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Rising from the ashes

Baker students find new space following fire

Darrell Greer
Northern News Services

Baker Lake (Sep 19/01) - There's a silver lining to the dark cloud of smoke that closed Nunavut Arctic College's Community Learning Centre in Baker Lake earlier this month.



Mike Shouldice: The community of Baker Lake rallied quickly to provide suitable accommodation.


The fire was discovered at the Community Learning Centre at about 8 p.m. on Sept. 6.

Fire marshal Tim Hinds said this week the fire was a furnace-related incident with minimal damage to the building.

"The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but it could have been an improper fuel mixture, a clogged jet, water in the fuel -- it's hard to say at this point," said Hinds.

"The building is closed to further occupancy through a fire marshal's order until the situation can be cleaned up."

A number of students were initially affected by the building's closure, and were left to wonder if space could be found in the hamlet to run their courses this semester.

Mike Shouldice, campus director for Arctic College's Kivalliq campus in Rankin Inlet, said the community of Baker Lake rallied quickly to provide suitable accommodation for the students.

The community support worker program has found space in the Jessie Oonark Centre and "the students seem quite please with that move," said Shouldice.

"As well, the Department of Public Works and Services came to the rescue for the rest of our courses with a five-plex unit which the college will take on lease for a year."

Shouldice said that, in theory, a new Community Learning Centre is included in Baker Lake's capital plan for 2002.

Should that unfold as planned, the space made available to the college was the best possible scenario that could have evolved from the fire.

"We've got nice space for this term and the capital plan was already in place to replace the centre, so I think everyone in Baker Lake really rallied on this one," said Shouldice.