Ground is broken for a $1 million expansion of the North American Bear Center in Ely on Sunday afternoon. Those taking part included bear center staff; local and county government officials; and Ely community leaders, among others. The 8,000-square-foot addition to the research, education and exhibit facility on Minnesota Highway 169 a mile west of town will nearly double the center’s size. It will house classrooms, offices, exhibit space, a multimedia room and a broadcast facility for video lectures. It is slated to be completed by May. Donations from fans of the center and the bears it monitors — including Lily, who famously gave birth to a cub in early 2010 while people around the world watched online — are helping pay for the expansion. (Photo courtesy of Jim Stroner)
Read the article: Ground broken for bear center expansion in Ely
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