Lynn Lau
Northern News Services

Inuvik (July 08/02) - Aurora College held a sod-turning ceremony June 28 for its new $9 campus building in Inuvik.

MLA Roger Allen, Aurora College president Maurice Evans and members of the board of governors were on hand for the ceremony in the pouring rain Friday morning.

"It's wonderful it's finally happening," said Miki O'Kane, director of Aurora Campus, the college's Inuvik branch.

She said the construction of the project wouldn't have happened if the college and the community hadn't worked together to make it a priority.

The new building is targeted to open in September 2003.

It will replace the existing four-storey main building, which was once an RCMP barracks.

"This old building only has two real classrooms in it," O'Kane says.

"This new one has up to seven -- it's smaller but it's designed more efficiently and it's designed for academic purposes."

Construction on the site of the old Grollier Hall began in May.