Dave Sullivan
Northern News Services

Enterprise (Jan 07/02) - Enterprise council had been wanting control over local land long before a company set up an ammonium nitrate depot.

As a settlement, the council is not permitted to introduce zoning bylaws that would have tipped off residents to what they believe is a dangerous operation set up by Polar Explosives, right in the community's centre.

"We have no authority over the land, we must go through the Northwest Territories government" says Mayor Winnie Cadieux. She said that would be okay only if the government was responsive to community wishes.

She and others say land claims holding up much development in the North doesn't apply to the area, because the settlement has a good relationship with Deh Cho First Nations, and no specific land claim includes the community.

Enterprise is gunning for changes to the Settlement Act. Failing that, council will take a serious look at becoming a hamlet.

Work towards that has begun, but the GNWT first wants to see a land use plan, Cadieux said. The council can't afford one.

"We want MACA to hire someone to do the land use plan."

Cadieux said residents are frustrated that nobody has authority to do anything about a half-built building across from the community hall that's become an eyesore.

A bigger issue came up a couple years ago, when a logging company applied to cut timber within Enterprise's 96-square-mile perimeter. A permit was issued by RWED, despite community opposition.

Residents didn't like the fact the logs would be going south, even though there is a local lumber mill.

There was also no forest inventory, which is a study to see if a harvest is sustainable.