Six Nations may get Elder & Youth Centre

SIX NATIONS – After years of community members pressuring its leaders to build a youth centre, that dream is one step closer to becoming reality. Representatives from K.L. Martin & Associates, a technical consulting firm on Six Nations met with Elected Council last week to present their design of a new Elder & Youth Centre. The new centre, if built, will go directly in between the arena and community hall and will connect the two buildings so that people can access any of the buildings without having to go outside.

In a 3-D modeling review was presented by K.L. Martin’s Senior Project Manager and Vice President Fred Doolittle, along with their Architect, Colleen M. Reid. The new centre would be formed to look similar to the arena and community hall. It will contain a main entrance, reception, gymnasium, senior’s area, offices, meeting rooms and a youth area.

Doolittle stated the estimated cost of the project would be roughly $4,162, 510.00 or $205 per square foot. He stated the arena and hall share the same sewage station and he wasn’t sure if it could handle an additional load.

Doolittle also said the existing drainage flows out to the northwest of the parking lot and suggested that storm water management should be looked into. One major concern brought up before Elected Council, according to Doolittle is the future skate park. “Everything flows to that point. With the new Centre there may be increased flow to that area, we’re not sure what could happen with additional flow,” stated Doolittle. K.L. Martin & Associates have notified Corey Marin, who is the President of Project Skate Park and has been doing fundraising since last year.

As of now the biggest concern of the new Elder & Youth Centre is the storm water management plan and whether it should be done and if so, how much and who is going to cover the costs. K.L. Martin & Associates President, Kevin Martin told Council, “The management plan is a tool to look at keeping water on site and how to deal with it. It may cost around $12,000 to do this, and a potential recommendation they may tell us is that we need a lagoon to control water on site.”

On the funding aspect of the storm water management plant, Councilor Bob Johnson stated, “The Center is something that should have happened years ago. It’s a Council issue not just a project issue.” Councilor Helen Miller stated, “I suggest we do what Kevin is talking about.”

Once started the project would take approximately 18 months to complete, according to Doolittle.

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