Co-op work term in Northwest Territories is transformative experience for Laurier BBA student

Jan. 28, 2025

When Wilfrid Laurier University Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) student Chris Uvakov was seeking a co-op position, he was hoping to find a unique work experience that would put his business training to the test.  

He found it in a role as an economic development consultant in Sambaa K’e, Northwest Territories, a remote fly-in community of about 90 people almost 450 km from Yellowknife. The journey from Waterloo Region to Sambaa K’e takes three days and three different airplanes, and the community is accessible by winter road for only 10 weeks a year. The community’s size and remote location offer unique opportunities for Laurier co-op students, who are required to wear many hats. 

His position involved helping to run the Ndu Tah U’koe general store, a gas station, tourist lodge and guest houses, and a small construction business contracted out for airport maintenance and winter road construction. “I had projects in supply chain management, financial analysis, data analysis and operations consulting,” says Uvakov. “There were also many days where I needed to pitch in just to help keep the store running.” 

The store sells staple foods, snacks, hardware, diapers, and fuel for ATVs and snowmobiles, it also acts as a hub for the community. 

“It’s an unbelievable opportunity to try everything,” says Uvakov. “You get exposed to a whole range of work and experiences because you have so much responsibility." 

Jacob Burnell (MBA '23) is a Laurier graduate who serves as CEO of the Sambaa K’e development corporation.  He cites Uvakov’s initiative as a key part of his success.   

“He took it upon himself to just start fixing things,” says Burnell. "When we were short staffed, he would fill that role immediately without having to be asked. That initiative is what we really look for in students.” 

Uvakov, a lover of the outdoors, says he always dreamed of visiting the Canadian North.  

“This was where I knew I wanted to be,” he says. “The feeling you get knowing there’s nothing else but hundreds of kilometres of pure wilderness is amazing.” 

‘A place of learning’ 

Norma Jumbo is a community member in Sambaa K’e strongly connected to her Dene culture. She helped Uvakov learn some of the traditional Dene Zhatıé language as they spent time together at the store so he could better communicate with community members. 

“He just wanted to learn more and more and more – and that’s what we really liked about him,” says Jumbo. “He was so involved with our culture, our land and our language.” 

Uvakov was invited to participate in a drum dance, observe the community hunt and help clean and butcher ducks and a moose. He was also taught to snare small game and spent a lot of his free time fishing, cooking, camping and listening to stories told by Elders.  

“I was only there for four months, and I wanted to experience everything I could,” he says. “I knew that the way to do that was through the community. It was very important for me to approach it from a place of learning.” 

Jumbo recounts that Uvakov learned a prayer that he recited to the group on his last day in Sambaa K’e. 

“We were so impressed when he said the prayer,” says Jumbo. “I was so emotional that day.” 

The community of Sambaa K’e is tight knit and can be wary of outsiders, but since fall 2023 nine Laurier students have been employed in co-op work terms by the Sambaa K’e Development Corporation. Jumbo says having students like Uvakov, who fully embrace life in the North, has made a big difference.  

“It was kind of a shock to some members of the community seeing new faces working with us,” says Jumbo. “Now, we’re happy to see new faces and meet new Laurier students.”  

Employers interested in recruiting Laurier co-op students like Uvakov: Please reach out to lauriercoop@wlu.ca or visit Laurier Co-op’s employer website. 

Laurier students who want to learn more about co-op, please visit Laurier Co-op’s student website.