Glen Korstrom
Northern News Services

INUVIK (Nov 06/98) - Consensus about the location of Inuvik's proposed 12-bed female young offender facility has fizzled with a small uprising from eight residents signing a petition to get those involved to build the detention home somewhere else.

"We're going to hold a neighbourhood meeting," says Coun. Derek Lindsay, who is also on a justice advisory committee including members from corrections in the GNWT Department of Justice, the RCMP, the District Education Authority, other GNWT departments and community groups.

"We can't keep everyone happy. We wish we could."

Still, the group will make an attempt to hear complaints from residents near the proposed location in the bush behind Samuel Hearne school, even though there have already been public meetings such as one Sept. 22 at Aurora College.

Coun. Vivian Hunter, who signed the petition, says she was not home if anyone came to her door and she was out of town when the public meeting was held.

Hunter's concern is the proximity for young offenders to beer gardens held on nearby fields and any danger to residents that may bring.

Further, there is an environmental perspective.

"Our trees take so long to grow, why knock down a whole slew of them?" she asks.

Originally, the proposed facility location was close to Firth Street, but objections prompted organizers to hone in on being closer to Breynat Street, according to NWT director of corrections, John Dillon.

"There will be no entrance or exit to Loucheux Road," he says.

And, as for the suggestion that the facility be built in an industrial area, Dillon says, "Young offenders suffer already from being isolated. To put the facility in an industrial area will make a warehouse for people and we won't do that."

Dillon says St. Patrick school in Yellowknife is an example of one building where contractors were told to take down a set number of trees for the building's footprint, with any further tree loss resulting in a penalty.

"We will save as much vegetation as we can," he says.

Though Inuvik already has a group home in a residential area for young offenders with open custody, the proposed facility will house those with both open and closed custody.

Still, its similarity to the group home will be how it attempts to blend into the community, complete with a treed buffer strip for a low profile.

There will be no high fence or barbed wire.

All young offenders in closed custody will be escorted by someone whenever they leave the building. Those in open custody will be encouraged to find employment and, possibly, attend Samuel Hearne.