K'atlodeeche First Nation (KFN) is back in its regular band office building after about a year away to allow for renovations.
Peter Groenen, the chief executive officer with KFN, said the band office reopened for business on Oct. 23.
On the previous weekend, a crew moved everything from the former Nats'ejee K'eh Treatment Centre, where the band offices had relocated while the renovations were underway.
Groenen admitted that the first week back wasn't very productive for the 18 people who work in the building.
"We were unpacking and there were some loose ends that had to be tied up with our IT network and telephones," he said.
Groenen said the former treatment centre was a fine place to work while the renovations were proceeding.
"It was a nice building," he said. "It was hard for people to want to move because it was a very large building, and lots of room. It was a much larger building than this one, obviously."
The interior of the band office was basically gutted and rebuilt by Naegha Zhia Inc., the development arm of KFN.
"We did the outside the summer before and then we worked on the inside from the fall," Groenen explained.
While the exterior work was done, the KFN employees remained in the building.
Now that the renovations are complete, Groenen said the new band office is a beautiful building.
"It incorporates culture," he said. "It's new. It's something the people will be proud of."
Groenen said the renovations have created professional, modern offices in what had previously looked like an older, dated building.
"Probably we spent a little more than $1 million on the total renovation," he said.
A grand opening has yet to be scheduled, but it is expected to take place before Christmas.
The highlight of the renovated offices is the new council chambers – round like a tipi and at the centre of the building.
Groenen said the room will be available for rent by groups seeking a place to hold meetings.
"If they want to come over and have a meeting, they could come over and rent it," he said. "We're always looking for revenue. Like every other community, we're always short of money."
The First Nation is looking at buying some communications equipment for the council chambers so people can do videoconferencing there because it already has big-screen televisions.
Groenen noted the council chambers have 20 chairs around a table, along with benches along the wall, meaning it could accommodate 30 to 35 people.
The renovations actually began in the fall of 2015 with work on the foundation of the building.
Afterward, the project moved on to putting new siding on the building. A special aspect of the siding is it features a striking blue and grey design which is meant to resemble looking into a forest.
The building was originally the town hall in Pine Point before it was moved to the Hay River Reserve in the mid-1980s.