Paul Bickford
Northern News Services

Fort Resolution (Dec 12/05) - Unlike the heated discussions in some communities about how to spend their share of the Community Capacity Building Fund, a consensus has been reached in Fort Resolution.

The South Slave community has decided to spend its $791,000 share of the fund on youth, specifically building a youth centre and renovating the existing arena.

"The majority of the public and the majority of the tri-council are gearing the money for youth," says Bess-Ann McKay, the chair of Deninoo Community Council.

"This is a must, because we're in dire straits for it," she adds.

Along with the Deninoo Community Council, the tri-council includes Deninu Ku'e First Nation and the Fort Resolution Metis Council.

Two meetings have already been held in Fort Resolution to discuss the fund. In October, the tri-council met to hear the details of the fund, and a public meeting was held in late November to discuss how it should be spent. McKay notes about 100 people attended the November meeting, about half of them young people. "It has been approved by the community as a whole," she says of the plans for the money.

She says the Deninoo Community Council's recreation department is now looking at the cost of a youth centre and renovating the arena. "What we're doing at the municipal level is doing an analysis of the cost factors."

It will report back to a meeting of the tri-council in January.

McKay notes the money officially became available Nov. 1, and she hopes Fort Resolution can put in a proposal in January to access its share of the fund and begin work on its projects. The money in the Community Capacity Building Fund, which is distributing $35 million among all NWT communities, originated with the federal government as part of the Northern Strategy.