Dawn Ostrem
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Jun 28/00) - The Wade Hamer Mini Golf Course gets struck by vandals about once a week and the latest incident on June 21 was almost the last straw.

Owner Ter Hamer initially said he was seriously considering shutting down the facility but a show of support from volunteers, who helped to repair the approximate $3,000 damage, changed his mind.

"We had a tremendous response. About a dozen people came out to help put things back together in order to open this morning," Hamer said Friday. "In the long run we'll actually be better off because we came out with so many volunteers."

Hamer said he went to bed very depressed the night after he found damage to the clubhouse and several props.

The mini golf course was established about 10 years ago in the name of his late son who passed away after an accident several years ago. His father said he had an optimistic outlook.

"He always used to say, 'When life deals you deuces you put them together and build on them, coming up with a winning hand. Two deuces beats an ace," he said.

"Although we have our problems with vandals, the number of good people in this town far outweigh the bad."

Hamer explained thousands of people go through the course every year and have plenty of good things to say about it.

Unfortunately the vandalism it receives exceeds the profits it makes.

Hamer added that usually the vandals aren't caught. When and if they are, there will be no delay in the laying of charges. At one point the fine accrued by one vandal turned out to be lower than the reward paid by Hamer to aid in apprehending the person.

"We're a volunteer group and all the vandalism is accomplishing is taking money away from kids," he said.

"It's just insane, utterly senseless. (The vandals) must be deeply ashamed of themselves."

This time around the vandals smashed their way into the clubhouse, not stealing anything but destroying the office equipment inside.

They also damaged the Inukshuk and curling rock used as props on the course.

Due to volunteer help the monetary price paid for damages has gone from about $3,000 to $1,000.

Police are investigating the incident.