Colville Lake considers building new school
Planned renovations will not solve the problem of overcrowding in the one-room building, says community
Meagan Leonard
Northern News Services
Monday, March 30, 2015
KAHBAMIUE/COLVILLE LAKE
Residents of Colville Lake say proposed renovations to their one-room school are not enough and they want the territorial government to consider a new facility instead.
If the GWNT refuses, they just might take matters into their own hands.
The current log building was constructed in 1991 when the school and community population was much smaller, says Sahtu Divisional Education Council superintendent Seamus Quigg. When he stepped into the role in 1998, the school had 17 students - it now has 55. Although a portable was added nine years ago, both buildings are at capacity with limited division between classes.
"The problem is numbers have gone up significantly," Quigg explained.
"That is the main driver."
Money for interior renovations to the school has been set aside in the Department of Education Culture and Employment (ECE) 2015/16 capital budget to improve program delivery and sound transmission within the building.
However, Behdzi Ahda First Nation band manager Joseph Kochon says this would merely be a "patch-up job" and would not solve the issue of overcrowding going forward.
"We need a new school, our population is growing and it's growing rapidly with our young kids," Kochon said.
"The larger communities tend to be getting all the attention - if they need a new school then they get a new school."
After many fruitless discussions with the GNWT on the project, Kocher says the community is now considering funding the school itself and then leasing it back to the territorial government.
"It's something we want to pursue if they can attempt it instead of just a patch up job ... we want a new school and a legal-sized gym," he said.
"Slowly they're coming around and willing to entertain those discussions."
Sahtu MLA Norman Yakeleya has been vocal in the legislative assembly about the needs of Colville Lake since he was elected, but he says the government is slow to implement changes.
He specifically referenced the eight years of persuasion it took to replace the honey bucket system previously used in the school in place of a lavatory. However, there is still much to do.
"It's very cramped, there's no storage rooms, there is very thin ... partitions separating one class to the next, so ... noise is a big issue and concentration for the kids," he said.
"It's not conducive to a good educational learning environment."
Yakeleya says the new airport the community constructed over the last five years is evidence it is capable
of completing their own large-scale projects successfully.
"If they can build a $14 million runway, they can certainly build a $10 to 15 million school," he said.
"There's no shortage of skill there and they want to work - they're hard workers."
When asked about the plans for Colville Lake, ECE spokesperson Amber George told News/North from a structural point of view, there is essentially nothing wrong with the buildings.
"Typically building life is estimated at 40 years," she said.
"Although the replacement of the existing infrastructure is not anticipated at this time, the existing conditions of the buildings will be reviewed to ensure that a building addition will meet the long term needs of the school."
Quigg and Yakeleya will both be visiting the community during the first week of April along with representatives from ECE to discuss planning options with the community.
"We have to sit down with Colville Lake and work out the details and then they have to meet with the territorial government," Yakeleya said.
"That's when the fun part begins - the negotiations."
ECE is currently working on a planning study for the school to be completed by June 2015.
