Yellowknife (Jan 01/07) - Although the stroke of midnight doesn't really make us change anything but the calendar, it seems to arouse a sense of renewal in us all. On Jan. 1, resolutions are made, gym memberships are bought, and packs of cigarettes are thrown away.

The idea of starting fresh is just too attractive. No matter how your life is going, there is always something on which, you'd like to improve.

Prominent Yellowknifers are no exception. While their careers seem to be on track, perhaps it comes at a cost, as family and fitness appear to be the top two things they'd like to work at this year.

Mayor Gord Van Tighem said he would like to spend more time with his children and grandchildren this year.

"You get too focused on what you're doing, and you forget about your family," he said.

His daughter Coleen and son Christopher live in Edmonton, and he has two grandchildren there, four-year-old Farah and two-year-old Hannah. His son Graham lives in Whitehorse.

Yellowknife Centre MLA Robert Hawkins said he would like to spend more time with his two children, McKinley and Hudson.

"My kids, my monsters, are great," he said. "They're the funnest thing in the world."

As a former athlete, Hawkins is also hoping to start jogging again this year.

City Coun. Kevin Kennedy said he would like to spend more time with nature in the New Year.

"I want to spend more time outside on the land, snowshoeing and enjoying winter," he said.

Other than trying to be an "improved and better councillor," Coun. David McCann said he would like to get healthier by walking his son's dog more often.

But not everyone makes New Year's resolutions. Chief Coroner Percy Kinney said he doesn't have any for the year, although he's not against the idea in general.

"I think they're a good idea," he said. "They motivate people to better themselves."