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Laurier’s Yellowknife research facilities are a vital hub for cold regions research and the university's longstanding partnership with the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT).
A year-round physical presence in the territorial capital allows Laurier researchers to meet regularly with GNWT and other partners and develop strong working relationships with community members and organizations across the Northwest Territories.
The Laurier Yellowknife research office is located in the Scotia Centre in downtown Yellowknife, in Chief Drygeese territory. Yellowknife is the traditional land of the Yellowknives Dene First Nation, and the homeland of the North Slave Métis.
The Laurier office is home to several year-round staff. It provides temporary workspace to Laurier faculty and staff with research projects in the North, as well as students who travel to Yellowknife to complete field research. The office also offers support and space to researchers from partner institutions and manages access to research equipment stored in a nearby warehouse.
E: ykoffice@wlu.ca
T: 867.688.2605
Scotia Centre, Suite 103
5102 – 50th Avenue
Yellowknife, NT
X1A 3S8
Office amenities, including work desks and a boardoom, are available to Laurier faculty, staff and students who are passing through or based in Yellowknife. Zoleo satellite communicators are available for rent by research teams working in remote locations.
Email ykoffice@wlu.ca to request the use of any spaces or equipment.
There are seven desks available for use by Laurier faculty, staff and students. Six desks are equipped with a computer monitor and HDMI cable to connect to laptops.
Rate: Free, but must be booked in advance
The boardroom is furnished with a six-foot oval desk, six chairs and a wall-mounted TV. The TV comes with an HDMI cable. This space is perfect for delivering presentations or conducting team meetings.
Rates:
A Zoleo is a satellite communication device that allows messages to be sent in remote locations and notifies emergency responders in the case of an emergency. There are three Zoleos available for rent by Laurier faculty, staff and students who are conducting remote fieldwork in the North.
Rates:
Laurier’s Enterprise Drive research facility is a comfortable, well-equipped hub for researchers working in the Northwest Territories. You do not need to be a Laurier-affiliated researcher to book space at Enterprise Drive. External researchers are welcome.
In addition to housing, guests can access cold and warm storage for research gear, parking, bicycles, fridge and freezer space for temporary sample storage, and a basic lab workspace. Amenity details and rates are listed below.
The cozy house has 12 bunk beds in three mixed-gender bedrooms, three bathrooms, a full kitchen, living room and rec room with three desks.
Rates:
The warehouse is equipped with a basic lab set-up, including eight four-foot lab benches and a fixed water system for rinsing. Uses could include sorting samples and preparing gear. The lab has power and is in close proximity to the common fridge and freezers with space available for rent.
Water for the lab space is provided at an additional cost due to limited water availability. Heavy washing and cleaning will need to be done elsewhere, as water has to be brought in manually.
Rates:
There is one fridge with four shelves available for rent in the common lab space for temporary sample storage. The shelves are approximately 61 cm by 43 cm.
Rates:
There are two freezers with five shelves available for rent in the common lab space for temporary sample storage. The shelves are approximately 77 cm by 81 cm.
Rates:
There are two bicycles, including bike locks and helmets, available for guests to rent while staying at the house.
Rates:
Isabel Hilgendag manages the daily operations of Laurier’s Yellowknife research office and Enterprise Drive research facility. She also supports the coordination of Laurier’s research activities in the Northwest Territories and the success of northern research faculty and interdisciplinary research teams.
Hilgendag graduated from Laurentian University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science and completed a Master of Science degree in Biology at the University of Waterloo. She has experience conducting field research in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories, as well as networking and collaborating with university and government scientists, community members and partner organizations.
A lifelong Northerner born in Yellowknife, Megan Cooper is a research associate and community liaison working with Andrew Spring and the Future Harvest Partnership, a collaboration between the Government of the Northwest Territories (NWT), the Territorial Agrifood Association, Wilfrid Laurier University and academic partners across North America working to strengthen northern self-sufficiency, food security and socioeconomic stability by developing a sustainable local food system in the NWT.
Cooper holds a PhD in Experimental Psychology from McGill University where she specialized in Intergroup Relations and has conducted field research in the NWT and Nunavut. She previously served as vice president of a Montreal-based data science and analytics consultancy, leading research to inform strategy for public engagement campaigns and advance performance optimization for progressive organizations in Canada and internationally. In Yellowknife, Cooper runs Harvest 62, a small business blending Northern plant medicine with science to create healthy, everyday products for Northern living.
Laurier researchers are collaborating with northern governments and communities to tackle urgent challenges in Canada's North. | Learn More
