KANGIQTUGAAPIK/CLYDE RIVER - The keys have been turned over, the building is ready and the Piqqusilirivvik cultural learning facility will officially open on May 4 before its first set of students arrive in September.

"It's coming up pretty fast, we're getting excited and feeling a bit pressured to get everything done before then," said Johnathan Palluq, the facility's director.

Construction of Piqqusilirivvik, a 2,200-square-metre building, began in September 2009. The idea for the concept has been talked about for some time with official discussions starting in 2004. Cost to construct the building which the Government of Nunavut is paying for is $23 million.

It will be home and school for 26 students commencing this fall. Two students will come from each community across the territory.

"This whole initiative starts and ends with motivated students - the people who want to come to Clyde River to learn about Inuit society and culture in a very hands-on day to day way unlike any formal education they've had in the past," said Natan Obed, director of social and cultural development with NTI who sits on the Piqqusilirivvik committee.

Already on the invitation list for the opening ceremonies are the premier, representatives from different government departments, elders and members of the committee for the facility, said Palluq.

"We want not just the high level politicians but the people who have talked about the need for an Inuit cultural school for decades - elders, many of the people who have been in the forefront," said Obed.

The building boasts sewing rooms, a gathering hall, library, classrooms and other spaces for students, including a food preparation room which doubles as a skin preparation room complete with a walk-in freezer and stainless steel surfaces.

"This is a high-class building for traditional knowledge," said Hugh Lloyd, project co-ordinator with Piqqusilirivvik at the Department of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth.

Other than the computers and telephones having yet to be installed the building is ready to go.

The supplies needed for the first year will be brought up on sealift and flown in if necessary and the subsequent items will follow.

Once the facility is up and running Lloyd said the plan is to use it as a conference centre when students are not in school.

"It will be to recover the costs," he said, adding it would be ideal for conferences or tourist groups with accommodation for 26 people, meeting space and a kitchen facility.

He added the facility does not want to put the existing hotel out of business and that the impacts of having the facility in the community will be positive.

At the onset, the school was going to have a board of governors. There are discussion now as to who would sit on the board and if they would be independent from the government.

"The vision we have on all of this is the governance model will mature into a university-type model - an independent board that will make decisions for the best interest for the facility," Obed said.

The curriculum for the fall has yet to be finalized. Palluq said he hopes this will be done by April.

Piqqusilirivvik will have a total of 14 staff including Palluq.

Included in the total number of staff are two program co-ordinators, one each based in Iglulik and Baker Lake. Lloyd said there will be land-based programs out of each community. They will organize the trips finding locally-based instructors for each trip.

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