Last summer, Royal Oak's Graham Eacott told Yellowknifer that Giant mine could not afford to operate if the price of an ounce of gold falls to $275 US.

The traders in London who fix the price of gold twice a day haven't got quite that far, but gold did reach an 18-year low of $278 a few weeks ago. Though it has rebounded somewhat -- hovering in the $283 range -- that was close enough to turn even the most optimistic in the city into a scaremonger.

The writing may not be on the wall for the city's gold mines, but with Con cutting output in half and rumors of further layoffs at Giant continuing to circulate, the paintbrush is at least at the ready.

Yellowknife will survive whatever Miramar and Royal Oak decided to do with their mines. The mines are not the biggest employers any more and the economy is continuing to diversify every year. But should the mines close, city hall will have to make do with a lot less in tax revenues. It's not a scenario we enjoy describing, but it is now a realistic one.

With that in mind, does it make any sense to spend more than $10 million on a new arena?

That's the latest estimates for the twin-pad arena, whether we build it on Old Airport Road or Twin Pine Hill or next to the Explorer Hotel. It would be great to have such a complex, but if the worst comes to pass in the gold market, the truth is we won't be able to afford it.

It's time to prepare an alternative, scaled-back plan for whatever replaces the dilapidated Gerry Murphy arena. We do need a new arena, we could probably make do with something that costs half as much. A proper design would be expandable in the future, should our economic base firm up again.

Prudence will pay off in the long run.

Tipping is a social grace on which everyone has an opinion. Some people don't, no matter how fine the service. Others do no matter how poor the service.

As the Coffee Break story in last Friday's Yellowknifer indicated, tips are the butter on the bread of restaurant workers. Their wages are generally lower than average, based on the expectation of tips. It's a good system if people are consistent, one that encourages individual imitative and superior service.

Linking a tip to the quality of service can only lead to better service in the long run. It's also one of those rare instances customers can express how they feel about what they get for their money.