Yellowknife (Oct 11/06) -The 11 candidates running for council in next Monday's municipal election got a chance to put their views up for public scrutiny yesterday.

One question posed at the Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce forum had candidates looking across the electoral fence at the Yellowknife Catholic school board, and their controversy over a desire to keep non-Catholics from running for the board.

Candidates David Wind and Blake Lyons got stuck with answering the Catholics-only hot potato and both sided with the right of non-Catholics to sit on the YCS board of trustees.

"When YCS opened up access to non-Catholics they put themselves in a position to accept non-Catholics on the board," said Wind.

Lyons was more blunt.

"The issue is if you accept public money, you have to open up candidacy to your board to the public," said Lyons.

Other questions included: What is your vision for downtown revitalization and how does it incorporate dealing with crime? And also, what action would the city take to improve the available workforce in Yellowknife?

There were about 30 people in attendance at the forum.

Lydia Bardak felt the minimum wage was too low for workers to deal with the high cost of living and thought facilitating cheaper housing in the downtown was prudent.

Incumbent Bob Brooks said he had been active on this front during his past work as a councillor and felt working cooperatively with local businesses was the way forward.

Kevin Kennedy believed that working with the territorial government and Aurora College to offer more programs and encouraging tourism was key.

"People won't come here to live unless they know about the place," he said.

Lyons took a similar stance on the college front, suggesting it was crucial the territorial government built the "long-promised new college campus."

Shelagh Montgomery felt the city could contribute more to providing housing and work with GNWT and the federal government to train the workforce.

Wind took things a step further suggesting Yellowknife "was the key to the NWT economy" and required the proper resources from higher levels of government to realize its potential.

On downtown revitalization, Paul Falvo wanted to improve public transportation in and out of the downtown core, while Mark Heyck felt encouraging residential development would help. Dave McCann evoked his work on the Get Yellowknife Clean report and spearheading the public market as positive steps towards revitalization.

Steve Meister wanted to see more mixed residence and business accommodations, while Doug Witty took a similar line to Meister and Heyck - to encourage more people to live downtown.

There were two questions raised from the floor.

A Centre Mall employee told candidates she fed up with having to walk through human excrement and "step over the drunks" on her way to work from the mall's 50th St. entrance, and wanted to what they'd do to remedy the problem if elected.

All candidates got a crack at this one, with most saying that a joint approach with the city working with community groups and local police was the way forward.

Meister distinguished himself from the group by taking a more hardline stance.

"I support a zero tolerance approach whether it's the police coming in and arresting people," said Meister before tempering his view. "And we need to work with social groups to help people help themselves."

A question also came from a Yellowknives Dene representative, who wanted to know the position of candidates on settling the band's land claims in and around the city.

Of the five candidates given the opportunity to respond, all but one took the safe "working together" stance.

Wind, the one candidate who strayed somewhat, said the interests of the band members and residents, "have to be balanced."

Witty wanted a land claims system whereby the city could access larger tracts of land for development rather than, "piecemealing it."

Presented with the same question, Falvo wanted to promote better relations with the Yellowknives, "To maximize the potential for more affordable housing." McCann believed the way forward was working with MLAs and the band.

On the topic of new infrastructure, Montgomery favoured more trails, while Heyck wanted the fieldhouse constructed, "If we can do it without borrowing money."

Both Heyck and Brooks also supported the plaza concept at the old Gerry Murphy Arena site.

On enhancing youth employment, Bardak said the city should put the onus on businesses to create, "A more youth-friendly work environment."

Meister and Kennedy focused on improving training opportunities here.

After the forum ended with 60-second closing remarks from candidates, acclaimed mayor Gord Van Tighem weighed in on what he heard.

"All presented themselves well and they're a good bunch," he said. "Yellowknife indeed has a choice."

Were there any standouts in the forum, he was asked?

"There will be after next Monday," said a diplomatic Van Tighem.