Emma Levez
Northern News Services

TULITA (Jul 13/98) - The town of Tulita is booming. Within the next month, two new buildings are scheduled to open -- the Tulita Youth Centre and a hotel office complex.

Renovation of the old building that became the Tulita Youth Centre was finished last week, and it should be open sometime this month.

Richard Power, general manager of Two Rivers Development Group, which is overseeing the projects, is running the centre in conjunction with the Chief Albert Wright school.

"It's a venture, a youth opportunity. The youth of the community will run it as a business. They will have to pay the bills (by fundraising), they will be responsible for the building," Power said.

All the decisions will be made by the Tulita Youth Society, which is still being formed.

Parents, said Powder, will act as mentors as "they will give shadow directorship."

In the youth centre, there are rooms for a TV, a sound system and a pool table. There is also a kitchenette and two bathrooms.

Just down the road from the youth centre, another new building is being built. Construction of Tulita's only hotel office complex began in the fall of 1997, and it should be completed by Aug. 1 at the latest, said Power.

The hotel side of the building boasts four single and four double rooms, with room service available.

In addition there will be a dining room and a restaurant, Tulita's first.

In the office side of the complex will be a post office with boxes, reducing the need for general delivery. Sahtu Renewable Resources plans a permanent office in the building, with a small meeting room upstairs.

To date $1.4 million has been spent on the building. "The first six months to a year will be difficult," Power admitted. "But there used to be an old lodge in town, and that did well, so we hope that this will, too."

Business is also expected from travellers visiting the government offices.