Nahanni Butte is set to transform drastically over the coming months and years thanks to a number of new construction projects.

SA国际影视传媒淭here has been a lot of action going on around Nahanni Butte,SA国际影视传媒� said Steve Vital, the chief of the community of fewer than 100 people.

SA国际影视传媒淚SA国际影视传媒檓 hoping the community looks a lot different [in the next few years].

SA国际影视传媒淲e are working together with our staff to make things better for the community and make the community a better place to live.SA国际影视传媒�

One of the most important projects underway in Nahanni Butte is the completion of a new seven-unit modular residential development. All of the supplies for the construction of the new residences arrived before the local ice road closed in early April, which allowed workers to begin construction while residents waited for the river taxi service to commence in early May.

Elsewhere in town, the communitySA国际影视传媒檚 bed and breakfast is being expanded. Three new rooms are being added to the property, initially to accommodate the workers required to build the new residential units.

Work is also underway on a new performance stage, which Vital hopes will be complete by August or September, at which point the community will have a new venue for live music, comedy, fashion shows and more.

The chief and his team are also hoping Nahanni ButteSA国际影视传媒檚 new fitness centre will be completed by August or September. The fitness centre will be housed in a pair of renovated trailers, which together will offer about 1,400 square feet for a range of exercise equipment. Vital joked that he plans to work on his fitness in the facility, SA国际影视传媒渁s long as thereSA国际影视传媒檚 an air conditioner in there.SA国际影视传媒�

The many projects underway around Nahanni Butte have created jobs, and caused the communitySA国际影视传媒檚 population to rise SA国际影视传媒� hence the need for the new residential complex.

The addition of new residents has also created a need to expand the band office.

In 2021, there were only five or six people working in the office. As of the first quarter of this year, that number has grown to nearly 30. Several of those employees are working out of the officeSA国际影视传媒檚 boardroom.

SA国际影视传媒淲e wanted to give them better space, and also the boardroom, we wanted to keep it empty for our meetings and other stuff,SA国际影视传媒� said Vital.

As with the housing units, the additional office materials also arrived before the ice road closed, allowing for construction to begin.

In addition to the many projects that are already underway around Nahanni Butte, the chief and his staff are also pushing ahead on two other initiatives. The first aims to have solar-powered street lights installed at the local boat launch, which also serves as the river taxi crossing. The project is in the SA国际影视传媒渄esign phase,SA国际影视传媒� according to the chief, and now hinges on funding from the federal government.

The other big initiative that Vital and his colleagues are pushing for is the creation of an all-season bridge.

When Nahanni ButteSA国际影视传媒檚 ice road closes each spring, residents are isolated until the ice clears from the river, and the river taxi service can commence. The problem repeats itself in the fall, when river taxi services concludes, and residents must wait for the ice road to freeze.

Leaders in Nahanni Butte have been pushing for a bridge for years. They are currently finalizing a report on the potential project, which they hoped to have completed in May. Then, according to Vital, they plan to SA国际影视传媒渆ngage the federal government and the GNWTSA国际影视传媒� in hopes of advancing the project.

With so many projects on the go, and others in development, it is certainly an exciting time for the community, and Vital believes residents are feeling optimistic about the future.

SA国际影视传媒淚 think everybodySA国际影视传媒檚 happy with what theySA国际影视传媒檙e seeing come up within the community, because not only are we getting a lot of infrastructure, weSA国际影视传媒檙e also creating a lot of jobs for everybody,SA国际影视传媒� the chief said.