Nathan VanderKlippe
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (May 08/01) - With 566 participants packing full Yellowknife gyms, the Aurora Minor Soccer League (AMSL) is asking the city for a little more breathing room in the way of a new facility.

"There is virtually no gym time in the hours you can use it for youth soccer," said AMSL president Sandi Aitken, speaking to the city's priorities, policies and budget committee Monday.

Aitken offered to partner with the city in building a new indoor soccer pitch. She said the league needs one field to give adults and older teens a place to play. That in turn would free up some of the bigger gyms -- at Weledeh, for example -- for lower age levels.

At present, the adult league is restricted to 40 participants and three hours a week because of restricted gym times.

Aitken would like the city to follow a model like that taken by Grande Prairie, Alta., where the city built the facility and the soccer association paid for the pitch, boards and ongoing maintenance.

In Grande Prairie, the building cost $950,000, while the indoor outfitting cost $250,000. Yellowknife costs are usually 30 per cent higher than Alberta.

The AMSL has already set aside $25,000 in a reserve fund, and plans to increase registration fees by $25 per person. The extra money would go to the new building, which the AMSL is hoping would be built at the Yellowknife Correctional Centre site.

Coun. Robert Hawkins supported the idea, and pressed the city to accelerate development of a joint committee.

"I'd hate to see this fizzle out," he said. The city already had an indoor soccer pitch at the back end of its five-year capital plan.

Coun. Alan Woytuik said he was happy to see the soccer league had begun raising its own money.

"In order to make this thing happen you'll need a lot of fundraising," he said. He also cautioned that "there's a lot of needs" begging for city money.

Coun. Wendy Bisaro, meanwhile, suggested that council take a broader look at the old jail site -- which already has a number of prospective takers -- before it decides on the soccer pitch.

Coun. Dave McCann said council should "be aware of any potential synergies" with an indoor soccer pitch. Aitken said it could be used as a revenue generator for events like trade fairs.

From here, the city will look at creating a joint committee to study the feasibility of a new building.

The AMSL committed to looking at a new facility at its June 2001 annual general meeting.

Since then, a committee has studied the need in Yellowknife.

It drew heavily from a report drafted in Whitehorse, which is also contemplating a new indoor soccer building.

The AMSL found that indoor soccer uses 51 per cent of open time in gyms suitable for the sport in Yellowknife. That compares to 12 per cent for volleyball, 10 per cent for basketball and eight per cent for dance.

It's also growing. The AMSL roster increased by 27 per cent over the last four years. Aitken expects that to balloon with an indoor pitch.

"Once you have that you attract way more people," she said.