Roxanna Thompson
Northern News Services
Friday, April 13, 2007

NAHANNI BUTTE - After more than a decade of planning, Nahanni Butte is about to become the last community in the Deh Cho to build a gymnasium.

While still in the planning stages, the community is expected to have a completed gym by October 2008.

Members of the community, together with staff from the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs (MACA) and consultants have been working together to develop the project. Two meetings with community members and consultants were held over the winter to gather local input.

Having the architects work closely with the community has been a welcome step because in previous projects community members were not given as much say about what they would like, said George Tsetso, recreation co-ordinator in Nahanni Butte.

In their most recent meeting, a design of the building was worked on and the material for the outside shell was discussed.

"You don't want it to stick out like a sore thumb," said Tsetso.

During the design workshop, community members and students from Charles Yohin school suggested what they'd like to see.

Popular ideas included a window in the gym wall with a viewing area so people can watch the action, a large central lobby and a space for youth. Other suggestions include positioning the building so people can see the mountain when they leave and using stone from the mountain in the floor or entranceway of the structure.

The community input has been welcome, said Liza McPherson, superintendent for MACA in Fort Simpson.

"They really bought into the project," she said.

The gym will be built in the empty space behind the school in the centre of the community.

Based on the MACA standard size criteria the gym would have been 400 metres square, said McPherson.

Community members, however, were afraid the small size would limit activities, said Chief Eric Betsaka. The band decided to use some of their capital funding to increase the size of the play area.

The building will now be 500 square metres with a gym large enough for two regulation-sized badminton courts or one regulation-sized volleyball court.

MACA has budgeted $3.17 million for the total project cost. The community will be contributing $200,000 in 2007-08 and an additional $200,000 in 2008-09 to pay for the increased size of the structure, said McPherson.

A tender for the construction will be awarded this October with construction supplies being transported during the winter season in time for work to start in the spring of 2008.

The community has wanted a gym for at least 15 years and the project has been a few years in the works, said Betsaka.

"I certainly hope things go as planned," he said.

When completed, the gym will benefit both the students at the school and all other community members, said Wayne Ingarfield, the school's principal and one of the project's supporters.

The gym will allow students to play indoor soccer and other indoor sports. People in the community will be able to get involved in recreation activities and healthy lifestyles. It will give people something to do in their free time, said Ingarfield.

"It's an opportunity to get out and participate," Ingarfield said.