If nothing else, Andrew Johnson is a persistent man.
The chief of Seine River First Nation, located on Highway 11 about 90 km east of Fort Frances, saw that persistence pay of in spades last Friday when the new community centre officially opened its doors there.
But for Chief Johnson, the building represented more than just a top-quality meeting hall, gymnasium, and theatre. It represented the culmination of a vision.
From the beginning, this project was different than most. For starters, there was no tendering process in the conventional sense. Instead, the band council went with general contractors Valley Builders of Morris, Man.
Furthermore, the project came through on time and on budget. But according to Valley Builders president Gary Friesen, that was no coincidence.
“There’s no tendering process here,” he explained. “We design-build everything and we’re always on budget.”
Friesen said this project was almost ideal for his purposes. Not only was approval and financing swift in coming, but the site offered no unpleasant surprises for the construction team.
“This used to be a ball diamond,” he recalled. “If there’s swamp or rock, that can really cause problems. When we did the Bingo Palace at Couchiching, we had to blast through rock, but here there were no surprises.”
Friesen gave much of the credit for the success of the building to Chief Johnson, who stickhandled the project through the band council over a period of four years—two of which were while he was out of office.
“This is the best we’ve ever done and Andrew [Johnson] was a big part of it. It’s a template for future projects,” Friesen enthused.
Chief Johnson began working on the idea of a multi-use community and recreation centre in 1999 but when he lost the band election in 2001, the project gathered dust in a corner until he was re-elected last year.
In October, he once again pushed for the centre and last week, it was virtually complete.
The large floor is a full-size basketball/volleyball court, which can be converted quickly into a gallery for theatrical or musical productions on the deep, proscenium arch stage.
Friesen said the electrical system easily can accommodate any light or sound systems that might be required.
There is a large balcony that provides an unrestricted view of the floor from any seat and more seats can be brought in to place on the floor if needed.
In addition to spacious washrooms, there are showers and two water heaters to provide all the hot water anyone could need as well as central air-conditioning.
There also are several offices, which currently sit empty but are set up to handle phones, faxes, and computers. One room is being set aside as a library.
Of course, there also is a kitchen, which provided a sumptuous banquet for the assembled guests at last Friday’s grand opening.
Ontario NDP leader and local MPP Howard Hampton was on hand and lavished praise on the contractors and Chief Johnson for the success of the $1.2-million project.
About half of the money came from the proceeds of Casino Rama, near Toronto, with the balance coming from ONAS, the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, and the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines.
“I can’t think of a better use for that funding and you are all to be congratulated,” said Hampton.
Local provincial PC candidate Cathe Hoszowski was there to share her views on issues concerning district residents as well as to give away a weekend getaway at Little Moose Lodge, which she and her husband, Mark, operate on Clearwater Lake.
“I really appreciated having the opportunity to reach and share this special time with them [Seine River residents],” said Hoszowski. “I realize how important this achievement was and I am happy for them.”
The winner of the draw for the getaway was Wayne Anderson.
(Fort Frances Times)
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
