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LOOKING BACK: Games in the dark

40 years ago

Squash enthusiasts were pleased to hear that the Yellowknife Racquet Club expected to have its four courts ready by late summer.

The location, behind Dump trailer court in the Fritz Thiel Memorial Sports Field, was ratified finally at a development committee meeting after earlier talks with club representatives and city administration.

Committee recommended approval in principle of the 15,000 square-foot site.

The foundation was not unlike the original piece of bedrock across from Grimshaw Trucking which the club had intended to use, before aldermens' protest about erosion of parkland halted that plan.

Then club president Jim Herringer said he was pleased with the land which the club intended to purchase.

The final selling price would be determined on the basis of road extension to the courts, as well as sewer and water hook up.

The land was owned by the territorial government, but the city was in the process of buying and surveying it.

30 years ago

Yellowknifers had to start feeding the parking meters again.

Because of the cold weather that winter, Yellowknife bylaw officers had not been ticketing motorists for meter violations.

However, ticketing returned Monday morning that week, “since the weather had warmed up considerably,” said Doug Strader, then head of the city's bylaw department.

20 years ago

An inmate at the Yellowknife Correctional Centre who was out on what turned out to be a short conditional release stole a car and was returned to jail.

The inmate failed to report in at the Salvation Army and was considered unlawfully at large. The following day, a running vehicle was taken from the Yellowknife Co-op parking lot. The owner and two onlookers pursued and managed to block the stolen vehicle a short distance away. The inmate then started walking down the road.

RCMP arrived, arrested the man, charged him with theft and impaired driving and returned him to his cell.

10 years ago

Arctic Winter Games speed skating was postponed at the Multiplex due to a power outage that affected the entire city, as well as Dettah, Ndilo and Behchoko. Athletes were herded into the lobby of the facility to wait until the power came back on. At most other venues, however, events continued as planned, lit by only emergency power.