The Aurora Research Institute (ARI) has roots dating back to 1964 when a research centre, the Scientific Research Laboratory, was developed in Inuvik by Indian and Northern Affairs Canada to provide support for scientific research in the Northwest Territories (NWT) and Northern Yukon. It was turned over to the Science Institute of the Northwest Territories (SINT), which was established in 1984 by the Government of the Northwest Territories to advise on matters related to science, technology and research. The research centre has been in operation ever since. Now referred to as the Western Arctic Research Centre (or WARC), it moved into a brand-new building in 2011, and celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2014.
The old research facility in Inuvik (right) and the cosmic ray building (left).
In 1995, SINT merged with Aurora College and became the ARI. Two additional research institutes were established in the NWT - the North Slave Research Centre (NSRC) in Yellowknife and the South Slave Research Centre (SSRC) in Fort Smith. The NSRC was initially located on the college's North Slave campus, but is now located in the city's Precambrian Building. The SSRC is located at the college's Thebacha campus.
Over the years, the goals of the ARI and its staff have remained the same: to support research and discovery in the NWT, to help answer northern research questions, and to communicate research results to northern residents.
Learn more about WARC's 50 year anniversary in this special newspaper.