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INUVIK
Sir Alexander Mackenzie School and Samuel Hearne Secondary School were both scheduled to be torn down this summer, but work has been delayed for another season.

The Canadian Forces is currently using Sir Alexander Mackenzie School as temporary lodging while they finish tearing down and packing up their relocatable camp on Old Navy Road. - Danielle Sachs/NNSL photo

A spokesperson for the Department of Public Works and Services said the environmental remediation and demolition of both Sir Alexander Mackenzie School and Samuel Hearne Secondary school is a focus for 2012 and 2013.

Grant Hood, senior administrative officer for the Town of Inuvik, said while the town is not responsible for the building he knows there is a lot of asbestos in there and it makes demolition a little harder.

"There's also a utilidor running right through and that has to be replaced before it can be torn down," he said.

"Maybe linking it to the Children's First Centre is one option."

Currently, the Canadian Forces is using Sir Alexander Mackenzie School as lodging while they finish tearing down and packing up the temporary relocatable camp off Old Navy Road.

But other than the temporary usage of the building, Hood said he's not aware of any other plans for it.

There are still people in Inuvik who are debating whether they even want the building torn down.

Amanda Rourke has been living in Inuvik for two years and said when she first walked up Mackenzie she was struck by how the building stood out from everything else around it.

"It just looked so classic," she said.

Rourke admits that at the time she didn't know the history of the building and had no idea it had once been a residential school.

"I understand why some people want it gone," she said.

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