Yellowknife (Aug 22/03) - With the official opening of the Multiplex set for Sept. 21, thoughts at City Hall have turned to the question of a name for the new arena.

With the official opening weeks away, there's no sign yet on the entrance to Yellowknife's newest sports complex. - Merle Robillard/NNSL photo

"Maybe we want to have community input," councillor Robert Hawkins said at a recent priorities, policies and budget committee meeting.

Council had hoped to raise as much as $500,000 by selling the name to a corporate sponsor, but there were no takers.

"I'm not against sponsorship, or maybe we could hold a public contest, perhaps," Hawkins said.

Yellowknifer staged a name-the-arena contest in March. C.B. (Shorty) Brown won hands down.

Brown's efforts to gather free hockey equipment for children throughout the North made him the 2-1 choice of contest participants.

Sports supporter Elaine Whitford and former mayor Pat McMahon were also popular names.

Only 10 per cent of the voters in Yellowknifer's poll thought the arena name should be sold to the highest bidder.