their operations or the project at hand. We work with clients to provide solutions that meet the direct needs of the community and those that are sustainable – economically, environmentally and socially.
Our extensive experience helps our client communities to develop, implement and operate sustainable business and socio-economic concepts that will increase community members overall lives by creating jobs, business opportunities, economic growth, health and wellness. We work with our clients to achieve and exceed their expectations, goals and objectives. You will be working with a team of seasoned professionals and experts with international experience who are fully committed to delivering RESULTS.
We take your goals seriously and work together as a team to achieve them. We do not settle for the status quo. Our service portfolio is focused on Growth Mindset, Resourcefulness, Integrity, Teamwork, and these values drive us every day. Our aim is to create a stress-free experience where you will feel completely supported. We are proud to say that we have wealth of knowledge in our focus areas. If there is something we don't know, we can rely on our large network of experts around the world that we partner with.
We also put our money where we live and are actively involved in improving the social dynamics of several
communities through the donation of our time to support social and attainable housing initiatives as well through our support for the development and growth of local food production (community gardens, indoor growing), particularly in remote and fly-in communities. As our company has grown we have been able to expand our reach and believe that we are making a significant difference. We believe that our combined experience while conducting the project will result in a solution that is reasonable, practical and above all can be implemented immediately.
WHAT
At Northern Community Solutions, we believe in long-term sustainability of our projects and operations throughout the North. NCS works with communities to determine the best options for specific applications with respect to energy consumption and local availability of energy sources. NCS ensures that there is a balance between economic cost considerations, environmental benefits and local employment creation, with a strong focus on ensuring that solution implemented today are sustainable, and useful tomorrow and in the decades to come.
The goal of any NCS projects is to create sustainable economic opportunities for communities in the North, and biomass is a great way to reduce costs for communities, whether on diesel or Hydro One grid, and as well create local jobs in the harvesting, processing and distribution of biomass.
Many of the energy systems that NCS works with include biomass energy systems, both for heat and electrical generation. Using biomass entails a detailed investigation into local energy sources and ensuring that these sources are sustainable for generations to come. NCS focuses on small scale forestry operations that improve the safety of local communities while providing sustainable sources of energy in the form of biomass, whether for individual houses, small businesses or commercial properties, or district heating systems.
(Biomass district heating and renewable energy systems shown, above, Finland).
Most communities in northern Canada have forests that border their communities. These forests are a source for hunting, gathering, exploring and also of risk. With rising forest fires and risks from wildland fire a synergy has developed between biomass energy systems and wildland fire prevention.
Northern Community Solutions (NCS) believes in the right of every Canadian to affordable energy, attainable housing, food security and clean drinking water and is actively working with partners around the world to bring the best ideas around sustainable water collection, filtration and use to concepts developed by NCS. Canada is known to have a poor record when it comes to Northern and particularly First Nation, clean drinking standards. Through this collaboration, NCS is supporting the development of inexpensive and relatively simple clean water collection concepts, such as rainwater collection and grey water utilization.
NCS and its partners have been working in the northern food production space for several years and has implemented gardens, greenhouses and indoor growing throughout northern Ontario. NCS is a keen partner in sustainability for communities and food is often at the heart of many of the issues in the north, both as a source of better health, more employment and lower community costs for food. NCS has partnered with several companies that offer hydroponic growing systems, year-round greenhouses and community-based organizations that provide community training. Contact us for more information.
Remote education and health have seen enormous growth with COVID-19 and NCS has been working with communities to provide access to health services through the use of technology and is currently undergoing a pilot project with a company to test the efficacy of e-health in the north.
NCS works with clients to develop and implement sustainable and attainable housing solutions, from a capital and operating point of view, as well from an integrated social enterprise model that provides home-owner equity opportunities to at-risk populations and improves opportunities for home attainment.
NCS also offers
- E-commerce
NCS can take your company, band or community owned enterprise, or coop to the next level. Whether your looking to get your foot in the door, or you have been selling online for years NCS and our partners can be your all in one e-commerce service package provider.
- Web Development
In 2021 every community should have a website. It is essential in the information age to be have information available to your stakeholders. Your online presence is one best ways to distribute that knowledge. That’s why NCS is proud to offer web development for in need communities.
- Graphic Design
Should your community need logos, flyers or brochures, marketing campaign content, or digital content creation NCS is happy to provide services for your digital art needs.
With COVID-19, there has been a significant push to move many of the course and classes that students are supposed to undergo to online. This is a trend that Scandinavian countries have been doing for a while and something that NCS has embraced as something that they can assist communities to implement, especially communities that are fly-in only or remote. As part of this implementation, NCS has done exploratory work with SpaceX and other internet providers and is happy to help in all aspects of implementation. As part of the education and training, NCS is also working on a pilot to reduce plastic wastes and improve re-usability of waste products in northern and remote communities.
NCS offers as part of there services;
- Feasibility planning & analysis.
- Business planning.
- Human resources planning.
- Training program implementation (heavy equipment to safety).
- Funding applications.
- Government negotiations.
- Assistance with private financiers.
Where we can Help
NCS works primarily with Northern and remote communities, but also has technology-specific solutions for various scenarios. While we work with communities throughout Northern Canada, our main focus area to date has been with communities in Northern Ontario.
For our clients, we look for communities, organizations and businesses that have a focus on growth and increasing sustainability of operations. This can mean anything from reducing the heating cost in buildings by improving insulation to creating local growing areas that provide fresh fruits and vegetables for local consumption. Our objectives revolve around reducing costs, increasing economic growth and creating long-term and sustainable jobs in the communities we work with.
our offices
Thunder Bay
205 Cameron St.
Thunder Bay, ON P7C 2H, Canada
We would like to acknowledging that we are located in the Robinson-Superior Treaty territory area and that the land on which we operate is the traditional territory of the Anishnaabeg and the Métis.
Sioux Lookout
54 Front St.
P.O. Box 100
Sioux Lookout, ON P8T 1A1, Canada
We wish to acknowledge that we operate on the traditional lands of the First Nations of the Anishnawbe people of Lac Seul First Nation.
Oakville
2857 Sherwood Heights Dr, Unit 14
Oakville, ON L6J 7B7, Canada
We would like to acknowledge that the land on which we operate is covered by the Upper Canada Treaties, and is within the lands protected by the “Dish With One Spoon” wampum agreement. This land is the traditional territory of the Haudenosaunee and the Anishnaabeg.
Resources
Please enter your email below to receive our resources
We give information about free community project assessment outline, grants and financial help your community may be eligible for, and projects completed by us.
Contact US
Send us a message, we’d love to hear from you!