Paul Bickford
Northern News Services

Enterprise (June 03/02) - The Enterprise settlement council is opening a new visitor information centre. But it has an even bigger vision.

The council wants the NWT visitor information centre at the Alberta border closed and its duties transferred to Enterprise.

"We believe that visitor information centre should be in Enterprise," says Genevieve Clarke, the settlement's senior administrator. "We want to be the handshake to the North."

Clarke says Enterprise would turn it into a year-round service instead of the current four months and cut costs.

Enterprise councillors say they believe the border would be sufficiently served with signage and the existing campground.

The Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development was approached about the idea last fall, says Lloyd Jones, regional superintendent for the South Slave. "We're just starting the process. It will be decided in due course."

However, Jones points out that the existing visitor's centre is a territorial operation and other communities would likely have their own thoughts about any changes.

"It would take a long time to do all that kind of work," he warns.

But Enterprise has already asked for support from other South Slave communities for its idea, and Clarke says there has been positive reaction.

"We're hoping to get support for our facility," she says, adding that council intends to gather written support and present it to the territorial government.

Not every community is on side, however.

Fort Smith Mayor Peter Martselos says his council feels is it is important to have a visitor information centre on the border.

"To move the facility at this time council feels is not appropriate," he says.

Clarke says he hopes to explain the idea further to Fort Smith council.

Hay River Mayor Duncan McNeill, meanwhile, says his town has not been approached, and he has no opinion on the idea.

Regardless of the fate of the territorial centre, the Enterprise version will promote the entire region from day one.

"The visitor information centre is not so much for the community as for the region," Clarke says.

The new Visitor Information and Resource Centre, which is opening in an old weigh station, will house a computer lab for residents and visitors and the community program co-ordinator.

The settlement took over the weigh station in a care-custody agreement with RWED last fall. The Department of Transportation vacated the building in 1998.

"RWED still owns the building, but we have use of it," says Clarke.

The project has been supported by the federal government's Canadian Rural Partnership Program.

Along with the centre, the community has created a Web site and is inviting other communities to supply information.

No date has yet been set for the centre's opening, but staff -- a manager and a student worker -- are now being sought.