Chief John Keenatch High School & Jim Neilson Memorial Arena – Big River First Nation No. 118

The Chief John Keenatch High School & Jim Neilson Memorial Arena project includes several unique design features.  The first floor of the school includes a gymnasium complete with bleacher for viewing, locker rooms, fitness room, washroom and storage rooms, a wood shop, mechanicals room, commons area with servery, a cultural room equipped with specialty HVAC to accommodate smudging and fireplace for traditional learning, a 350-seat lecture hall/theatre, administration offices and 10 classrooms including a home economics classroom and special education classroom.

The second floor includes a walking track around the perimeter of the gymnasium with viewing below, a library with floor to ceiling windows, a science lab, computer room, Cree language room, and mechanical/electrical room.  The school includes an elevator and gender-neutral washrooms.

The exterior features include a football/soccer field with track around perimeter, a baseball field with backstop, parking and industrial arts compound.  The Bus Garage is a Pre-Engineered Building designed to accommodate four team buses.  This garage also features a “Land Learning” room that provides space to process game along with refrigerator and freezer space c/w hide processing equipment.  VCM coordinated the installation of all site services (water, sewer, gas and power) as well as asphalt for the parking lot.

Adjoining the School is the Jim Neilson Memorial Arena.  This is a single ice surface with 80-ton artificial ice plan with spectator seating to accommodate 500 people.  Four hockey dressing rooms are located adjacent the surface along with two flex Change Room spaces, referee and coaches rooms.  The Lobby includes a kitchen/concession for serving events.  Other ancillary spaces include a first aid room, skate sharpening, sound booth and zamboni room.

This project featured a large local labour component.  VCM was honoured to work with Elders to provide input and participation at several points during construction.