Group hopes to continue buildingSA国际影视传媒檚 legacy of serving community groups

It sits rather quietly between the Children First Centre and Northmart, but the Inuvik Interagency CommitteeSA国际影视传媒檚 building has a long history in the region, and the committee is now looking to move onto the next chapter in its life.

The interagency group was formed in 1984, but the building is much older. It began as a school in Reindeer Station north of Inuvik, but was moved to Inuvik when the city was built.

It began its adopted life in Inuvik as the Northwest Territories Training Centre, a resource for people to increase their training and employment capabilities. As Aurora College took over most of the training programs in town, the centre eventually shut down.

It was moved again from where the high school now is to its current location, avoiding demolition.

SA国际影视传媒淚 was looking out my office window the day that they moved it,SA国际影视传媒� said Alana Mero, chair of the interagency committee, recalling a time she was still with the college.

In 2002, having hired a coordinator and needing a permanent space to operate out of, the interagency committee took over ownership of the building.

Now that the interagency group has scaled back, the building is no longer in need. It is seeking proposals from community groups to take over ownership.

SA国际影视传媒淲hen we got it from the training centre, the deal was that we would pass it on to another non-profit group,SA国际影视传媒� said Mero.

The building is being offered to a community group for $1. The group would still have to cover utilities.

The building has a main room, offices, bathrooms and a kitchen.

SA国际影视传媒淚 think itSA国际影视传媒檚 special just because so many people in town have been involved with that building,SA国际影视传媒� said Mero.

SA国际影视传媒淗undreds of people went through the training centre there, people have done arts courses there, weSA国际影视传媒檝e had different workshops there. I think itSA国际影视传媒檚 a got a lot of good, solid memories for people. Because itSA国际影视传媒檚 still a resource, we want somebody else to take it and keep contributing to the community with it.SA国际影视传媒�

The interagency group was originally formed when community members wished to discuss issues in town as a result of the pressures of the then booming oil and gas industry.

It has since met every third Wednesday of every month and serves as an open platform for people to bring up issues in town and advocate for changes.

Many programs have either come directly from the interagency committee or been pushed in the interagency committee, from the justice committee to the Children First Centre and homelessness resources.

It is intended as a fluid group, where members of the public are welcome to attend. When there is a big issue in town, maybe 40 people will show up. When not too much is going on, itSA国际影视传媒檚 more like a dozen.

With the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline looking like a reality back in the early 2000s, the interagency committee hired a coordinator to prepare for any issues that development might create in the region.

SA国际影视传媒淏ack then we really didnSA国际影视传媒檛 have a lot of any services for the homeless, so that was one of the big issues we took on,SA国际影视传媒� said Mero.

But with the pipeline not going through, the need for the building dissipated. The interagency group currently meets at the Aurora Research Institute.

The interagency group is receiving proposals for a community group to take it over.

Applicants will need to state what their need for the space is, how theySA国际影视传媒檙e going to use it and how that will benefit the community.

SA国际影视传媒淭he whole idea of the interagency is weSA国际影视传媒檙e trying to benefit the community, so itSA国际影视传媒檚 not intended for a private business, but if thereSA国际影视传媒檚 another non-profit group in town or one of the land claims groups that says, SA国际影视传媒楬ereSA国际影视传媒檚 what we can use it for,SA国际影视传媒� and that sounds like it would be good for Inuvik, then they can take it over,SA国际影视传媒� said Mero.

SA国际影视传媒淭he last thing we want is it just sits there or in the end we end up tearing it down because nobody wants it.SA国际影视传媒�

The group will be receiving proposals until May 15.