SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Blair VanMetre laughs when he says he came from the broom closet all the way up to the top of the North Slave Correctional Centre as warden.

Blair VanMetre, who started out as a canteen officer at the old Yellowknife Correctional Centre, is now warden of the North Slave Correctional Centre. - Andrew Livingstone/NNSL photo

Unable to get full-time work as a corrections officer 11 years ago, VanMetre had to settle for a job as the canteen officer at the old Yellowknife Correctional Centre.

"It's funny, I think back and I worked in the canteen at YCC and it was an old storage space," said the 35-year-old. "I say I came from the broom closet up."

VanMetre unofficially took over the warden's role in December when acting warden, Midge Ravensdale, who was brought up to mentor VanMetre to fill the position, was away. The new warden, who was born and raised in Yellowknife, officially took on the position March 1.

"Since December I've sort of taken over the office and doing the duties," he said. "I had a little ease into it. It's been challenging. It's good to be busy and I'm definitely enjoying it."

VanMetre said his role as warden is similar to his previous position as deputy warden. VanMetre oversaw 21 correctional officers in his previous role but now his job is more expanded.

"Initially it was the overall workload," VanMetre said of the growth in responsibility. "You're basically overseeing everything from security to programming and all the departments. Time management skills and organization took work."

Ravensdale gave VanMetre 12 to 18 months to get ready. However, he progressed quickly and she felt he was ready to take on the job sooner than expected.

"I've had the knowledge of working here, I was a manager on the floor for five years," said VanMetre. "I have a good rapport with the staff and inmates, and being born and raised in the North gave me a good understanding of things."

VanMetre has plans for the facility. He said he's working to train staff more toward the programming aspect of corrections.

"When I came up I was a corrections officer, an acting case manager, so I learned both roles," he said of his experience in both security and program delivery. "What I want to do is develop something for the current (officers) to gain case management experience."

VanMetre said offering case management training is "a way to open up your eyes more and focus on career development." He said about 30 staff are interested in taking the training.

If you have a better understanding of things, it makes for a more well-rounded corrections officer," he said. "It's always the main goal to assist in the programming side for reintegration back into the community, but I think with this it gives the corrections officer a better working knowledge of things."

An influx of southern offenders and gang members have entered the correctional centre in the last five years, and VanMetre said staff will adjust programming to suit these types of offenders.

"We need to train our staff on the security end and adapting our programming end of it, introducing programs that can deal with issues that we have with southern offenders and gangs," he said. "We are starting to do some gang awareness and some work with the RCMP on drug and gang awareness."

VanMetre said he is somewhat surprised by his success, adding he never really thought he would get this far.

"It wasn't an area I was seeking," he said. "I had some various friends working in corrections and they always said they enjoyed it, and it was a good career to get in to.

"I did work hard, and that's the biggest thing … if you want to develop there are a lot of different places you can go," VanMetre said. "There definitely is room for advancement and if you have the initiative, then it's a good career to get in to."