Summer plans for a makeover of Chief Jim Koe Park got a final boost in a $562,666 cash injection from the federal government, announced by NWT MP Michael McLeod March 2 at the Midnight Sun Complex.
Drawn from the Canada Cultural Spaces Fund, the funding announcement brings the Chief Jim Koe Park Redevelopment project to over $1.04 million in total, combined with a $475,000 grant from CanNor.
"This funding will provide a modern special events pavilion that will include a new mobile stage, modular decking and accessible bleacher seating," said McLeod. "Our government has made arts and culture a priority, investing an additional $300 million over 10 years towards improving cultural infrastructure across the country."
Plans for the park also include a new visitor's centre that can operate all-year-round and a multi-use building for markets and other events that would include public washrooms.
Consultations on how to modernize the park began six years ago with a community meeting.
"We have a hope and a goal to have it in for the Northern Games 50th anniversary, but that's not a guarantee by any means," said Mayor Natasha Kulikowski. "Because of the covered stage area it means that rain or shine, wind or snow, we will be able to host some things under there."
She noted the grant-funding nature of the project had required town administration to piece together several different funding options to get the desired improvements in place, but there was still more to be done.
Another portion of the park, Peggy Curtis Field, is still awaiting a source of funding after several near-starts. Councillors had previously made calls to write a strongly worded letter to the NWT government on the matter, but Kulikowski said she was able to bring up the matter during a meeting with cabinet Feb. 19.
She added the next big steps were getting tenders out for the projects and getting materials ordered before the road closes for the spring thaw.
"If we're going to look at a hopeful July opening, we definitely need to have things here before the road closes at the end of May," she said.
Senior administrative officer Grant Hood said he expected the town's total cost for the pavilion would be in the $300,000 range.
He noted the stage would be a portable stage, which will require specific technical expertise. The town has one on hand already and is happy with it, so Hood said he expected the town to go with the same manufacturer for this one.
"There is specific training you need, so you don't want to have two different things," he said, noting council was also awaiting the final design for the other side of the plan involving the visitor centre and Arctic market building. "The hand's now going to Kecil Joseph and Jackie Challis to get the ball rolling.
"They did hours and hours and hours of work to get this funding. They deserve the credit for it all and they have a pretty good idea of what they want to do now."