“It’s a facility for anybody to use,” says Jonathan Antoine of the new Łı́ı́dlı̨ı̨ Kų́ę́ Cultural Tourism Centre, which holds its grand opening on Thursday.
The Fort Simpson site includes a central kitchen, sauna, five cabins heated by propane, five canvas tents heated by wood stove, solar panels to help power the facilities and a gazebo where visitors can warm up by a fire.
Antoine, the Łı́ı́dlı̨ı̨ Kų́ę́ First Nation’s tourism coordinator, said on Wednesday the site will be used by schools and other organizations for land-based training. He also hopes it will attract more tourism to Fort Simpson.
Antoine said the centre will provide a good stopping-off point for people travelling to the Nahanni National Park Reserve or on to Wrigley, and has capacity for 25 people who may want to spend the night.
Construction began in 2023, though it was delayed by a year after that summer’s forest fires prevented materials from getting to Fort Simpson.
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The construction project made use of skills and expertise available in the NWT and beyond.
Nogha Enterprises was hired as the primary contractor, Fort Providence-based Gonezu Energy handled the electrical work, installation of the solar panels and some finishing touches to the cabins, and Edmonton-based Knotty Pine Cabins provided materials.
Arctic Response Canada ran a training program that taught people – many of them from Fort Simpson – the carpentry skills required to build the cabins. People between the ages of 16 and 65 were encouraged to apply and Antoine said just under 20 people were paid an hourly wage for the job.
One of the younger participants in the program, Antoine said, is now in school to get his Red Seal certification in carpentry. Beyond that, he said, the tourism centre is much-needed in the community.
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“I think it’s needed in every community in the North, and we’re just here to prove that it could be done,” said Antoine.
“Anybody that wants to do this, they could do it. I’ll be here to cheer them on.”
Celebrations will begin at noon on Thursday and include lunch, a fire-feeding ceremony and remarks from people who were involved in the project.
A shuttle service to the site, located near the Fort Simpson ski hill, will be offered from the band office starting at 11:30am.
