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LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON - More than a year since construction began on the new government building in Fort Simpson, tenants will finally be able to move in to their new home in mid november.

Construction on the project began in the summer of 2007 and was on schedule until the early months of 2008. Due to harsh winter weather conditions in January and February, construction slowed and postponed the project's completion date to the end of October, rather than the scheduled end-of-September date.

Scott Howard, manager in charge of the project, said there was no real set date for completion but gave a loose guess at a possible finish.

"When we first started construction, I estimated we could have it completed by the end of September," he said. "But there are always circumstances that arise unexpectedly."

Howard said finishing the project this soon would not have happened if they weren't using the design system they were.

"They design as you build so it lets us start building before all the drawings are complete," he said.

Howard said they have set the substantial completion date for Oct. 27. Tenants will be able to start moving into the building around Nov. 15 as long as things progress as planned.

"The siding won't be completed but it will start going on next week. The inside of the building will be ready for occupancy," he said.

While tenants from Dehcho Hall wait to move into their spaces at the new building in the middle of November, the John Tsetso Memorial Library is still waiting for news as to when it will move.

The library will not be occupying space in the new building and the village council has been scrambling to find a new space for the library.

Tom Matus, senior administration officer for the village, said the library will move into the old village office, a space half the size of the library's current location. Library staff are unsure when they will move into the smaller space.