Paul Bickford
Northern News Services
Published Monday, August 27, 2007
YELLOWKNIFE - Michael McLeod has decided what projects will be funded in Hay River and Fort Resolution under the Community Capacity Building Fund.
The Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs (MACA) divided the two communities' shares of the fund after their main political groups could not agree how to spend the money.
In Hay River, $350,000 will go to renovate the Aboriginal Centre, $206,588 to improve playgrounds and parks, and $1,075,512 to help renovate or replace the town hall/fire hall.
Plus, $350,000 has been set aside for improvements at the West Point First Nation offices once the band - which is in third-party management by Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) - sorts out its political difficulties.
"We're going to hold it for probably six months or so," McLeod said of the funding for West Point.
In Fort Resolution, McLeod decided on $229,038 for renovations and upgrades for three projects including the arena, cemetery, and upgrades to St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church. There was also $150,762 dedicated to constructing a new office building for the Metis Council.
That is in addition to $411,200 the community previously agreed to spend from the fund for a youth centre.
The main political groups in the two communities had failed to agree on joint proposals by the fund's final deadline of June 30.
Afterwards, McLeod requested the groups separately submit proposals to his department by July 20.
"We received fair feedback in both cases," McLeod said.
The minister said Hay River town council and the Hay River Metis Council resubmitted an agreement they had reached with West Point in February on spending the community's $1.9 million share of the fund. There was no response from West Point.
The February deal was not accepted by MACA because West Point was in a leadership dispute and the agreement was signed by a chief not recognized by INAC.
In Fort Resolution, Deninoo Community Council and Deninu K'ue First Nation made a joint submission, and the Fort Resolution Metis Council made a separate proposal.
Kara King, the president of the Metis Council, said her organization was seeking $250,000 for a new office building, while the band and community council suggested the Metis get $60,000.
The Metis Council is happy to get $150,000, King said. "We're quite pleased with it."
McLeod said, in all, the fund is supporting about 230 projects throughout the NWT.
"There are a lot of good things happening," he said.
Some communities took a long time agreeing on proposals, he said.
"In other communities it flowed through quite easily."
"It forced everyone to sit down and talk about what's important for their communities."
Thirty-one of 33 communities in the NWT decided on their own projects.
One of the goals of the fund, established in 2005, was to encourage various groups to work together.
The initial deadline for proposals was Nov. 1, 2006. That was extended to March 31 of this year and again extended to June 30.
