KUGLUKTUK/COPPERMINE
In the 1990s, when Pin/Matthews Architects of Yellowknife designed the Kugluktuk Recreation Complex, the community wanted a curling rink.

Tundra Kuliktana, Alice Ayalik, Mayor Red Pedersen, former mayor Ernie Bernhardt and hamlet councillor Colin Adjun cut the ribbon in the opening ceremony for the new Kugluktuk Youth Centre Sept. 19. - photo courtesy of David Ho

Over the years, that area of the complex fell into disuse. It could be people lost their taste for curling or, as rumours have it, the ice was just too finicky to maintain. Either way, a couple of years ago, a new plan was laid out for a youth centre.

The opening of the ulu-shaped Kugluktuk Heritage Visitors Centre overshadowed the youth centre's opening two weeks ago.

A theatre for viewing films, a playroom for the younger ages, complete with jungle gym, a craft room, a computer centre, a gym space, with gym equipment donated by Dominion Diamond Corporation's Ekati mine, and pool tables and other such games are all now housed in the centre.

"We want it to be a play area, but we also want it to have an educational aspect," said Don Leblanc, the hamlet's senior administrative officer. "We will not only have a group of kids that can go in and do good things and have fun, but there's going to be different programs."

Ali Harper is the youth co-ordinator. The wife of an RCMP officer and a new arrival in town, Harper has been given the opportunity to live her second passion - working with youth. She left her first passion behind in B.C., where she worked as a ski patrol and emergency medical services provider.

"We're really trying to focus on programming in here," said Harper. "We're trying to make this a safe place, a place where the kids want to come, and where they're going to learn."

Along with event night in the movie room, and play time for parents and their children aged seven and under, Harper says leadership programs are on the horizon.

"And the crafts room, which is going to be where they can design and they can build and they can do whatever their imaginations come up with.

"And we have our computer lab and that's going to be a place, especially for kids that don't have access at home, to do homework and surf the Internet, restricted, of course."

So far younger children have been using the computer to play learning games.

Harper hopes to bring in elders to teach sewing and carving.

"On the walls we have great big paintings that the high school kids have done. They're pretty cool because a

lot of them have kids of Kugluktuk on them. People have been loving that - they come in and they recognize themselves."

Harper says that as the youth become more invested in the centre, they will come up with their own ideas of what they'd like to see happening.

"And I know when Don hired me he was all excited because I teach skiing and snowboarding, so we'd like to see if we can get skis and snowboards up here."

Harper has been overwhelmed by the response so far.

"It's been extremely busy. The kids were so excited. They've been hearing about it and hearing about it, and now it's finally open. Yesterday, at 4 p.m., they were banging on the door. It's great to see."

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