Yellowknife (Feb 22/06) - History buffs and tourists will need to find another haven to flock to this summer.

Renovations to the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre will result in a two-month closure starting in June. It will reopen in August.

The Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre will temporarily close its doors in June to finish the second phase of interior renovations. Chuck Arnold, director of the centre, said the summertime closure will be a brief one. - Dez Loreen/NNSL photo

It's unfortunate because the centre is usually busy with tourists during the summer months, said director Chuck Arnold.

"There is a lot of work to be done, but it's nearly completed," said Arnold.

All of the work being done is cosmetic, with no repairs needed to the structure of the building.

Arnold said the aviation and mining exhibits will be affected.

"We'll just be changing the way they look and operate," said Arnold.

The whole centre will receive a minor facelift with the installation of new carpet.

A new archive collection will also be available for public use. The archives contain historical information collected by the centre, and a new computer will soon be located on site for research use.

In addition, new exhibits will be launched when the centre re-opens in August.

Renovations began in October 2003 and consisted of visual improvements to public areas and an addition of administration workspace.

"The new admin offices were actually built onto the roof," said Arnold.

Using thick panes of glass to separate workspaces and the addition of a new boardroom make the wood-finished offices very stylish.

The air handling unit in the centre is also being replaced, which is the main reason for the closure.

"We cannot have any people in the centre without the air system," said Arnold.

Without heating and air circulation, he explained, the building will get cold, which is why the work is being done in the summer.

"It's the only time to do it," said Arnold.

The administration offices are using a different system and can still be occupied during the renovations, which makes Arnold happy not to miss out on any work.

He noted the centre has plans to do renovations every 25 years.