Yukon College has outgrown its location and outgrown its original mandate, according to Education Minister Doug Graham.

That’s why affiliates of the college and several territorial government and city council officials gathered Wednesday evening at The Old Fire Hall for a formal unveiling of the Yukon College Campus Master Plan (CMP) for the Ayamdigut Campus.

“The plan, which is based on the input of students, faculty, First Nations, community organizations and the general public, is the next step in the consultation process and will act as a blueprint for the future growth of the campus,” said Graham.

After a year-long collaborative process where feedback was heard from hundreds of stakeholders, the backbone of the plan took shape in seven basic principles.

“People were passionate about the natural environment around campus,” said Joyce Drohan, director of urban design at Perkins+Will.

The Vancouver-based architectural and engineering consulting company led the way in creating a bold vision for a new campus.

The first principle of the plan vows to protect environmentally sensitive areas— like McIntyre Creek, which borders college lands—while also making connections to the college’s natural setting.

This will be done by building more trails around campus and showcasing the views of the Yukon Valley and the surrounding mountains.

“People were very clear that they wanted us to build away from the creek,” college president Karen Barnes said in an interview.

Energy consumption was also a concern that came out of the discussions.

The second principle looks at implementing sustainability by converting district energy to low carbon, generating renewable energy onsite and improving overall efficiency.

Included in this principle is also an initiative to reduce waste and grow local food.

Another plan is to create a walkable campus, with options to bike, ski or use public transportation.

Since people were leery of increased traffic that would occur around the college as it grows, there are two options in the plan to provide another way to access the campus apart from College Drive—through the Alaska Highway or Mountainview Drive.

Drohan also mentioned that students are demanding a more enticing student life at the college campus, with better study areas, and places to go for a coffee with professors.

The goal is to get students to “stay after 5 at night,” she said.

Barnes agreed with the students’ vision, noting that the only social space currently available is the cafeteria.

This part of the plan uses the campus core as a proposed activity hub and adds in a new student centre, courtyards, study areas, cafés, a “greenhouse” common area and fitness spaces.

More student housing is proposed as well—in eco-cabins dispersed throughout campus, to provide a northern living experience.

“Students love the idea that they could live somewhere less dense than the main campus,” Barnes said about the eco-cabins.

An overarching theme in the CMP is acknowledging and celebrating a northern identity.

The idea is that through building design, Yukon College can demonstrate how the territory is a leader in renewable energy, cold climate research and resource development.

Building techniques like geothermal heating are expected to demonstrate cold climate innovations unique to the North.

The plan also boasts having a First Nations presence on campus, especially in food services.

The final principle deals with the college’s long-range goal of becoming a university institution.

By mimicking the university experience through the design of campus buildings, the CMP puts the college one step closer in its transition to a university.

“This plan is an important part of the college’s transition to university status, yet by focusing on short-, mid-, and long-term priorities it provides flexibility to allow us to be responsive to the changing needs and shifting priorities of such an important evolution,” Barnes said.

The Old Fire Hall was filled with mounted poster boards showcasing the master plan on Wednesday.

Each poster board had space provided for people to put post-it notes with comments or questions.

The vivid colours and pictures used on the boards were further playing into the idea of giving people a “vision” for the future campus.

Barnes pointed out that the plan used photos from campuses in British Columbia as inspiration for what could be brought to the Yukon.

At this stage, the CMP is simply a lofty vision for what could be created. If adhering to the CMP, the campus would evolve over several stages over the next 25 years or so.

Land was set aside for the current campus about 35 years ago, and the current buildings opened in 1988. Previous to that, the college was a vocational school based in the current Department of Education Building on the edge of Riverdale.

The Yukon government reserved 97 hectares of land for the college in 2013 for five years—a piece of land about half the size of Disneyland.

By reserving the large chunk of land for the school, other stakeholders are unable to build anything on it.

All future development for the Ayamdigut Campus will require further planning and formal approvals.

As for now, the college board of governors will be working on source funding and planning approvals.

“The plan celebrates and enhances our natural setting and the opportunities it offers as a living classroom,” Barnes said.

“It balances consideration for sensitive ecosystems and existing trails, with the need to grow the campus in the years ahead.

“It has been a vigorous debate, and we are grateful to everyone who was involved, contributed ideas, and helped with the creation of this shared vision of a campus which will remain a vital place of community, learning, and innovative research for many years to come.”

The plan is available on the Yukon College website.

Members of the public can submit feedback until June 17 on the webpage or by emailing DYC@yukoncollege.yk.ca.