Yellowknife (May 08/06) - Akaitcho Hall, residence for hundreds of Northern aboriginals who attended Sir John Franklin school, is set to be demolished, 12 years after it officially closed.

One of the rare success stories of residential schooling, former students hope something positive comes out of its ashes.

"I think there should be something at the Legislative Assembly recognizing how this was one of the few schools there are good comments about," said former student Violet Doolittle. Coming to school was a surprise for a self-described "bush girl" from Inuvik, but she remembers having a lot of fun living with such a diverse group of students at Akaitcho Hall.

Doolittle thinks commemorating its students and their cultures is a must.

"There were a lot of students who completed Grade 12 and went on to degrees," said the residential school counsellor.

Though considered a success compared to other residential schools, leaving home was a traumatic event for many, said Fort Providence Residential School Society director Joachim Bonnetrouge.

"It's culture shock. Teenagers had to deal with loneliness and isolation, and an inability to speak their traditional language," said Bonnetrouge.

"Acknowledging that history would be good," he said.

Sahtu Region MLA Norman Yakeleya said his brother, Danny Yakeleya, was one of the many residents of Akaitcho Hall in the 1970s.

"According to my brother, it was a good place to study," said the MLA.

Yakeleya thinks there is still a lot of potential for Akaitcho Hall, or the land it sits on, for development for First Nations people.

"It could be used as a First Nations university, a technical school, or maybe a training and educational facility," he said.

A commemoration for the parents who sent their children to Yellowknife would be a good thing, said Yakeleya.

Akaitcho Hall was in operation for 36 years.

Canada's history surrounding residential schooling has been fraught with cases of sexual, physical, and mental abuse - issues at the heart of a new residential school compensation package still to be signed off by the federal government and First Nations groups.

To integrate aboriginal children in Canadian society, more than 80,000 aboriginal children were sent to these schools across Canada, according to the Indian Residential Schools Resolution website.

Between 6,000 and 8,000 students who attended the schools from the NWT and Nunavut are still alive.

There were nine residential schools in the NWT, including Akaitcho Hall.

Brian Lemax, public works and services superintendent for the North Slave region, said the building is being demolished because it has been vacant for so long and has dangerous materials inside of it.

"It's not needed and there are hazardous materials like asbestos and lead," said Lemax.

Tenders must be submitted by 3 p.m. May 19.

A reunion for students who stayed in Akaitcho Hall was held in 2001. More than 350 people attended the event.

- with files from Andrew Raven