Whale Cove (May 04/05) - Students at Inuuglak school in Whale Cove will find their school has doubled in size when they return to class this August.

"As you can see, we need the space," says principal Charlie Anderson as he walks to the new gymnasium, waving at TVs and VCRs parked in an unlit hallway.

Inside, six new basketball hoops hang unused, their glass backboards gleaming under fluorescent lights. Bleachers stand nearby, along with a full canteen, a stage and much more.

This stands in stark contrast to the old, run-down gym, where for a while one of the two nets had fallen down. The new gym will double as the community hall, while the old one will be taken apart, plank by plank, and its materials will be used by residents for other things, like building qamutiks.

The $5 million expansion, which is scheduled to be complete in May, also includes a small engine repair room with double doors and proper ventilation, a wood shop, three full kitchens with a demonstration area, a fully-equipped science lab, a computer room, elder's area, special needs room and extra book storage.

"For a school that didn't have a wood shop, that'll really help with the guys' land skills," Anderson said.

The new gym will help keep students occupied with sports teams that have formed over the last two years, he said. Now they have the facilities they hope to use one day to host a territorial championship.

The student council also plans to sell goodies out of the new canteen.

Twenty-four new computers are another new addition to the school, bought with $30,000 provided by the Community Access Program. The centre opens soon, and will provide Internet access to the community 20 hours a week.

"Everyone is extremely excited," he said.