Inuvik (Feb 2o/06) - Students and educators with Aurora Campus in Inuvik are looking forward to a new campus residence.

The college is finishing the tender process to find a suitable contractor to build 30 single student units next to the college campus.

Aurora College president Maurice Evans envisions the Inuvik campus to include a number of buildings that would see not only a residence for single students, but residences for families as well.

"Right now we're just happy that the GNWT will be providing the resources for the residence," Evans said.

The idea of new student housing has been in the works since 1998, says Miki O'Kane, campus director.

"This will definitely benefit students," O'Kane said. "It will create a more positive living and learning environment in terms of having contact with staff support."

Students from the various communities throughout the Delta and beyond need help adjusting to life away from home, O'Kane says.

"We can help them with homesickness and we will have security at the new residence to give students extra comfort," O'Kane said.

For student Rosie Adams, "There's really a need for new housing."

Travelling from Fort Chipewyan in Alberta, Adams lives in the current student housing, known to students and staff as the Blueberry Patch because the entire complex of townhouses is painted blue.

They aren't palaces.

"The apartments are really old and they're hard to heat up in the winter, so it can get cold," Adams said.

The water pipes can get backed up as well, the student says, causing sinks to fill with water.

"The ventilation is bad and they're kind of rundown," Adams said.

Although she appreciates having a place to stay while taking the natural resources technology program, Adams admits students grumble sometimes at the lack of certain amenities.

"The family units don't have a washer or dryer, whereas the single units do," Adams said.

Design of the new residence will mirror the present campus building that houses classrooms, a library and administrative offices.

After Evans and his staff evaluate tender proposals and the funding for the project is set in place, the college will begin the process of building the residence.

The project is estimated at $4 million and is part of the territorial budget being tabled in the legislature. This is something Evans looks forward, to considering he's been working toward a new residence in Inuvik for years.

"We're optimistic there's support for this," Evans said.

Funding for the project should be made available sometime in April once the budget has been amended and passed.