Yellowknife (Nov 29/06) - City council has a big decision to make on what to keep in the 2007 draft budget and what to scrap.

One tool councillors will use in deciding is the Recreation Facilities Needs Assessment data that was presented to the Municipal Services Committee on Nov. 20. At the Nov. 27 council meeting, council voted to use the study.

The $50,000 study by Dillon Consulting began in early 2006. Besides meeting with the public, Dillon reviewed the 1999 Recreation Facilities Needs Assessment, the 1996 Community Service Plan, the Integrated Parks, Trails and Open Space Development study, the two recently developed library studies and the 2004 General Plan in drafting the report.

"The number one thing the people in Yellowknife want is an indoor running track followed by indoor fields, especially soccer pitches," said Colin Joyal, who presented the results of the study to the committee.

These two items are being proposed for the fieldhouse that council will vote on whether or not to begin building in the new year.

"The Recreation Facilities Needs Assessment identifies a facilities plan for immediate, short, medium and long-term for the City," said Joyal.

Public consultation for the needs plan started with the development of the fieldhouse plan, continued with the Somba K'e Civic Plaza Master Plan and concluded with the Recreation Facilities Needs Assessment. According to the City, throughout this three-stage process, the public was asked various questions on what they viewed as important aspects for facilities.

The fieldhouse came at the top of the wish-list for the public. The facility is proposed by Facilities for Kids, a non-profit Yellowknife organization. It's expected to cost at least $11 million to build.

Facilities for Kids president Mike Roesch has been to various council committee meetings pushing for the facility. He has recently said that the facility would be great for the 2008 Arctic Winter Games.

"I think everyone is behind the project," he told Yellowknifer in June.