by P.J. Harston
Northern News Services

NNSL (DEC 13/96) - When city aldermen heard that the Canada's navy was naming a coastal defence ship after the North's capital, they were thrilled.

That tingly feeling wore off Tuesday night at a special city council budget meeting, when the city got hit with a $10,000 party bill.

And the party's going to be in Victoria, not Yellowknife.

The ship will be christened and launched in Halifax in May but will be commissioned in British Columbia later next year.

That's where the big party will be and all of Yellowknife is welcome for the event.

To add to the mix, $50,000 must be raised territorially to furnish the ship with amenities.

"We're going to have to hold a bingo," jested Alderman Ruth Spence.

"What we are doing for HMCS Yellowknife is far less than what other communities are doing for their ships," explained city administrator Doug Lagore.

The navy has launched a few of 12 ships being built, each to be named after a community from each province and territory.

Spence, who led the losing side of the debate, was "totally against putting any money into this ship."

She said if council wasn't prepared to put $10,000 towards funding for a toy library for young mothers and their children (a recent request council turned down), it shouldn't spend it on the ship.

"I really can't believe we could put money into a ship that we'll probably never see," said Spence.

However, Alderman John Dalton, who voted in favor of the party, said members of the Canadian Armed Forces are an important segment of the community who pay taxes and bring revenue into Yellowknife and shouldn't be slighted.

"We knew we'd be invited down (for the commissioning), we knew there would be travel costs, at least, involved, we knew there would be other expenses...," said Dalton.

"If indeed we weren't prepared (to spend the money), we should have said so in the first place."

Alderman Jo MacQuarrie said she sees both sides of the argument. "I think this ship has been bad news for us since it was announced.... However, some things are worth being involved in, and that's why I think we should continue to participate," she said.

Alderman Dick Peplow, in a rare show of support for Spence, said he didn't think Canadian Forces members would be slighted if the city didn't throw a party.

"I think most people in the Armed Forces would rather see a toy library in the city rather than a $10,000 cocktail party somewhere else," he said.

Following the vote in favor of the $10,000, the expense was added to the city's operations and maintenance budget passed at Tuesday night's meeting.