Tobey Andersen is a Proposal Coordinator in our Calgary office and is energetic and passionate about the work she does each day. She is responsible for creating and designing proposals for work bids and pursuits. Each day is never the same, as she spends her time working with different colleagues and team members in various roles throughout the organization.

Tobey is an outstanding example of someone who personifies Our Purpose at Clark Builders by working hard to earn the trust of the people we work for and with. As an Inuk from the Nunatsiavut region, she self-identifies as Indigenous and is proud to be a part of an organization that recognizes her heritage. Tobey is an active member of our Indigenous Relations Working Committee and is focused on furthering Clark Builders pillar of cultural awareness and training. 

With the warmer weather, you can find Tobey in her backyard, growing her new garden, lounging on her hammock with a favourite book, kayaking in nearby lakes, hiking or at her local field playing disc golf with her partner and dog!

What Indigenous group do you identify with, and where are you from originally? I am Inuk, from the Inuit region of Nunatsiavut, located in Northern Labrador. I’m from a small town named Makkovik with a population of 340 people. Our town is situated directly on the Atlantic coastline, where we get to smell the saltwater from our doorsteps! Makkovik is named after the Inuit word “Maggok (Mah-guh)” which means “two,” as we have two bays of water that surround our town.

 

How do the values/traditions that you were taught growing up, help you with your role at Clark Builders today?

The Inuit culture is well known for sharing what they have with others. We are giving and known for being resourceful with what we have. With the values that I have learned while being raised in my culture, I always attempt to do my best to ensure that my colleagues have the help they need to get a job or task completed. I am resourceful in utilizing the tools available to me to create innovative and new ways of completing my job efficiently.

 

Tell us a little more about your culture and what you enjoy doing? 

The Inuit are one of the three groups of Indigenous people in Canada. We are the descendants of the north and makeup four different regions in Canada: Inuvialuit (Northwest Territories), Nunavut, Nunavik (Northern Quebec), and Nunatsiavut (Northern Labrador). All regions border the ocean as we travel the land and water for hunting and fishing grounds.

I currently read a lot of literature by Inuit authors, and I am learning more about our culture within the different regions Inuit occupy.

One cultural practice that I would like to try this year is beading, whether jewelry or making slippers. I hope to learn the practice and share my creations with my family and friends. My sisters create Inuit clothing and jewelry and inspire me to try my best!

I’m looking forward to visiting home and seeing my family and bringing back food such as pitsik (dried fish), which I like to cook for my partner here in Calgary.

 

What makes you proud to be (First Nation, Métis, Inuit)?

I am proud to be Inuit as it is a group of people that were targeted to be erased, but the resiliency of the generation before me allowed me to be here. I am proud to be a part of an extended family that extends across Canada. It’s quite special to know that you share the same customs, values, traditions, and culture with someone on the other side of the country.

Inuit are very kind and gentle people, and we are known not to overshare; however, if you happen to be in our company, we are excellent storytellers. I miss that the most about home – the stories of the days my father grew up on the land.