Diavik Diamond Mines, the federal government and the city of Yellowknife are providing the cash up front to transform the former mine rescue building into a new home for the Side Door Youth Centre
Jorge Barerra
Northern News Services
Yellowknife (Mar 16/01) - Derek Edjericon buries the curved forked tip of a crowbar behind a thin strip of wood around the front window of the old mine rescue building. With quick piston strokes he snaps the wood and it falls in shards on the cement floor.
He started at 8:30 a.m. and it's his third day of pulling nails, stripping plaster and tearing out walls to renovate the building which will be the new home for the Side Door Youth Centre.
The Side Door is getting a new home and the youth who'll benefit from it are the ones building it.
Thanks to a joint project between private business, government and a not-for-profit organization, some Yellowknife youth will get much needed on-the-job and classroom training during the six months it will take to renovate the building.
"This project gives people a chance, something to try, something to do differently." said Edjericon.
The main players in the project, which got into full swing on Tuesday, are Diavik Diamond Mines Inc., the Department of Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC), the City of Yellowknife, and the Side Door Youth Centre.
"The beauty of this project is that each one meets the others needs," said Yellowknife Mayor Gord Van Tighem, who helped spearhead the idea while serving as chair of the Community Mobilization Committee last year before he was elected mayor.
The City of Yellowknife donated the old mine rescue building to the Side Door last year along with $250,000.
Diavik is providing $40,000 in in-kind benefits including trades instructors to teach youth about construction. The 10 youth involved will spend the half a day in the classroom and the other half working at the renovation site.
Glenn Zelinski is helping co-ordinate the project for Diavik. He said this the fifth time Diavik has entered into a partnership of this kind with a community organization.
"We want to build skill sets that allow people to go on site with talent," said Zelinski. Part of the funding is coming from HRDC's HYPE program -- Homeless Youth Practising Employment. The Side Door is slated to get $130,000.
"We're not handing out freebies," said Kevin Laframboise, director of the Side Door.
"These kids are learning, earning their wage," he said.
Laframboise said the project is an example of justice instead of charity.
"We're teaching them how to fish instead of just giving them a fish," said Laframboise, alluding to the saying, "give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day, teach him how to fish and he'll eat forever." Laframboise calls the project a preventative method. He said it's better for governments to spend money on keeping youth out of jail than paying to keep them in.
"These kids are going to be our future," said Laframboise.
He hopes the project will be a turning point the lives of some of the youth involved.
Some of these youth have some bad situations," said Laframboise.
"Hopefully we'll spark something in them to believe in themselves," said Laframboise.
"Some kids don't believe in themselves," he said.
Trevor Bourque crouches near the base of a wall and he pulls out nails with a hammer. He said he's lucky to be part of the project.
"It's good pre-apprentice," said Bourque.
"All teenagers should get a chance at this. It'll take them up of the streets and keep them out of trouble," he said.
