NNSL (Jul 24/98) - Responding to the double dare recently issued the paper by a city councillor, Yellowknifer this week encourages residents to consider the upside of being downwind of the Ingraham Trail forest fires.

As it is with the heat and bugs of summer and the cold and dark of winter, it is too easy to focus on the negative aspects of the smoke blanketing the city for the past week.

But think about it for more than two minutes, and a host of positives leaps to mind:

• We made the national news! (Reports of the fire danger were exaggerated, but they reminded the rest of Canada we don't all live in igloos.)

• The smoke helps hide the giant hole in the ground at Franklin and 50th Avenue.

• Territorial firefighters raked in some serious overtime, much of which will trickle down to city businesses.

The smoke is also big bucks for the city.

"Pool usage is up, because no one wants to go to the beach," said Ruth Inch pool supervisor Johanna Fischer. "We're busy all the time now."

Staying indoors means the same thing to a lot of people -- videos.

"It helps a little," said Robert Hui of Hollywood Video and VideoLand. "A lot of people aren't going out to the beach, so they stay in and see a video."

Hui noted the Capitol Theatre is the real benefactor. Smoke and ash from the fire is the perfect promotional gimmick for Armageddon, one of the movies showing there this weekend.

The economic impact of the smoke was also felt at Canadian Tire, which experienced a run on air purifiers.

Although the smoke has stood between us and some clear sunny days, Yellowknife resident Merve Templeton noted it sure has made for some nice sunsets.

"It also kills the mosquitoes," said Dave Scantland, a guy who seems to appear in this paper ever five days or so.

"Its a nice aroma," said Overlander bike maestro Kirk Magrum.

Then there's the magical appearance of the smoke-shrouded sun, and the spectacle of traffic lights no longer shining just green, amber and red.

Nice smell, good visual effects, more quality home time, something new to talk about, a welcome break from riveting constitutional discussions -- the positive possibilities are endless.