Sports Centre is due to be unveiled next week.

And local architects are to be invited to submit ideas and bids for the design of the 24-acre property.

Yesterday chairman of the National Sports Centre Trustees, Donald Lines, said the last version of the plan had been approved by the Trustees, although there was still some debate about the artificial women's hockey field.

"By March 5 we will have the final version of the master plan for the whole 24 acres and the next step will be hiring local architects,'' said Mr. Lines.

"There is also a book which lays out where we go from here,'' added Mr.

Lines.

It is hoped the Centre will be ready for the Millenium and will include a 50-metre swimming pool, gymnasium, a building capable of seating 5,000 people, a measured track, two soccer pitches and a cricket pitch.

Already the old Technical College and Sixth Form buildings have been demolished and fields to the north levelled to pave the way for the new pitches.

Originally it was hoped to use the buildings for community groups but renovations proved to be too expensive.

It is also felt that use can be made of the nearby Devon Lane school which will be available for use in connection with the Centre in the future.

Work has also included bringing the existing buildings up to scratch, repairing the track as well as the lighting.

Today Mr. Lines will meet with the Bermuda Institute of Architects to discuss the plans and will invite architects to meet the Trustees on March 5 to submit their ideas.

NEW PARISH PRIEST CHU New parish priest An Anglican priest from Canada has been confirmed as the new parish priest at St. John's in Pembroke.

The Rev. Dr. Patrick White -- who is Bermudian-born but has spent nearly all his life in Canada -- was yesterday formally approved by Anglican Bishop Ewen Ratteray.

The Whitby, Ontario, parish priest said last night: "I'm very excited at the prospect of coming back.

"Having been away for a long time, I'm probably more Canadian than Bermudian and yet my roots are in Bermuda.'' Dr. White, 54, a former pupil at Saltus, left Bermuda with parents George and Ruth, nee Haskell, when he was aged just ten.

But he said he had visited the Island many times since his family moved to Canada and kept in touch with church affairs.

He explained: "My family in Bermuda have kept me in touch, just as a matter of interest, rather than through any vocation to come back.'' He said he thought the Anglican Church in Bermuda leaned more towards England, whereas Canada was somewhere between England and the US.

Dr. White, who has spent his entire ministry in the Toronto diocese, said on matters like women's ordination, the English church took longer to decide their stance than Canada, while the US went ahead with women priests before its northern neighbour.

But he added: "Rather than being so much different, it seems to be a timing thing. Each church in the Anglican community, each province, is independent.'' Dr. White, who is married with two grown-up daughters, is expected to take up his new job within three months.

He was ordained as a priest in 1978 and holds three degrees -- a B.A. from Victoria College, University of Toronto, a M. Div. from Wycliffe College, Toronto School of Theology and a D. Min. from Toronto.

He has worked in his current parish, his fourth, since 1993, and has studied additional courses. These include parish management, short-term marriage counselling and pastoral counselling in the parish setting.