Inuvik (Nov 13/06) - Sixteen-year-old Alex Savoie used to live in Sachs Harbour. Before he moved to Inuvik two years ago for high school, he remembers there was not much to do.

"Sachs is kind a small community," he said on Oct. 31. "We used to go Ski-Dooing or hunting, but that's about it."

Now, most nights of the week, Savoie can be found at Inuvik's Youth Centre, shooting pool or playing ping-pong.

He is one of about 80 regular visitors who spend time at the centre, which was recently awarded charitable status by the federal government.

Brook Land-Murphy, who is the Inuvik centre's director, said the recent ruling will improve its ability to raise funds.

She said the youth centre now issues tax-refundable receipts and can even collect money through its website.

This was not possible when the centre was classified as a "society," which Land-Murphy said did not bring many benefits.

"This will really help us in our ongoing efforts to get sustained funding," she said of the ruling, which was five months coming.

"It also adds a certain legitimacy to our organization."

She said the youth centre's expenses - which include everything but rent, because it pays only one dollar per year to the hamlet - add up to about $200,000 a year.

This includes salaries for trained staff, program expenses, repairs and maintenance.

Across the Beaufort- Delta, several communities including Fort McPherson, Sachs Harbour and Paulatuk are also building youth centres.

Ray Ruben, the mayor of Paulatuk, said the hamlet will be building both youth and elder centres in its new multipurpose building, which is part of a $450,000 infrastructure grant.

He said the centre will answer a long-standing demand in the community because kids are often looking for things to do in the evenings.

Peter Malgokak, who is mayor of Holman, also said the hamlet will try to create more sports activities so young people have things to do.

He said the hamlet has problems with vandalism and petty crime, which might be resolved if young people had somewhere to go in the evenings.

"I'd like to see more activities," he said.

"We need things like sports classes, so there are things for kids to do every night.

Right now, kids are running around and some get into trouble." Rebecca Blake, who is mayor of Fort McPherson, said the community will also add a youth centre to its planned multipurpose building.

She said the Inuvik model for a centre - a safe, comfortable space for games and reading, open in the evenings - might help the community's young people resist substance abuse.

"I think it's definitely needed in this community," she said.

Land-Murphy said it's flattering to see other communities holding Inuvik as a model. "It's really affecting to see people want to duplicate, or at least learn from what we're doing here," she said.

And if other youth centres gain charitable status, she said, they will probably have an easier time getting started.