Yellowknife (Jan 17/05) - The two Canadian groups bidding for the 2008 Arctic Winter Games are looking at some creative ways to present the artistic and cultural aspects of the games.

Lee Mandeville plays the fiddle at the closing ceremonies of the 2004 Arctic Winter Games in Fort McMurray. - NNSL file photo

Todd Shafer, with the South Slave bid committee, said his group already has a number of ideas on how to showcase the local arts community.

"In looking at past games, the focus on arts was on the contingents," he said. "There didn't seem to be a lot of local talent presented, other than at the opening and closing ceremonies."

The South Slave bid contains provisions for a cultural pavilion located at Fisherman's Wharf in Hay River.

"The idea is to have an outdoor night market to complement the other cultural things happening during the day."

The market would feature musical performances, as well as booths for food and arts and crafts, which would be available to local artisans as well as to cultural contingents from around the circumpolar world.

Shafer also said the heritage society building nearby could be used to display artifacts from the participating regions.

Artwork from the schools would be used to decorate the athlete's village.

For the opening ceremonies, Shafer said the emphasis would be on South Slave artists, citing talent such as Hay River's singer-songwriter Mackenzie Pope and the JBT dancers from Fort Smith.

Grant White of Yellowknife said hosting the 2008 Arctic Winter Games would give his city the opportunity to showcase the new NWT, since Yellowknife last hosted the games in 1998, prior to the creation of Nunavut.

But the Yellowknife bid contains no specifics as to what venues would be used to present cultural programs.

Musicians in the host community traditionally write a song for the opening ceremonies.

Lucie Idlout, Madeleine Allakariallak and Greenlandic musician Mads Lumholt wrote the song for the 2002 Arctic Winter Games, co-hosted by Iqaluit and Nuuk, Greenland.