Nathan VanderKlippe
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Apr 12/02) - A Yellowknife convention centre could bring as much as $25 million a year to the Northwest Territories, according to a study commissioned by a number of Yellowknife groups.

But to make it happen, government would have to subsidize the operation.

Conducted primarily by two southern firms -- Calgary-based Graham Edmunds and Orlando, Fla.-based Conventional Wisdom -- a draft copy of the study recommends a three-phase facility that would build up to a 119,340 square foot facility hall.

But Yellowknife Mayor Gord Van Tighem suggests that Yellowknife needs to create more unity between city groups before Yellowknife can expect to support a convention centre. He said the city also needs more base services before it is ready.

"If you come here for a convention and you bring your wife, what is she going to do while you're in meetings?" he asked.

And he wants more cohesion between different accommodation, cultural and tourism groups to "package" the community for convention-goers.

The draft study suggests a first phase of 33,510 square feet, which would cost an estimated $9.168 million and offer space for groups of up to 750 people.

The cost would be subsidized wholly or in part by government "as an enterprise business to stimulate local economic growth," says the report. By its fifth year, a convention centre could bring an annual average of 43,800 participants to 240 events.

The $50,000 study was funded by 10 organizations, including the city of Yellowknife, NWT Arctic Tourism, the Chamber of Mines and Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development. RWED contributed about $25,000. The final report is expected to be released publicly Monday.

Bob Murphy, RWED manager of trade and investment, parks and tourism, wouldn't comment specifically on the report before its final release.

He also wouldn't say whether he could see such a building in five or 10 years.

He did say, "If a convention centre could be here and could be self-supporting yes, I would love to have it."

The draft includes statistics on existing accommodations as well as possible sites and design details for a convention centre.

David Edmunds, a consultant with Graham Edmunds, suggested that Yellowknife could plug in to a rising continental trend of conventions as business.

But the high cost of travel to the North means Yellowknife can't be seen as simply a convention destination.

According to the report, "A successful event marketing approach will therefore focus on combining business meetings and conventions with opportunity for travel and activities throughout the territory."

For Van Tighem, a Yellowknife convention centre is less a question of if than of when and where.

"We need something," he added. "Can we afford it? Maybe, we don't know yet."

But he is skeptical about how soon.

"It took five years to get people to put Japanese signs in their stores," he said. "These things take a while to get in."

The report also identified eight sites for such a centre.

They include the Gerry Murphy arena location, the former Bartam Trailer Park, Twin Pine Hill, Bellanca Development's land beside the Explorer Hotel, the hotel property itself and three downtown lots.