N.W.T. art centre looks to build on former site of Akaitcho Hall, wants community input

The group spearheading a project to build a new art centre in the N.W.T. is considering putting the facility on the site of a former government-run hostel and wants to know how others in the territory feel about that. 

The N.W.T. Art Centre Initiative is working to build a non-commercial art gallery in Yellowknife, and after a recent assessment of where it might go, the former site of Akaitcho Hall — a residence for students attending Sir John Franklin High School — emerged as a top contender. The group is now holding two gatherings later this month to hear what the public thinks.

Sara Komarnisky, the development specialist with the project, said the Akaitcho Hall site is attractive for its proximity to Yellowknife's downtown, and to existing art amenities and education facilities. It also has access to outdoor space, a view of Great Slave Lake and a large enough location for potential future expansion.  

Komarnisky also recognizes the importance of honouring the site's legacy. 

"We can't really move forward without having a conversation about what it means to people who went to the school, and to the public, about building an art centre in this space," Komarnisky said. 

Akaitcho Hall operated from 1958 to 1994, run first by the federal government, then by the territorial government, without church involvement. It's among the institutions listed in the federal Residential Schools Settlement Agreement.

Four students died there over the years, according to the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation.  

Crystal Fraser, a Gwichyà Gwich'in scholar and consultant on the art centre project, said there's a lot to talk about and learn when it comes to Akaitcho Hall's legacy. 

"It resonates with familiar residential school narratives, and that includes the forced relocation of Indigenous children, questionable living conditions," she said. 

She pointed to how, in 2021, Yellowknifers left shoes at the former Akaitcho Hall site to honour the memory of children who died at residential schools. Fraser also said RCMP were called to investigate multiple times throughout Akaitcho Hall's history, and there was overcrowding with 300 students living there when its capacity was closer to 250. 

She also said the facility was unique in not having ties to the church and that it had a fairly large non-Indigenous population. 

"So we're really hoping that folks can come out, in community. We're going to have wellness supports available. Share your stories, your thoughts about that site being re-purposed, and just add to this larger conversation about truth and reconciliation that we're having in the North," Fraser said. 

The first gathering is being held in person at the Tree of Peace in Yellowknife on June 17 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. The second will be held virtually on June 25 from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Participants can register through the art centre's website. 

Komarnisky said there are a lot of ways to reflect the history of residential schools at the site, if that's where the art centre is ultimately built. She said that could be through the design of the building, the naming of the space, its programming, or something outside the facility on the grounds. She said they're open to any other suggestions from the public. 

Komarnisky said the centre, once built, will likely have two galleries and a community space for gathering.

She said it's too soon to say when the centre might open.