Arthur Milnes
Northern News Services

NNSL (Jan 11/99) - When the folks at Britain's august Cambridge University say they'll help out, they put their money where their mouths are.

That's what members of the Kitikmeot Heritage Society have been learning since their library and heritage centre went up in flames -- along with the community's high school -- in a tragic fire last summer.

Cambridge University's Howarth Penny happened to be on the scene that day. Saddened by the tragedy he witnessed -- books, manuscripts and irreplaceable oral histories all taken by the fire -- he resolved to help out upon his return to England.

He's been in regular contact with the heritage society's Kim Crockatt since then. She's now just learned the first cheque, to the tune of almost $3,000, should arrive in Cambridge Bay by the end of the month.

"We have raised about $2,600 and will make our first transfer of funds by the end of January," Penny said in a recent e-mail to Crockatt.

This is just the beginning.

The Cambridge Canadian Alumni Group, based in Ottawa, is now organizing a party to raise funds for the campaign. Rotary Clubs in both Britain and Canada are said to be interested in assisting and articles promoting the campaign have run in both the local Cambridge, England, newspaper and the Cambridge University newsletter. And, the list could go on.

"The real fund-raising will take off in the new year and we are hoping that we can organize several events to coincide with the birth of Nunavut in April," Penny says. "...All of the team are eagerly looking forward to the big push ... and to us being able to send you lots of money to help with the restoration of the Northern collection, and the library as a whole, in the new year."

In Cambridge Bay, Crockatt and her colleagues have obviously been moved by this support from across two oceans.

"We're overwhelmed," she says. "They sound like a great group of people over there (in Cambridge, England)."