The Iskut First Nation can host more workshops and elder and youth gatherings in their community now that the local hall has been renovated, thanks in part to funding from Northern Development. Iskut, a small community of a few hundred members located along Highway 37 near Dease Lake, began extensive renovations of the hall in 2011 in order to bring it up to the standards of the community. The hall, originally built in 1977, had never previously received upgrades or renovations, making it difficult for the Iskut to host events locally. The Iskut First Nation provided more than $200,000 in funding to support the upgrades. Additional funding came from Barrick Gold Corp. ($500,000) and Northern Development ($30,000). Northern Development’s grant funding was provided through the Trust’s Community Halls and Recreation Facilities program, and was used to purchase new equipment to make it easier for the hall to host events. The renovations mean the community will be able to host more revenue-generating events that will support the local economy, and that the hall will remain a permanent and central fixture in Iskut.
Iskut First Nation band manager Feddie Louie said of the upgrades: “It means the community has a functional community hall that is nice, clean and bright and can hold more functions than ever before.”
