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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Pierre LePage will run the Wildcat Cafe again this summer, but he won't be allowed to refer to it in French, a city committee says.

LePage said Monday he never tried to change the name of the Wildcat Cafe in advertising last summer.

"If you speak French it's 'le.' If you speak English, it's 'the,'" said the chef, who won the contract for the third year.

Under his new contract, the city states LePage must not change or edit the name of Yellowknife's most famous restaurant. He was the only one who bid on the contract.

LePage, who also owns Le Frolic, L'Heritage and Le Frolic catering, said he won't continue running ads that refer to the "Le Wildcat Cafe" because of the high cost of changing logos.

"It doesn't need to be advertised anyway," he said. "It's a landmark."

He said he wasn't upset by the city's stipulation, because he never changed the name in the first place.

And he'll continue to refer to the "le" Wildcat if he wants to, he said.

"If I speak French I will, as any French people will."

The Old Town restaurant is set to open on the Victoria Day weekend.

Explosives may be stored at sewage lagoon

Dynamite and other explosives will likely be stored next to the Fiddler's Lake lagoon. City councillors are set to vote in favour of leasing the storage site at Monday's municipal services committee meeting.

"Explosives have been stored here since the mining first started," said Mayor Gordon Van Tighem. "Now it's just a matter of keeping them away from where people live."

The explosives used to be stored near the Sand Pits area until 1990, when city officials worried about its proximity to the Yellowknife Shooting Club.

They say the odours of the sewage lagoon provide a "natural deterrent" to public use, so vandalism isn't a concern. The new bylaw allows for two separate sites at the lagoon that were previously shared by Dyno Nobel Canada Inc. and Explosives Limited.

City to pick sewer and water contractors

The city is ready to award new contracts for water, sewer and paving work this summer.

NWT Construction was the only company to put in a bid to pave city streets. City plans for this summer call for paving on 50 Street from 49 Avenue to 50 Avenue, Finlayson Drive, and Old Airport road from Highway 3 to Cemetery Road. NWT Construction's bid totalled $2,638,398.

City administration is recommending RTL Robinson Enterprises Ltd., meanwhile, receives the contract for water and sewer upgrades. Their bid came in at $2,173,726. NWT Construction is also competing for the job. Water and sanitary sewer work will take place along Gitzel Street, including Dakota Court and Albatross Court.

Council will vote on the bids at its next regular council meeting April 13.