Lisa Scott
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Apr 12/04) - The official bid won't be submitted until the fall, but early on Yellowknife has emerged as the solitary candidate for the 2008 Arctic Winter Games.

City councillors approved the decision in a Jan. 5 meeting at City Hall.

Since then, Mayor Gordon Van Tighem and Coun. Wendy Bisaro attended the 2004 AWG and are close to selecting a bid committee to start the process. Yellowknife last hosted the AWG in 1998.

Bisaro is confident the city has the facilities and volunteers to host Yellowknife's fifth Games since they began here in 1970.

While she expects the city to break even or even lose money in the bargain, she says it's a huge bonus to the community regardless.

In 1998, Yellowknife incurred a deficit of $40,000, even after providing a grant for $100,000 for the initial budget.

Despite these costs, the economic impact study completed after '98 Games suggests the city economy got a $2.456 million boost. Labour income accounted for $1.64 million of that.

As well, 79 per cent of businesses reported an increase in sales during the seven-day event.

Other than the 2006 completion of the second arena at the Multiplex, the city has no plans to build for the Games.

"We have the facilities, we feel, to put a bid in," says Bisaro.

Van Tighem is on board, even sporting his 2008 bid jacket around town.

"We have the past experience and the current enthusiasm to go after it," he says.

Bisaro is a little concerned that Yellowknife doesn't have as many volunteers as Fort McMurray's 5,000 strong group, adding that would be one-third of the city's population.

Gerry Thick, the president of the Arctic Winter Games International Committee, doesn't want potential host communities to be put off by that number.

"I don't think it's a competition of how many volunteers you've got. Certainly the Games can be done with a lot less," he says.

Making partnerships

During a meeting in Fort McMurray in March, the International Committee rejected the proposed split bid between Hay River and Fort Smith.

Bisaro hasn't been in contact with the South Slave organizers, but says Yellowknife would try to include them in its bid.

"Why should Yellowknife be the only community (in the NWT) to get the benefits. I think there's a possible way to include Fort Smith and Hay River," she says.

"We're always into partnerships," says Van Tighem, adding that Ndilo, Dettah and Rae will be included as satellite communities as well.

NWT communities interested in a bid for 2008 must express interest at MLA Henry Zoe's office in the spring or summer. Approval must be received by his office before being presented to the International Committee.

At press time, the split Hay River/Fort Smith bid was dying a slow death and no other communities had piped up.

As the International Committee edges out the possibility of small communities hosting with new stipulations, Yellowknife is poised to win by default.