by Richard Gleeson
Northern News Services

NNSL (May 01/98) - Competition is going to be part of Sunday's diamond fest.

Organized by the Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce, the day of seminars and workshops on secondary diamond industries has attracted diamond industry representatives from Europe, the U.S. and Canada.

But all of the speakers at the conference are also being courted by Hay River, the city's main Northern rival for secondary diamond industry dollars.

"It's political," Ald. Cheryl Best told fellow councillors at a noon meeting Monday.

"The contact list came from the diamond directorate. As part of the agreement to fund the conference, they said these people will have to travel to Hay River."

Best, whose day job is executive director of the Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce, said more than half the speakers at the conference have said they have no interest in travelling to Hay River.

"One of them asked, 'Do they mine diamonds in Hay River?'" said Best, who acknowledged the diamonds are quite a ways from Yellowknife as well.

Speakers from Europe and North America will be addressing each phase of diamond production, from mine to jewelry-making.

Best added that a tour of Hay River would highlight the advantages there are to living in Yellowknife -- "(Those who go) won't have to imagine for themselves what facilities we have here that they don't have down there."

The alderman later added that Hay River's town council and chamber of commerce have done an excellent job of promoting the town.

At the same committee of the whole meeting, Ald. Ben McDonald asked if any consultation had taken place between Hay River and Yellowknife in an attempt to avoid a bidding war -- a "race to the bottom," -- for secondary diamond industry dollars.

"We're already in a bidding war," said Ald. Bob Brooks, adding that no consultation was taking place.

Also discussed at the meeting was Mayor Dave Lovell's attendance at the conference.

The mayor had planned a five-day cruise with his family aboard HMCS Yellowknife with his family, but said he was having second thoughts about missing the conference.

Despite being urged to take his vacation, Lovell said, "A conference like this, it's almost a duty to attend."

On Wednesday Lovell's office was trying to arrange transportation back for Saturday night.