Yukon College has announced the top three submissions to the Design Your Campus ideas competition for how best to use the 97-hectare land reserve around Ayamdigut campus.

The winning ideas included:

• greenhouse corridors to connect buildings submitted by Dawne Mitchell, a longtime resident of Dawson City;

• a sacred space on campus submitted by Tosh Southwick of Whitehorse; and

• an outdoor nature centre open to students and the public submitted by local resident Dorothy Bradley.

The top three will be displayed alongside all submissions at this evening’s Land Use Plan “Big Ideas” open house.

The 4 to 7 p.m. event will take place at the Kinnikinnick Kaffe on campus.

Mitchell, Southwick and Bradley will receive gift certificates to Staples, Coast Mountain Sports, and Canadian Tire valued at $300, $200 and $100 respectively.

“We received many great submissions from students, staff, faculty and community members for the competition,” said Laurel Cowan from Modus, an urban design and community engagement company – part of the team drawn together by Perkins+Will to create the final Master Land Use Plan.

Submissions included a wide range of ideas for the future of the campus involving building design, amenities, housing, culture, transportation, programming and nature.

“The submissions were carefully narrowed down and the top three were chosen for their creativity and meaningful expression of ideas related to people, land and learning,” Cowan said.

Yukoners attending this evening’s “Big Ideas” event can interact with a giant floor map of the land reserve.

They can declare which principles should guide the planning process, vote on which idea submissions they support the strongest, and meet some of the people on the advisory committee and the Perkins+Will team who will be taking onboard input to develop the final plan.

In attendance will be project manager Kari Dow, architectural lead Antonio Zedda, college president Karen Barnes, board of governors chair Paul Flaherty, and advisory committee members Pat Ross, Hillarie Zimmerman and Davida Wood.

“This event is an excellent opportunity for community members to let us know what they feel to be most important when considering how to develop this land reserve and future campus,” said Barnes.