INUVIK - Most of the 30 onlookers from Inuvik's Muslim community broke into an Arab song of praise as they watched their new house of worship arrive by barge on the Mackenzie River on Sept 22.

Amier Suliman and his son Saliem are all smiles with the arrival of the mosque at the Northern Transportation Company Ltd. (NTCL) dock yard Sept. 22. - Andrew Rankin/NNSL photo

Amier Suliman stood smiling at the Northern Transportation Company Ltd. (NTCL) dockyard when the barge arrived, carrying the long-awaited mosque.

"This mosque, it's a dream come true," said Suliman. My heart is pounding just to see it come. It's here finally."

After being assembled in Winnipeg, the 1,554-square-foot prefab structure travelled 22 days and more than 4,000 km over road and river to arrive in Inuvik.

It wasn't smooth sailing either. While racing from Winnipeg to Hay River to make the final barge run of the season, the 30-foot-wide shipment at one point came within a whisker of teetering off a bridge.

The convoy carriers had to be designed to travel on back roads, away from major highways.

Still it managed to encounter its fair share of traffic jams. The mosque was derailed for a day after highway officials forced the vessel off the road near Edmonton because of road construction. The river journey proved another challenge, with weather and strong currents slowing the voyage.

Abdalla Mohamed, another onlooker, recorded the barge's arrival with his camera. He kept tabs on the progress of the prize shipment and admitted to having more than his fair share of worries. But he said its arrival is the result of co-operation from several project partners.

"I'm flattered and humbled by this," he said. "There was a lot of planning, a lot of emotion, a lot of communication that went into this. I never thought it would materialize in such a way. Now it is just in front of my eyes."

Mohamed said the Muslim community hatched the idea to build a new mosque about three years ago. Initially members wanted to raise the money themselves and build locally. But after getting quotes from several construction companies, they realized they couldn't afford it.

A year ago, the Zubaidah Tallab Foundation - a Muslim charity that aids a number of causes - learned of their wish and agreed to take responsibility for raising the required $300,000 for the project.

Thanks to the foundation, Mohamed said Muslims will have a proper place of worship that will replace their makeshift mosque - a nine-by-14-foot trailer in the Balsam trailer court.

"When there's a will there's a way," said Mohamed. "We didn't have a clear idea where this would head. We just had a strong belief somebody, somewhere would help us make our dream become a reality. It happened."

The winterized mosque, which will sit on Wolverine Road, isn't completely finished yet. Renovations will be completed to its interior. Among other things, rooms specially made for worship and celebrations will be constructed.

An official opening ceremony is planned for November and Mohamed is hoping the whole community will come out and help celebrate.

Abdelazim Ahmed was among the jubilant crew that witnessed the historic event. He had a simple reaction to it.

"I'm feeling so happy; I'm very happy," he said.

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