Centre celebrates 10th birthda

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Students, faculty and staff of the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology (SIAST) gathered together in Woodland Campus' Aboriginal Activity Centre in Prince Albert on Feb. 27 to mark the centre's 10th anniversary.

The centre officially opened for business on Feb. 17, 1993, providing Aboriginal students at the campus with a place to get together, and learn more about their culture.

When it first opened up 10 years ago, the centre wasn't as busy as it is today, both because it was new, and because the Aboriginal population at SIAST wasn't as large, explained Shelly Belhumeur, the centre's facilitator.

"As our services expanded, so too did the number of student visitors," she said. "Today, the centre is well utilized and it's always busy. It serves a very important role and is greatly appreciated by the students."

"I like the centre because it enables me to get in touch with my culture," said Darryl Wolfe, an Aboriginal basic education student at SIAST. "It's such a valuable resource to have on campus. It's a great place to relax, meet other people and share ideas and goals. I enjoy coming here when I need to escape from the busy campus lifestyle. We are fortunate to have it and I hope it continues to grow. We are all better off because of it."