N.W.T. art centre looks to build on former site of Akaitcho Hall,
wants community input
NewCBC News | Posted: June 8, 2025 10:00 AM | Last Updated:
Just now
Gatherings later this month will ask residents how best to
honour the Yellowknife site’s legacy
Image | Akaitcho Hall
Caption: Akaitcho Hall students playing hockey outside the
residence, c1961. The group behind a new N.W.T. art centre is
considering building the facility on the former site of
Akaitcho Hall. (NWT Archives/Akaitcho Hall
collection/N-2000-002: 0021)
(BUTTON) Load Image
Open Image in New Tab
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.
More Stories Like This
The related links below are generated automatically based on
the story you’ve just read.
Loading...
CBC Lite is a low-bandwidth website. To see what's new, check
out our release notes. For high quality images, media,
comments, and other additional features visit the full version
of this story.
We and select advertising partners use trackers to collect some
of your data in order to enhance your experience and to deliver
personalized content and advertising. If you are not
comfortable with the use of this information, please review
your device and browser privacy settings before continuing your
visit. Learn more about Online Tracking and Privacy Choices.
* Corrections and Clarifications
* Terms of Use
* Reuse & Permission
* Privacy
* Accessibility
* Contact a Newsroom
* Submit Feedback
* Lite Help Centre
* Jobs
* RSS
