Nathan VanderKlippe
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Sep 13/02) - The first explosion on Tuesday afternoon caught Modena Spears off-guard.

When the second blast rolled through, she was in front of her Lakeview Heights condominium, holding hands with her two children and warning them that the blowing whistles mean a huge bang is coming.

It was only after the second explosion that Spears received a letter warning her that workers would be blasting to install water and sewer pipes close to her property. Spears lives next to the site of a new 14-storey apartment building under construction on 44th Street.

"They should have informed us," said the stay-at-home mom.

Shirley Saint, who also lives next door to the construction, was equally taken aback.

"I thought this must have been what the Giant Mine explosion sounded like," she said.

Under city guidelines, blasting work is advertised on the three radio stations in town the day of the work. Nearby residents are also supposed to be warned "well in advance."

City lands manager Monte Christensen said that means an hour or two before the blasting.

The city sent radio stations a warning fax Tuesday morning, and property manager Dave McCann, who works with Mackenzie Management, was given a heads-up Tuesday afternoon. The letter he distributed to residents arrived after blasting started.

"I don't know why they're calling the newspaper about that," he said, adding that any savvy resident should have known that blasting work was required.

Residents have been angry at the construction work at the 106-unit apartment building, complaining about the noise all summer long and the destruction of some nearby green space.