Terry Halifax
Northern News Services

Inuvik (Mar 22/02) - The proposed senior's complex at Inuvik's Happy Valley Campground still has some hurdles to clear before it's a done deal.

Housing Minister and MLA for Twin Lakes, Roger Allen, will be coming to Inuvik in April with Joe Handley, minister of resources, wildlife and economic development, to discuss with town officials the future of the campground and the new site for the senior's facility.

The housing corporation will be funding $900,000 towards the construction of the new facility, but Allen hopes he can encourage RWED to work with the town to keep Happy Valley Campground open.

"We're trying to encourage RWED to leave the current structure as it is," Allen said. "From our perspective, the six-plex won't really impact the total infrastructure of the campground."

The campground is the only sewage dump station and water refill site for RVs in Inuvik. Allen said the new facility would be built where the campground currently has recreational vehicles parking and if more land is needed in the future, the campground may be closed.

"At some point we may have to look at systematically phasing it out, if there is a requirement for expansion of seniors' facility," he said.

He said the proposal will allow a common area where campers will be able to interact with seniors.

"That was the original concept the seniors society proposed about two years ago," Allen said.

Handley and Allen are scheduled to meet with Inuvik town council on April 8.

"We're going to see where the town wants to go with this and what RWED's prepared to support," Allen said. "I don't think it will change much."

As it now stands, RWED has turned the land title over to the housing corporation and ceased operating and maintaining the campground.

Housing Corp. technical adviser Scott Reid said before any final plans are made, consultation with elders and town approval must be secured.

"We have to meet with the elders to establish their needs before the plan is approved," Reid said. "The Happy Valley site is the first site, but that has to get the town's approval and that hasn't happened yet."

The construction will be modeled after other senior's facility the corporation has built.

"We've come up with some conceptual drawings based on our senior's complex that went into Paulatuuq last year, as well as the one we're sending into Holman this year," Reid said.

"It's basically the same design, but what we sent into these other communities were four-plexes not six-plexes. This one is going to be a little bigger."

The two-bedroom units are self-contained, handicapped accessible, heated through a common heating system, but the water system will depend on placement of the facility.

Reid said there are also some service requirements to be considered before the final plans are drawn.

"If we do use the Happy Valley site, there is no water on that side of the road, only sewer, so the water would have to be brought across the road down by the clinic," he said.

"Or we could use a tank and pump system, so we would store the water in the building."

"It's preferred to bring the water across, but we're not sure on the cost of that."

Ideally, they would like to get the plans approved and start construction this summer, but Reid said that might not happen if materials don't get shipped before breakup.

"If we can get them in before the ice bridge goes out, that would be best," he said.