Canada Winter Games bid gets cool reception from people in Yellowknife

The city of Yellowknife is one step closer to hosting the 2023 Canada Winter Games, and that's not sitting right with some people in the community.

On Wednesday,the Canada Winter Games Working Committee, established by the City of Yellowknife, announced Yellowknife could host the gamesat a pricetag of just over$50million.

Whether Yellowknife should go ahead with a bid is up to city council,but some community leaders are hoping councilors will vote against it.

'This isn't the right time'

"The population is shrinking, we've got mines closing, people are losing their jobs, they soon will be losing their homes," saysMikeBradshaw, the executive director of the NWT Chamber of Commerce.

"This isn't the right time to sink public money, either at the territorial or municipal level, into a 'nice-to-do'."

Bradshaw says the feasibility report is well-written, but lacks depth.

"The risk analysisis at bestsuperficial." he says."When you drill down below some of the comments and some of the figures,I don't think they are very reliable."

Bradshaw is also questioning whether the community could rally the 4,500 volunteers needed to host the games. The report says3,000 volunteers helped out with the Arctic Winter Games in Yellowknife in 2008, but Bradshaw says the actual number was closer to 2,500.

'I would be inclined to say no'

Bradshaw is not alone in his concerns. MLA for Yellowknife Centre, Julie Green, is worried about visitors even having a bed to sleep in.

The report budgets for up to 45 per cent of Yellowknife's hotel rooms to be used for Games purposes, meaning that the city could see a shortfall of up to 600rooms, and suggests making up some of the difference with bed and breakfasts and billeting.

"I think that there are probably not enough places to stay in all of the varieties," says Green.

Green also says there are more pressing concerns for the community to spend their time and money on like public housing.

"This project is going to monopolize a lot of money and people power over the next seven years.

"I would be inclined to say no."

Waving the Flag

Not everyone is against the idea.

"It's the same as the Arctic Winter Games. Except we step up a little bit," says the president ofNWT Judo,MarioDesforges. "The media exposure is huge."

Desforgesadvises Yellowknifersnot to discount the amount of community pride and positive energy that comes from hosting such an event.

He says raising a 2023 Canada Winter Games flag in Yellowknife would motivate athletes from across the territory to achieve greatness, and win at home.