Bruce Christensen
Northern News Services

Yellowknifer: What type of things will be offered during the school year at the new Side Door Youth Centre?

Kevin Lafromboise: The things that are at Side Door right now will be transferred over to the new Side Door. We are going to have a large computer room where kids can come and do their homework, we'll have more pool tables we'll have a place where they can drink coffee. We are hoping they come to our place to drink coffee rather than any of the other places. It will be just for youth run by youth.

Yellowknifer: Will the prices of the coffee be cheaper than the rest of the places in town?

KL: They will be cheaper than any of the other places. I guess you can say they will be reasonably priced. We are intending to start our midnight-hour shift shortly after we open, so there will be a place for homeless kids to come. Just because it's going to be a new building it's going to be new territory. We will be researching what other things we can offer youth in the community. So, initially these are the things where we see ourselves starting. We do see just the fact that we have a larger facility I think we can accommodate more youth and more programming. I don't want to limit it to what I think, if the youth come to me with ideas of how to use this building -- I am very open to that. So I don't think we are limited that way.

Yellowknifer: Is the new facility going to be open 24 hours seven days a week?

KL: It won't be open 24/7 when we first open, but we can look at that happening in the future. We do plan to be open from 3:30 p.m. to midnight Monday to Friday so far -- it hopefully will be open five days a week maybe six. Again just along the lines of staffing. There are some issues of being open during school hours, people don't want kids skipping and going to Side Door.

Yellowknifer: So that's why you are planning be open from 3:30 p.m. to midnight.

KL: Yeah, exactly, but if we were looking at 24/7, during school hours we would have to look at some stringent rules as far as when youth can be welcome. If they can show proof of them not being in school if we are to go that way program-wise. It wouldn't be come and play time, it would be a structured program in place if they wanted to utilize Side Door at that time. Whether it be educational or an unemployment related program.

Yellowknifer: Will there be any work for youth at the new Side Door?

KL: Yes, we will need two youth to run the Junior Side Door program. As well, we will be hiring youth to run the concession. Junior Side Door will be open just during the school year and the concession will be ran all year round.