Yellowknife (Aug 01/03) - A number of business owners along Franklin Avenue are unhappy with the scheduling of road construction work during their peak season but a representative from the City of Yellowknife says they're not disrupting business.

John and Lisa Seagrave at the Gallery of the Midnight Sun said they stand to lose close to $4,000 a day for every day construction cuts traffic off from the gallery.

"Most of our tourist traffic right now is RVs and with the construction they won't bring the RVs in," said Seagrave.

The construction and architectural companies involved have been very informative, said Seagrave, clarifying that business owners' major misgiving is with the timing of the project.

City of Yellowknife manager of public works and engineering, Dennis Kefalas, says now is the only time the city can do the work.

"We have to wait until the roads thaw and the fall is not a good time. The temperature has to be five degrees and rising to meet with construction requirements. We've had good communications with the business owners, including an open house concerning the project," said Kefalas.

"I don't believe they're having any interruption with their business," said Kefalas.

Ben Nind, art director with Stuck in a Snowbank Theatre, said he has a performance booked in Ndilo over the next couple of weeks and he's worried about the construction as well.

"This construction is going to affect us big time," said Nind.

"The other thing that I find really upsetting is that they're going to be blasting rock.

"There's a whole movement to save these outcroppings and they're trying to change Yellowknife into downtown Calgary," said Nind.

The very least the city could do is to plan construction projects in consultation with business owners, said Nind, "but they don't inform anyone. You only get the information after a decision has been made."

Another concern is that the project may be delayed beyond the scheduled completion date.

Sandra Gellenback, general manager of Johnson's Business Supplies Ltd. and Kristine Bourque with Just Furs seemed a little more philosophical over the matter.

"I don't have any parking space ... I think it's disrupting my business but from their point of view, I think they're working as fast as they can," said Bourque.

Added Gellenback: "This is our busiest season but it's tough to find the time when it wouldn't affect any of us."

At public works, Kefalas said the project should be complete in another two weeks.