The Prince George campus of the College of New Caledonia is built on the traditional turf of the Lheidli T'enneh people.

Today from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., that history will be formally recognized when the college opens the CNC Gathering Place with a ceremony to honour the First Nations and Metis Nation people.

The public is invited to meet with aboriginal speakers and elders and be entertained by singers, dancers and drummers. There will also be aboriginal arts and crafts on display.

The Gathering Place follows the tradition established in 2008, when CNC opened a similar facility at its Fort St. James campus, part of a $65-million provincial government strategy to help Aboriginal students enroll and succeed in post-secondary education programs.

The new Gathering Place will tie in with existing services available at the Aboriginal Resource Centre, which provides tutoring, financial support advice, academic advising and career counselling, and a drop-in study centre for aboriginal students.