Dave Sullivan
Northern News Services

Fort Resolution (Nov 26/01) - Bill Hurley is one proud principal. When he arrived in Fort Resolution last August from Newfoundland, the 58- year-old educator walked into a rickety school about to be turned upside down.

Deninu School Principal Bill Hurley. The Deninu Ku'e First Nation is funding five new tutors at the school. - Dave Sullivan/NNSL Photo

It still needs some cosmetic work, but the new school is a far cry from portables and constant construction noise that disrupted classes throughout last year.

"For the students who went through the renovations, it's amazing how they coped and kept up their education level," Hurley said. "There were the paint fumes, and sawdust going everywhere."

Today, while students quietly shuffle along gleaming floors, Hurley gladly takes visitors through - after they remove their shoes.

The 30-year-old school has been transformed into a community centrepiece.

Technically the work was called a renovation, but in essence the school was rebuilt from the ground up - for $3.3 million.

"Everything was gutted inside and the outside was completely re-done."

The K-12 school is a sparkling centrepiece in the community of 600. There were 125 students last year, and a few more this year. For the first time there's a sprinkler system and computer hookups. A sun-roofed cultural room, with a buffalo hide in the centre, and will be used to teach Chipewyan and aboriginal arts and crafts.

It could be the biggest benefit is a renewed school spirit.

"A good percentage of the students really respect the school," Hurley said.

There are other things too - like $4,000 worth of new student desks and $3,000 in new gym equipment.

Even new lighting makes a big difference, going from "dingy," Hurley said, to bright with powerful new fluorescents.

The school also has new, fully equipped rooms for teaching shop and home economics, but they sit idle. Hurley says there are not enough students to hire teachers specially-trained to run the courses.

With a new building comes a new energy, and groups are chipping in to improve the education of Fort Resolution's children. The Deninu Ku'e First Nation is funding five new tutors, and the RCMP plan to run a weight-training program.