Fort Liard (Jun 16/06) - Youth in Fort Liard have recently been given somewhere new to gather and socialize.

On May 1, the youth centre was closed and all the activities were moved to the community hall, just up the street.

Calvin Lomen lines up a shot on the new pool table in the community hall in Fort Liard where the youth centre has been relocated. - Roxanna Thompson/NNSL photo

The move was made to optimize the use of the community hall facility.

"It wasn't being used a fraction of what it is now," Dale Loutit, recreation programmer, said.

Before, the hall was only used two to three times a month for special occasions and meetings.

With the youth centre in the hall, there is still lots of space for those activities, Loutit said.

In the beginning, the location move was met by a bit of resistance by the youth who didn't want the change, Loutit said. After a month at the new facility, things are starting to settle.

In addition to a new location, the youth now have some new equipment. The centre has new comfortable couches and chairs for lounging. There are also new nets and balls for the ping pong table, a new pool table, fooseball table and a bowflex.

The changes aren't finished. Loutit said the walls look a bit bare, so she is hoping to put up some pictures. There are also plans for a satellite radio. "It's a work in progress," she said.

Sharon McLeod, a youth worker who looks after the centre in the evenings, said the new space is a lot nicer and cleaner than the old youth centre. Youth come in and out constantly, so sometimes the centre is very quiet and other times there are 30 youth, McLeod said.

There are activities geared towards all age groups. The younger children like watching movies projected onto a big screen, McLeod said. For the older crowd the pool table is the draw.

Briana Kotchea agrees. For her, the pool table is the best part of the new location.

Kotchea said she used to go to the old youth centre, but likes this location better.

"It's big and it's fun," she said.

The centre is open from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. from Tuesday to Sunday. Once school closes, hours will be moved to 4 p.m. to midnight.