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ACHO DENE KOE/FORT LIARD - In the fall, visitors staying in Fort Liard will have a new option for accommodations.

The $1 million expansion of the Liard Valley General Store and Motel is progressing quickly, said Joanne Deneron, the co-owner and general manager.

The office space and motel suites in the new Liard Valley General Store and Motel Ltd.'s building are scheduled to be ready in September. - Roxanna Thompson/NNSL photo

Work started in April when the old store was demolished. The structure is scheduled to be completed by September.

Once finished, the building will contain rental office on the first floor and six motel suites on the second floor.

The suites, which include five single bedroom and one double bedroom options, will be used to accommodate people who are staying for an extended period in the hamlet.

"The need is there for something like that," said Deneron.

The new structure will supplement space at the current motel, which has 12 units.

Even for people staying only a week it's nice to have larger accommodations, she said.

Because there are no restaurants in the hamlet, the new suites will each include a full size fridge and stove so guests can prepare their own meals.

The idea to build suites for the motel has been in the works since the move from the old general store to the current location was made eight years ago, said Deneron.

The extra accommodations will help the community host meetings, she said.

Finding accommodations for meeting participants can be a barrier for holding events in Fort Liard, said Deneron. Besides private homes, the only other option for rooms is Beaver Enterprises Ltd.'s base camp.

The camp, however, is only opened if a group of at least 14 is staying more than one night, she said.

Even when there aren't any meetings in the hamlet, Deneron said the motel is often completely booked, making it difficult for visitors who have stopped in the hamlet without making reservations.

"People often forget they're coming into a little community and they come in and they think they can just find a room," she said.

Deneron said she's looking forward to offering accommodations in the new suites. The suites will be completely non-smoking.

Each suite will have satellite television and a telephone. When phones are put in the new building they'll also be installed in the existing motel units.