A new joint venture between Transfert Environnement et Société and Kimberly Fairman has launched Tulugak Northern Voice, aiming to support responsible and locally grounded development across the North. The partnership combines expertise in Indigenous governance, stakeholder engagement, and Inuit research to address the unique challenges of development in Nunavut and the broader Arctic region.
A New Approach to Northern Development
YELLOWKNIFE, NT, June 18, 2026 /CNW/ – Transfert Environnement et Société and Kimberly Fairman are pleased to announce the launch of Tulugak Northern Voice, a joint venture created to support engagement, consultation, and development processes across the North. The initiative is grounded in trust, meaningful participation, and northern realities.
Nunavut and the broader North are entering a period of significant development and transformation driven by growth in infrastructure, energy, critical minerals, and Arctic sovereignty. With known occurrences of 23 of Canada's 34 critical minerals, the territory is attracting increasing attention across sectors and jurisdictions worldwide.
In this context, Tulugak Northern Voice was established in response to an urgent need for development approaches that are both technically rigorous and deeply rooted in Inuit priorities, governance, and community well-being.
Building Trust and Credibility
Successful projects in the North depend on trust, credibility, and a strong understanding of local governance, not solely technical excellence. Projects often face delays, opposition, or regulatory setbacks when stakeholder engagement approaches do not adequately reflect the governance structures and priorities of the communities involved. At the same time, communities and Inuit organizations are frequently brought into processes too late, with limited capacity support, and through formats that do not align with how decisions are actually made locally.
This leads to an erosion of trust, creating uncertainty for proponents, limiting meaningful participation of communities, and adding complexity to regulatory processes.
Tulugak Northern Voice is grounded in a fundamentally different approach to engagement that moves beyond regulatory compliance toward meaningful partnership. Built from the North, and not adapted to it, the partnership reflects decades of lived experience, professional relationships, and sustained presence across Nunavut, Nunavik, and the wider Arctic.
Expertise and Experience
Kimberly Fairman brings more than two decades of experience working at the intersection of Indigenous governance, community development, regulatory systems, and major project planning across the Arctic. Kimberly is Nunavummiut from Taloyoak, a researcher and policy specialist whose work is grounded in circumpolar and Indigenous knowledge systems, Inuit-specific research methodologies, and community-engaged approaches.
With over 40 years of experience in social acceptability, public participation, and community relations, Transfert draws on a longstanding track record of supporting clients operating in Nunavut, Nunavik, and the Northwest Territories. The partnership embodies the organization's commitment to strengthening and sustaining presence in the North while deepening on-the-ground understanding of northern Canada.
