by Richard Gleeson
Northern News Services

NNSL (Dec 03/97) - Difficult problems demand creative solutions and getting the new community centre complex built is just such a problem.

The solution can be expressed in two words fashionably squished into one -- BayDome.

Following the lead of houseboaters, the city should take advantage of the comparative freedom from red tape that building on the water allows and create -- bear with us here -- a twin-pad arenaboat.

What do you say Mayor, er, Captain Dave Lovell?

"Sounds great to me. You could use wind generation for power. You don't have to worry about development appeals, just move. Road access wouldn't be a problem, and you could fish through holes in the floor. In the summer you could turn it into a packing plant."

Well, broomballers might have something to say about the packing-plant idea.

The price of water lots is right and building space is virtually unlimited since there are no property lines -- or taxes (as the courts recently confirmed).

Mr. Sports, Ter Hamer: will this idea not silence the bickering that has for far too long stalled this project?

"I know there's a lot of Christmas parties going on these days, but I think you've been to one too many. That's all I have to say."

Excellent idea, what better place to have a Christmas party? Pencil that in as a Yes.

Consensus is building, and why wouldn't it? The spinoff opportunities are unlimited. It would give renewed meaning to the 'tour' in tournament. Sailing broomball and hockey tournaments on the way to and from Great Slave Lake communities.

Hey, smartest guy in Yellowknife Robert Slaven, what do you think of a youth drop-in centreboat or a gymnasiumboat?

"Oh boy, I don't know. Victoria was actually thinking about that back in '89 or '90 for a stadium for the Commonwealth games, but when they looked at the engineering costs...."

Engineering costs? Engineers would be lining up around the block to put their names on this project.

What do you think, Robert, will it work? "If we can find a way to make it cheaper, a way to do it without raising taxes?"

Raising taxes? That's the beauty of this idea. Most of it can be built from stuff from the dump.

Bits of Styrofoam, propane cylinders and freezers securely sealed with duct tape will do fine for floatation.

Before sealing up the freezers, take out the compressors and, using cast-off city hall computers, link about a hundred of 'em to keep the ice hard during those warm summer months.

Build an arenaboat, and the city will be able to afford to pay us a $5 a month levy. Unless, that is, it decides to sue itself.