Prime Minister Harper today visited the joint construction site of both the new Kluane National Park Visitor Centre and of the Dä Kų Cultural Centre. Both centres are located just outside Kluane National Park on traditional Champagne and Aishihik First Nations land. The Prime Minister was joined by Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health and Minister of the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency, and Yukon Premier Darrell Pasloski, as well as Member of Parliament Ryan Leef, and Champagne and Aishihik First Nations (CAFN) Chief James Allen.
“Canadians who visit Kluane will fully enjoy the natural beauty that our country has to offer and will be able to learn more about our remarkable First Nations’ heritage,” said the Prime Minister. “The two new centres being built near spectacular Kluane National Park will give a boost to the local economy through new jobs and tourism revenues.”
The visitor centre, which will be housed within the cultural centre, will offer Canadians and international tourists insight into the park’s natural and cultural history, information on hiking and other activities, and allow visitors to experience the rich history and culture of the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations. The Government of Canada supported the new visitor centre through the Economic Action Plan’s Improving Parks Canada’s National Historic Sites and Visitor Facilities program. Parks Canada will lease the space for the visitor centre from the CAFN.
The Dä Kų Cultural Centre will be used as a community gathering place for the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations people – a place where they can celebrate their culture, traditions, languages and arts, and share the wisdom of their Elders with others, including park visitors. The Government of Canada contributed to the construction of the cultural centre under Infrastructure Canada’s Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund.
