Elders not happy with location of new Fort McPherson seniors housing, says chief
Location near main road has no view of the mountains and swampy land, chief says
Some elders in Fort McPherson, N.W.T., aren't happy about the location of a new seniors home under construction, says the community's chief.
The building, which will have eight one-bedroom apartments and a unit for a caretaker, is being built near the main road that passes through the hamlet.
The $3,268,464 project is expected to be completed by November.
Chief William Koe says he's heard from several elders who feel they weren't properly consulted in deciding where it would go and that it should have been built in a quieter part of the community with a view of the mountains.
Koe also says residents are concerned that the home is being built on ground that's traditionally been known as swampy.
"It's like moss ground," he said. "And under there I don't know how the permafrost stays frozen. We might see the building shifting."
But Abe Koe, 76, said he's just glad that residents like him will soon have facility to call home.
The territorial government has not yet made anyone available to comment.
Officials from the Housing Corporation will be in the community in April to hear their concerns.