Go Fund Me page set up for La Loche recreational centre

A Go Fund Me pagehas been set up to create a recreational centre in La Loche, Sask. Having a centre, wasone of Marie Janvier's dreams.

Janvier was one of four people killed in the mass shooting Jan. 22. Seven others were injured. The accused shooter is a teenage boy.

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Janvier wanted to have a recreational centre to give young people in the community a place to go. It's a dream many people in the community now share. As a village with Saskatchewan's highest suicide rate three times the national average finding a place for young people to spend time is paramount.

Marie's aunt, Diane Janvier-Dugan, says it's something residents havewanted since she was a student there in the 1980s.

I'm hopeful now....This terrible tragedy, it just affected the entire community.- Diane Janvier-Dugan

"And of course we were just young so there was really nothing we could do except express what we thought we needed back then," she said.

Janvier-Dugan's son became active, involved in BMX biking and skateboarding, but he still wanted a place where he could spend time with other young people.

"A place where he didn't need to have money to go," Janvier-Dugan said.

She says there is currently a pool hall, but she wants something that is open to teenagers whether they have money or not. The Go Fund Me page has a received a lot of attention, and Janvier-Dugan thinks it could createchange. The community is trying to raise $300,000 for the project.

"I'm hopeful now," she said. "This terrible tragedy, it just affected the entire community. And even seeing this Go Fund Me page ... That's more than we've ever seen with any conversation about a recreational centre in town."

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Janvier-Dugan says she's dealt with a range of emotions since her niece's death.

"At the beginning it was shock for everyone, and I still feel to some degree, I feel like I'm still in shock, 'cause I really haven't been able to cry. I feel anger inside, not at anybody, just how awful this whole thing was, still is."

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Janvier-Dugan wrote an open letter to politicians, saying she wants to see several changes, including a new recreational centre.