DENINU KU'E/FORT RESOLUTION - Fort Resolution is getting a youth centre earlier than expected, which will be open for business until a permanent one is constructed.

Deninu Ku'e First Nation (DKFN) has obtained the former office building of the now-closed Nuni (Ye) Development Corporation, which it is converting into a youth centre. DKFN Acting Chief Louis Balsillie said the children of the community need a place to go. The chief said it is hoped the centre will open this week. This new youth centre will be closed once the Hamlet of Fort Resolution completes construction of its planned youth centre.

"The minute they get theirs going, that one would be closed," Balsillie said.

The former Nuni building will then be converted into a tourist information centre.

Balsillie, who was a member of Nuni's board of directors, said DKFN obtained the building for about $30,000 by settling some of the corporation's debts - such as paying money owed to former employees, and a fee for a band loader the corporation had been using for a year. Work has already begun to convert the building into a youth centre.

Balsillie said youths have been working to clean the 32 by 24-foot building inside and outside.

"We already got it set up for the youth," Balsillie said, adding the centre will contain such things as video games, computers and a flat-screen television.

"Now what we're doing is waiting to get security. We're going to be putting cameras in," he said, adding a local business is also donating security windows for the building.

"We're hoping that nobody abuses it, because we don't have money. We're just running it on air," Balsillie said, adding the band has received some donations for the youth centre and obtained some funding to hire young people to look after the building.

The youth centre will have daytime activities for younger children, while older youth will be able to go there in the evening. Balsillie said the community will be asked to suggest possible names for the youth centre.

The Hamlet of Fort Resolution's plans for a permanent youth centre took a step forward with the closing of a call for proposals in late July for a contractor to design and construct the building.

"We haven't awarded the contract yet," said Eddy McKay, the project manager with the hamlet. "We're getting a technical review from consultants."

McKay declined to say how many proposals were received by the deadline. However, he did say the hamlet hopes to have its youth centre constructed before the end of the fiscal year.

The hamlet's youth centre will be located at the old sawmill site, on the left side of Highway 6 as it enters the community. The hamlet has dedicated about $1.4 million to the project.

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