SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Building athletes' housing, finding thousands of volunteers and a place to feed everyone are conundrums being pondered at city hall as hosting the 2023 Canada Winter Games is considered.

Frame Lake MLA Wendy Bisaro, left, and John Stephenson, chairperson for Yellowknife Education District No. 1, reported the exploits of the visitor's subcommittee and the volunteers sub-committee respectively, during a meeting to discuss work completed thus far as the city considers submitting a bid for the 2023 Canada Winter Games. - Evan Kiyoshi French/NNSL photo

Mayor Mark Heyck and some city staff members circled chairs in the council chambers Tuesday morning to hear reports from subcommittee members tasked with brainstorming solutions that could make it possible for Yellowknife to hold the national competition that could draw as many as 2,400 athletes, 1,000 coaches and officials, plus spectators to the city.

The subcommittees - tasked with exploring benefits and legacy, venue and athlete security, finance and funding, volunteers and visitors - are working in advance the city's possible bid, which must be inked and sealed by 2016.

It's unclear if the sitting council will vote on the matter in any way, since the subcommittees may not be finished their work before the new governments take office this fall, said Heyck.

Meetings in the coming months will be lengthy in hopes of having a motion on whether to proceed with the Games before current council, he said.

The city needs to find 4,500 volunteers for the Games, the committee discussed Tuesday.

John Stephenson reported for the volunteer subcommittee, inferred optimism. Stephenson is president of the Yellowknife Ski Club and chairperson of Yellowknife Education District No. 1.

"We're hosted other single-sport events that have required a large number of volunteers, but by far the Canada Winter Games is going to be the largest number. I think the whole city is going to get engaged in this project.

"People are going to want to be a part of it. Just like the PanAm Games, there were all kinds of concerns there that they weren't going work out ... and now that they're over, everyone's sitting there going 'look at how well these went.'"

He said he expects to have the local numbers swelled by so-called 'volunteer tourists'. He said in speaking with the person charged with gathering volunteers for the Canada Winter Games in Whitehorse, he learned that the Yellowknife event can expect visitors from abroad who want to volunteer in the Northern sporting event.

How to feed all the athletes presents another challenge.

Grant White - the city's director of corporate services who was reporting for the venue and athletes security subcommittee - said staff are looking at purchasing a large modular tent - the size of the soccer field at William McDonald School - to use as a temporary dining hall.

The total bill of the Games has been estimated between $35 million and $52 million with a funding formula that pulls funds from all levels of government, plus sponsors.

Heyck previously said the pool isn't included in the final cost since it was slated for replacement in 2023 anyway, but the project would need to be moved up to a 2020 completion date in order to be ready for the Games.

But Kevin Hodgins, reporting for the risk committee, said the planned replacement of Ruth Inch Memorial Pool should be included as one of the costs associated with the Games.

Hodgins said the cost of the pool construction needs to be included in the final tab, so its price tag can be factored into the considerations of the risk committee.

The plan still hinges on an athletes village - estimated to cost between $23 and $25 million. The GNWT is considering adjusting its capital plan to fund the athletes' village, Yellowknifer reported last week, but it won't until the city commits to a bid.

Frame Lake MLA Wendy Bisaro, reporting for the visitors subcommittee, said she was disturbed to learn last week the GNWT won't commit to building an athletes village until the city committed to a bid.

"I'm concerned that if there's not a firm commitment from the government - something other than verbal ... then that's a huge risk," she said Wednesday. "The city can't afford that ... it's just not in the cards for me."

Mayor Mark Heyck said the city isn't locked in if they indicate they'll be submitting a bid. Saying they plan to submit a bid in 2016 is enough to get the GNWT to commit to paying an estimated $23 million to build athletes' housing, Heyck said.

"When we indicate we want to submit a bid, we haven't made a bid yet," Heyck said. "They just want to be sure that if they commit ... that we will be hosting the Games. Because they have to reprioritize it in their capital projects."

When asked if the GNWT is committed to paying for an athletes village provided the city says it will submit a bid next year, Arusa Shafi - assistant to Revi Lau-a, Housing Corp. manager of strategic planning, policy, and communications - said the housing corp. still holds the same position issued to Yellowknifer by Lau-a last week, which is that is that the housing corporation awaits a formal decision to proceed with a bid to host the Games by the city and the host committee.

During a phone interview on Wednesday, Heyck said the city will nail down what contribution the GNWT will make to the athlete's village during the six-month to one-year period the city will have to prepare its bid.

"Before they consider building something like the athlete's village, they'd like to know that the city is committed to submitting a bid."

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