Rae-Edzo (Mar 24/03) - The hamlet of Rae is still waiting for the ice plant promised to them from the City of Yellowknife late last year.

"Nobody's called me yet," said new Rae recreation director Belinda Sanspariel, who confirmed the ice plant has not arrived in Rae.

But a week ago, Grant White, recreation director in Yellowknife, said he is still waiting for Rae to call him.

"The ball is in their court," he said. Mayor Gord Van Tighem was saying the same thing on Tuesday when asked if Rae will ever get the gift Yellowknife promised them.

"It seemed like a great idea at the time," Van Tighem said Tuesday.

"I'm not sure now whose idea it was," he said. Van Tighem would not say who is responsible for shipping the old, unused ice plant from the old Gerry Murphy arena to Rae.

It was supposed to be a Christmas present last year from the City of Yellowknife.

Instead, the ice-maker has become a joke with the most recent recreation directors in the hamlet, who doubt they will ever see the ice plant.

"They have a lot of other concerns right now," Van Tighem added, saying Rae may not even want the ice plant.

"I knew about it," said Sanspariel who took over from Conan Donahue three weeks ago in Rae.

"But I wasn't too sure what was going on."

It was estimated in November that installing the ice-maker would cost Rae $750,000.

"They came up and did a tour," White said, who added he was unsure of when the tour took place, other than earlier this year. "I'm not sure what their plans are," he said.

"The offer was made. They came up, had a look.

And they were supposed talk to a refrigeration company to see if it's feasible to move it. And whether it's suited to their facility or not," added White.

"I'm sure they'd have to modify their facility to accommodate this."