A lengthy line of ticket-hungry people filled the hallway outside the Canada Winter Games' only ticket office in the Hougen Centre this morning, the first day of ticket sales.

'I think it's great; it shows there's an obvious interest in the Games,' said George Arcand, assistant vice-president of the Games' host society.

Arcand expects tickets for the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as medal round sports events, will be the hot sellers.

A quick survey of three people waiting to buy tickets revealed that exact pattern.

Shirley Anne Keenan was waiting to purchase tickets for the opening ceremonies and men's medal round hockey. Calling herself a 'hockey fan', Keenan said she's excited about the Games coming to Whitehorse in early 2007.

Tickets to the opening or closing ceremonies sell for $50 apiece, while medal-round hockey tickets can be had for $20.

Ron Bratz was in line for the opening and closing ceremonies, hockey and curling, but said the sports tickets came second.

'My instructions (from my wife) were to get the opening ceremonies, so that's my number one priority.'

Bob Loblaw was also in line to buy tickets for the opening and closing ceremonies and hockey.

Asked if he was buying extra tickets, he said no, 'Just enough for the family.'

But unlike Bratz, who was just buying tickets for himself and his wife, Loblaw was acquiring tickets for himself, his wife and his kids. That meant he was going to have to take an extra trip through the line to get all the tickets he wanted.

That's because, as Arcand explained, ticket buyers can only buy 10 tickets at a time.

'We're just making sure everybody has equal opportunity to get tickets.'

The rule is that after a ticket buyer reaches the 10-ticket limit, he or she has to go to the end of the line to wait and get a maximum of 10 more. There is no limit on the total number of tickets someone can buy.

Besides waiting in line at the ticket office, buyers can also call 1-877-393-2007 to order tickets. Arcand said the phone was ringing all day Sunday.

While week passes will be good for the medal rounds of most sports at the games, spectators will need special medal-round tickets for hockey, curling and boxing, said Arcand.

With only approximately 500 tickets available for the gold-medal hockey game, Arcand expects those tickets will sell out quickly.

'That's one of the most sought-after.'

But even with that level of interest, the money made from ticket sales won't even be enough to cover the cost of selling them, said Arcand.

'We're not going to make money,' he added.

To help cover the cost of selling the tickets, Northwestel Inc. has stepped up to enrich its sponsorship with an additional $50,000, said Paul Flaherty, the company's president and CEO.

That brings Northwestel's total sponsorship to around $450,000 in cash and in-kind donations, he said.

'It's an opportunity to support the community,' said Flaherty, explaining the company's hefty contribution.

Asked if Northwestel would be contributing any additional money or services, he said, 'We'll see what happens between now and Games time (February).'