Roxanna Thompson
Northern News Services
Friday, March 23, 2007

TROUT LAKE - Visitors looking for lodging in Trout Lake will soon have the option of staying in one of two new trailers.

The Sambaa K'e Development Corporation is replacing the current Transient Centre with two new trailers that will be called the Sambaa K'e Guest House.

The project to replace the Transient Centre has been in the works for more than a year, said Rick Phaneuf, general manager of the Development Corporation. New guest lodgings were desperately needed, he said.

The existing Transient Centre is housed in a brown log building that is more than 20-years-old. Over the years, bits and pieces have been added to the structure, said Phaneuf.

"It's beyond the point of adding or fixing now," he said.

Recently the fire marshal gave the corporation 60 days to upgrade the building to meet fire codes. It would cost between $80,000 to $100,000 to complete all the necessary repairs, said Phaneuf.

"It's just not worth it," he said.

The building needs plumbing and heating upgrades, new doors, windows and a roof, a fire suppression system, an additional bathroom and renovations to the existing bathroom and repairs to the interior.

In addition to needing repairs, the building could only house five people so the corporation was often short on beds. Guests who got a bed often had to contend with furry visitors. The centre has also been home to bats, mice, squirrels and even a marten one summer.

"You could open a trap line in there," said Phaneuf with a laugh.

Once the new guesthouse is ready the Transient Centre building will be gutted and a new roof will be installed. The building will be used as cold storage for the community's store.

The two trailers for the guesthouse arrived in Trout Lake on March 12 from Manitoba. They have been placed across from Ndu Tah Ukoe Ltd., the community's store.

Each trailer has new furniture and beds as well as laundry and cooking facilities. The trailers can provide lodgings for 12 guests.

The Sambaa K'e Dene Band financed the $260,000 project.

The band couldn't afford to see the community's main source of guest accommodations close, said acting Chief Dolphus Jumbo. The centre helps provide employment including two jobs for people who cook and clean in the centre, he said.

Jumbo added that it was time to upgrade facilities to meet today's modern world.

"We're pretty excited about it," he said.

The new accommodations will be open in three to five weeks depending on the availability of an electrician, said Phaneuf. Electricity still needs to be hooked up to the trailers.

Next week, the water and sewer tanks are expected to be connected.