New Whitehorse children's home under construction
Last Updated: Wednesday, November 11, 2009 | 3:07 PM CT
CBC News
Construction is underway in Whitehorse on a new $1.5-million children's receiving home that will replace an aging facility next year.
The old Children's Receiving Home, which provided short-term residence for youth aged 10 to 18 in need, was shut down by the Yukon government last year after staff reported a mould infestation and safety issues.
The new eight-bedroom building, which will house up to six teenage boys and staff, has already been framed in since construction began in September.
Federal and territorial government officials gathered at the site on Tuesday for a sod-turning ceremony.
"This building will provide residence for boys only, as girls will continue to stay in a different building," Yukon Health and Social Services Minister Glenn Hart said at the ceremony.
"They were together before previously, and … well, we had some difficulties with the testosterone and things like that. So we decided to separate them, and we had great success with that already since we've done that."
The Yukon and federal governments are jointly funding the $1.5-million construction project, with over $1 million of that coming from the federal government's Economic Action Plan.
The Children's Receiving Home is meant to be a temporary stop for children in need, with a maximum stay of three months.
However, some children at the the old facility stayed as long as a year or more — an issue Hart said the government is working to address.
Security was also a concern at there old home, especially when RCMP were called there upwards of 46 times in between January and May 2007.
More security measures will be built into the new home, such as cameras in the backyard and larger entrances, said Nancy Duesener, the Health Department's manager of children assessment and treatment.
"Whereas before we had children in dorms and that kind of thing, now we have them each with their own individual bedroom," Duesener added.
Duesener said she hopes to invite neighbours to the new children's home for a tour before it officially opens next fall.
