New floor for Lutsel K’e arena
Diamond company contributes $100,000 to replace sand base with asphalt so facility can be used throughout the year
Shane Magee
Northern News Services
Monday, June 20, 2016
LUTSEL K'E/SNOWDRIFT
The sand base of Lutsel K'e Community Arena will be replaced with a hard surface, opening the rink to use for more activities.
The sand, which is flooded to form the ice surface, means the facility's floor can't be used year-round.
De Beers Canada announced it is providing $100,000 toward the project during a tour and barbecue in the community June 14.
Lutsel K'e Dene First Nation Chief Felix Lockhart stated in a news release the new floor will allow the facility to hold sports events like indoor soccer, basketball or community feasts and other events.
"This investment into the arena, one of Lutsel K'e's most important pieces of infrastructure, will benefit all residents, in particular our youth," Lockhart stated.
Kim Truter, CEO of De Beers Canada, announced the funding for the project that's a partnership with the Lutsel K'e Dene First Nation and federal government.
"By working with the community and government, De Beers is helping to improve the quality of life in Lutsel K'e but we're also investing in developing capacity in the community to manage a large infrastructure development," Truter stated in the news release.
Tom Ormsby, a De Beers spokesperson, said the funding is expected to be used in combination with federal government funds.
A total cost of the work was not immediately available.
Ormsby said the spending is the company's largest donation this year.
The First Nation's economic development agency, Denesoline Corporation, will manage the project.
Denesoline project manager Jesse Weng said when the work starts depends on when materials and equipment arrives by barge.
The announcement comes after De Beers had previous slashed funding following the decision to cease production at its Snap Lake Diamond Mine in December.
Hundreds were laid off while others had their jobs moved to the Gahcho Kue diamond mine that's expected to begin production this year.
In 2014, the company had provided nearly $240,000 in arts, culture and heritage funding to organizations in the Northwest Territories, according to the Snap Lake Mine Socio-Economic Report released that same year.
After production ceased at the mine, it cut $30,000 in annual sponsorship to the NorthWords writers festival in Yellowknife.
It also slashed a $30,000 sponsorship of an ice carving competition at the Yellowknife Long John Jamboree.
After the mine ceased production, Ormsby said the company reviewed how the money it had available could be best used.
"This (arena spending) is something our team had been trying to work on for quite some time - it may have been a couple years," Ormsby said, calling it the largest single investment the company has made.
