HAY RIVER
While residents cheered on NWT athletes and focused on last week's Arctic Winter Games in Fairbanks, Alaska, a few set their sights on the games four years from now – which some hope the hub will host.

Santa Claus, left, and Mayor Andrew Cassidy take a moment to appreciate the weather at North Pole, a suburb of Fairbanks, Alaska. Cassidy was part of a delegation sent by the community to observe the Arctic Winter Games and learn what they could to better prepare the South Slave's bid for the 2018 games. - photo courtesy of Andrew Cassidy

“We can do this,” said Mayor Andrew Cassidy, who was on hand to support athletes from the Northwest Territories as well as learn about the bid process for hosting future games. “This experience has just reinforced that we can do this and we can do a great job at it.”

Hay River, in partnership with fellow-South Slave community Fort Smith, will be making a bid to host the 2018 Arctic Winter Games, hoping to beat out Inuvik for the honour. The trip to Fairbanks was the latest step in a lengthy process required by the International Committee that decides where the games will be held. It was announced late last year that the 2018 event will be held in the NWT.

Cassidy puts Yellowknife out of the running for this event, as they're currently bidding on the 2023 Canada Games, leaving the two biggest regional centres to battle it out for the AWG.

“It's been great to be here and see all the things we can cover off,” Cassidy said last week from Fairbanks. “It's the transportation, the accommodation, and the venues themselves.”

Cassidy said that the venues for the events were fairly straightforward and that the focus of the bid would most likely be what he called the “care and comfort” of the athletes.

“There's so much that goes into making it a great experience for them,” he said. “There's a lot of cultural stuff going on and we've got some great ideas on how to pull it all off.”

Greg Rowe, who ran the South Slave's 2008 bid to host the games and is now part of the team prepping for the next pitch, said one of the most valuable things to come out of the Fairbanks visit was the opportunity to see the huge undertaking of feeding, housing, and transporting the athletes and their entourages first hand.

“We have gone through this process, but attending these games as observers is an exercise that will strengthen our bid,” he said, adding that he has every confidence the community will ensure all participants have a great experience if the bid is successful. “(In 2008) we proved that we met all the AWG bid requirements, and that we certainly can provide the athletes with a very special and memorable Arctic Winter Games.”

Rowe noted that all levels of governments have already invested in expanding and improving Hay River's infrastructure, and that with the planned renovations to the Don Stewart Recreation Centre and Fort Smith's plans to renovate their arena, he believes accommodating the international event will not be a stretch. The Fairbanks games cost about $6 million to host, but the return on investment in the region is estimated to be double that figure. Rowe also said the games would be an important driver for expansion of public infrastructure and recreational facilities, adding that the Hay River Ski Club was a legacy of the 1978 Arctic Winter Games.

“We certainly can’t compete with the size and facilities that Fairbanks and other larger communities that have hosted the AWG, like Fort Mac, Grande Prairie, Whitehorse and Yellowknife,” he said. “We, however, feel that we can offer the athletes the very best in care and comfort. Hay River alone will have up to 11 sport and cultural events within one kilometre of the athletes' village and food services. This will allow for the majority of athletes to compete and watch other friends compete, all within walking distance of the village. Care and comfort are the priorities of the AWG International Committee, we will ensure they are our priority as well.”

Cassidy said that some of the parents who travelled to Fairbanks had some doubts as to whether Hay River could host an event of that size and scale, but that after hearing some of the plans and ideas, were generally convinced.

“It's a really contagiously excited atmosphere here,” he said. “I've got people coming up to me, saying they remember the games from 40 years ago in Hay River and Pine Point, and saying that they'll come back to volunteer again if we host them.”

Cassidy said the biggest hurdle to overcome would be the sheer number of volunteers needed – estimated at about 2,500 – but that he wasn't too worried about it.

“It's still not that big of a deal,” he said. “Once game time starts, we'll be able to get everything we need.”

Rowe said he hopes to have a preliminary bid package prepared for June this year, to be presented to both Hay River and Fort Smith town councils and changed as required before sending it off this fall.

“Our next step will be to rekindle the same emotion, excitement and unbreakable spirit we had in 2008,” he said.