New youth centre under construction for Little Salmon Carmacks First Nation

After years of anticipation, Little Salmon Carmacks First Nation youth will soon have a space to call their own.

Construction of a new youth centre in the community is expected to wrap up this coming spring.

“I’m really, really happy for the youth,” said Nina Dickson, assistant director of health and wellness for Little Salmon Carmacks First Nation.

Dickson says she started the project back in 2023 after the First Nation found funding through Jordan’s Principle.

For Little Salmon Carmacks First Nation Youth Councillor Chanel Johnnie, it's about providing a space for youth that's truly their own.

Currently, such a space doesn't exist in the community. The new building will help fill that gap, she said.

“They can't wait for their own building, that's for sure. The rec centre, it’s there, but it’s also there for everyone else,” said Johnnie.

“[The young people] are pretty shy and when they’re all together, they’re more outgoing. And that’s what they need, their own building to be more open to bloom into who they’re supposed to be.”

Youth in the community have been involved in the project from the start, says Dickson, so it will include everything they envisioned in a youth centre.

“We can try to act like we know what the youth want, but only they know what they want,” Dickson said. “And I think they really like to be included in that.”

Encouraging young people to share their perspectives wasn’t easy at first. Dickson said they were apprehensive because they didn’t believe the youth centre would become a reality.

“Just a lot of comments about ‘what does it matter? It’s not going to happen,’” she said. “And then they started coming around [and] more and more kids started showing up to the consultations and then by the end of it most of the youth were there.”

Once complete, the building will have a woodshop, space for metalworking, jewelry and art making, and a movie theatre, said Dickson. There will also be life skills programming and prevention work that includes naloxone training.

Opportunities for language learning

Chief Russel Blackjack says the centre will give youth the opportunity to learn their language, Northern Tutchone.

"Our younger kids are not fluent in our language, but this may help spark their interest," he said. "A lot of it has to do with fighting residential syndrome. It sort of took away our traditional way of life, our language, but now we're trying to bring it back."

Not only did the youth help design the centre, but they will also have a hand in building it. This spring, they will be able to assist in constructing the deck, said Oriel Flam-Shepherd with Wildstone Construction, the company building the centre.

“We’re going to be doing kind of like a teaching class with some community members through Yukon University,” he said. “Really looking forward to seeing that.”

Dickson says the next step will be to name the building. And, in keeping with every step of the project, the name will be up to the youth to decide.

Dickson expects the centre will officially open next summer — showing youth in the community that their ideas and their future matter.

“I think it’s so important that they know that they have their own space and that it’s important they know that people care.”