Roxanna Thompson
Northern News Services
Friday, May 11, 2007

FORT SIMPSON - Questions are being raised in Fort Simpson about one possible location for the office building that will be built to replace Dehcho Hall.

At the end of April, some officials with the Department of Education, Culture and Employment were informed that the building could be placed on the Thomas Simpson school's ball diamond.

When the matter was raised at the tri-council meeting on May 2, the idea was ridiculed.

"I think that's a bad location to put a building," said Shaun Cli, a member of the Liidlii Kue First Nation's band council.

Tom Wilson, a village councillor, questioned why a building would be placed on the only area close enough for the Thomas Simpson students to use for outdoor gym activities.

"Why are they trying to get rid of an exercise area that does the kids some good," asked Wilson.

The idea to place a building on the ball diamond is "ludicrous," said Mayor Duncan Canvin.

"It's the most ill conceived spot on the island," said Canvin.

Canvin volunteered to write a letter to the territorial government, on behalf of the tri-council, to raise objections to the plan.

News of the proposed building's location has reached Thomas Simpson school.

"It's illconsidered," said principal Robert Byatt.

Byatt pointed out that the field offers the prime and only common green grass area used by the whole community.

Students at both local schools use the area. From now until the end of the school year there probably won't be a dry day when the field won't be in use, said Byatt.

The baseball diamond is the only one in the village that is practical for students to use. They would spend half their gym time walking to and from the other diamonds at the Papal site, he said. The field beside the diamond is also used officially and unofficially as a soccer pitch, said Byatt.

A final decision hasn't been made on the location of the building, said Charles Dent, minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

The area beside Thomas Simpson school is just one of a number of locations being examined by the Department of Public Works and Services and the contractor, said Dent.

If the baseball diamond was used it would be replaced with a new one after Dehcho Hall is demolished. Dent said, however, that if the community isn't interested in the idea the building probably wouldn't be placed there.

Dent said that he hopes to have the building's location finalized within the next week.

It's unlikely that time will be spent consulting the community on the location of the building, said Dent. If privately held lots are found ,the project will move ahead. Consultation would only be considered if the building was going to be put on public land.

Both the Department of Education, Culture and Employment and the Department of Public Works and Services are working to meet the deadline for the closure of Dehcho Hall. The office of the fire marshal has given the departments until May 2008 to close the building.

"We have to keep moving forward with the plan to meet the deadline," said Dent.

The new building will consist of 2,500 square metres over two storeys. It will house government departments that are currently in Dehcho Hall including Education, Culture and Employment, the Dehcho Divisional Education Council and Aurora College.