A former leader with the NWT Habitat for Humanity has just been honoured with a national award.
During the Habitat for Humanity Canada 2024 National Conference, the Co-Founder of the NWT Habitat branch, Dave Hurley, was awarded the Terry Petkau Legacy Award.
Dave himself had no idea that he would be receiving the award.
“I went to the meeting as a delegate for the Northwest Territories, and I had no idea this was going to happen! They kept it away from me! So, it was definitely a surprise, that’s for sure.”
This award is the highest honour that a Habitat member can receive in their career. Dave was chosen for this award for the leadership and commitment he has shown ever since the branch was founded in 2012. He has routinely worked with all levels of government, as well as Indigenous groups, and other organizations. Dave’s ingenuity was able to help Habitat NWT to transition from traditional builds to more modular designs, allowing homes to be built faster, while still being sustainable and affordable.
Dave shared what some of his time with Habitat NWT has been like in the last few years.
“It’s like any other organization; you have growing pains. We’ve had some ups and downs over the years, but we always seem to find a way because it’s what we do that’s really important. We provide affordable housing for families in Yellowknife, we have a home in Hay River, we have a home in Dettah. So, you provide homes for families who otherwise would probably never get the opportunity to own their own home, and when you turn over the keys to a family, it’s a pretty emotional thing for us.”
Alayna Ward, the Executive Director for Habitat for Humanity NT, called Dave a “driving force in helping the organization grow,” and stated that they have been fortunate to have him as part of the Habitat for Humanity family.
