Work on Colville Lake’s new school inches forward

A new school for Colville Lake is still coming but the project isn’t shovel-ready yet, NWT education minister Caitlin Cleveland says.

Colville Lake’s existing one-room schoolhouse, while a beautiful log building, has long been considered inadequate for the school’s needs.

Sahtu MLA Danny McNeely queried progress on the project in the legislature last week.

According to McNeely, Colville Lake’s Behdzi Ahda First Nation plans a permanent school building with six classes in two rooms. Modular units will temporarily house students until a new school opens.

Unusually, the First Nation is considered the project lead rather than the GNWT. Cleveland said her department has signed a contribution agreement with the First Nation to fund a design for the new school as well as a cost estimate for construction.

At the moment, the minister said, some geotechnical work has been commissioned and a draft concept design exists.

“Unfortunately, while the contribution agreement has expired, the schematic design and cost estimate has not yet been submitted to the department,” Cleveland told McNeely in the legislature.

“I really look forward to working with the member on seeing this project move forward and seeing a new school in Colville.”

The territorial government earmarked $818,000 for the school and $1,921,000 for three portables among its planned 2023-24 infrastructure spending. Planning for the new school was projected to be complete this fiscal year.

Premier RJ Simpson, who was previously the education minister, has said the project’s unique process with the First Nation as the lead – along with challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic and the lack of an all-season road to Colville Lake – mean progress has taken time.

Last week, McNeely also questioned Cleveland about how to cover the cost of the school.

The Sahtu MLA called the school a “unique opportunity” to explore the likes of lease-back ownership, a community government mortgage or other ways for construction to be funded.

Cleveland said the community had suggested various options like a public-private partnership, a build-lease arrangement or third-party funding contributions, but the NWT government “needed more information in order to consider moving away from kind-of the conventional approach.”

The minister said a cost estimate needs to be received to “provide that clarity the government was looking for” to settle on a funding option.

Chief Richard Kochon of the Behdzi Ahda First Nation did not immediately respond to a request for comment.