Yellowknife (Aug 27/03) - If you were to close your eyes, you might almost hear Gene Autry croon the words to "Tumbling, tumbleweeds," as you walk across the parched earth.

Except these aren't the hard scrabble plains of Oklahoma, this is Sir John Franklin high school's ball park, three blocks from the downtown core.

The field is set aside every summer for recreational use among the city's various user groups, but takers are few and far between despite a growing demand for ball park time.

"It's a shame that high school students don't have an outdoor field out their door," says Rob Meckling, the NWT Softball consultant for Sports North and trustee for Yellowknife Education District No.1.

"It's sad. I've watched those kids play when the school year is winding down, and getting close to exams, and it's crap what they've got to play on there."

The field has remained largely unused the last three summers. It was a write-off in 2001 when the school repaved its parking lot that summer as part of its $13 million renovation plan. And except for some kid's practice camps and T-ball games during a few weeks in June the park stays empty and unwatered, with an outfield infested with long stands of ragweed.

During his first year as trustee in 2001, Meckling wanted to have the twin-pad arena split in two with one of the rinks located at the present ball park site.

"I think that's great what they're (the city) are doing (with the twin-pad arena)," says Meckling.

"But having one arena between two high schools certainly would've been pretty neat too."

The field, although listed as commissioner's land, is jointly administered between Yellowknife No.1 and the city. The education district takes responsibility for it during the school months, while the city handles it the rest of the time.

Ball leagues have been clamouring for more diamond space the last few summers. One of Parker Field's two ball diamonds -- off Finlayson Drive -- will finally be playable at the end of the season after a three year-long battle to keep it from sinking into swamp. St. Joe's field will close next summer so it can be seeded with grass.

Sir John's field is not the only one in rough shape. Tommy Forrest Park's outfield is filling in with weeds as well, and its scoreboard has seen better days.

A safety issue

Part of the problem with Sir John's field, says Howard McKay, vice president of Yellowknife Minor Ball League, is its lack of safety features: Out-of-bounds fences, a secure players' area behind the diamond, and a low spot behind home plate that accumulates water when it rains.

The size of the ball field has also decreased in recent years to make room for a pumphouse and parking at the school.

"Sir John needs substantial improvements compared to the other ones," says McKay, a former student at Sir John. "It got left to last. It's nothing that minor repairs wouldn't handle."

Andrew Morton, facilities manager for the city, says there are currently no plans to fix up the park. as far as he knows, no one is demanding that it be maintained, he says.

"We haven't maintained it because we weren't using it," says Morton.

"There's other projects that are more in need than looking at grassing that area... I think we put plans for Sir John on the backburner right now until we come to a group decision on what our needs are."

Nonetheless, Al Cook, president of the Yellowknife Slopitch Association, says he doesn't understand why the city hasn't spruced up the ball park to encourage more use during the summer.

"I don't know why they'll (the city) fix up St. Joe's (Ecole St. Joseph) but they won't do anything about Sir John," says Cook.

"It's a good little ball field down there."