Derek Neary
Northern News Services

FT PROVIDENCE (Jun 18/99) - It's the summer of plenty for Digaa Enterprises in Fort Providence.

"This is one of our busiest construction years ever in this town," said Digaa CEO Doug Bryshun.

The construction company has already broken ground on its own commercial/industrial building, will be handling the expansion of the hamlet's recreation complex and will assemble a new RCMP detachment in coming months.

"We believe we're going to have the forces in town to do it," Bryshun said. "We've done quite a bit of training over the last five or six years."

Work is under way on a 4,800 square foot commercial/industrial building, owned by Digaa, which will be located next to the band/hamlet complex. It's scheduled to be completed by late October, Bryshun said.

Dene Fur Clouds is one prospective tenant, possibly locating its office in the new building, according to Bryshun. Digaa may be moving its own office in there as well. They recently became certified to sell general insurance and to register vehicles.

"It's intended to serve a seed purpose as well," he said, adding that a clothing store or a daycare could be viable businesses in the community. "It's centrally located and the playground's across the road."

They also have been contracted to build the extension on the hamlet's recreation complex, laying the groundwork for two sheets of curling ice, a curling lounge, a new canteen support area and new dressing rooms.

As well, Digaa will start work on a new RCMP detachment in the near future. It will be constructed within 10 months, but will require a little extra excavating, Bryshun said. The current detachment building, which will be salvaged in another location, is standing over contaminated soil due to a fuel leak from an underground tank, he added.

"We've got to do a lot of soil replacement," he said.

In the meantime, the RCMP will operate out of the former Resources building nearby, according to Const. Clare Kines of the Fort Providence detachment. The interim site will be inspected near the end of the month, he said.