Photo courtesy District of Vanderhoof
Vanderhoof

New Indigenous cultural centre coming to Vanderhoof

Oct 18, 2021 | 5:27 PM

VANDERHOOF – The Vanderhoof Heritage Park boasts a lot of history, but soon there will be even more with a new cultural centre set to be constructed on the site.

The new cultural centre has been funded by multiple levels of government. The federal government has committed $780,000 for the project, the province has committed $520,000, and the Northern Development Initiative Trust has committed $250,000.

Mayor of Vanderhoof Gerry Thiessen says he is excited to see the completed building and was ecstatic to see the funding come together from all levels of government.

“We’ve never had anything like this before in Vanderhoof,” says Thiessen. “This will be a gathering place for our community.”

The project is expected to be complete with artifacts, art, and other significant Indigenous pieces from the Saik’uz First Nation in early 2022.

Early renderings of the building include a massive gallery space with an adjacent meeting room and kitchen.

The hope is that the new circular building shaped like a pit house can provide a space for learning about the history of local Indigenous people in the region, and provide a space for events in the future.

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