Mike W. Bryant
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Apr 28/04) - City councillor Bob Brooks says council's squeamishness at passing a motion seeking joint-regulatory control over Yellowknife Bay, works just as well.

His motion was referred back to committee Monday night even though it appeared Brooks had enough votes to have it passed.

"I wasn't upset at all that it was referred to committee," said Brooks.

"It achieves the same goal in allowing administration to start some work on it."

The motion would've directed City Hall to put the wheels in motion for a multi-jurisdictional agreement with the GNWT, the federal government and the Yellowknives Dene.

Brooks wants the city to be able to regulate development within Yellowknife's houseboat community. He also wants the city to have a say on any potential tourism developments on and off the shore.

Ottawa has the final say over what happens on waters within city limits, but any future agreement over regulatory control would have to involve a host of other government agencies and First Nations.

The motion appeared to be heading for a 4-3 vote with Coun. Brooks, Doug Witty, Alan Woytuik, and David McCann in support. Coun. Wendy Bisaro, Blake Lyons and Kevin O'Reilly said they were opposed because they think more research needs to be done.

Safety an issue

Bisaro said the motion was lacking because it didn't have a clause referring to safety on the water, something she said is a growing concern.

"It's getting busier and busier out there and it's definitely a safety issue," said Bisaro.

"We need to do some background work on this."

Coun. Woytuik cautioned that the issue wasn't just about houseboats or the city's combative history with them.

The city -- in an attempt to levy property taxes -- launched several lawsuits against houseboaters in 1996, but backpeddled four years later when Municipal and Community Affairs decided that neither the territorial government nor the city had any control over development on Yellowknife Bay.

"I just want to put the houseboaters at ease," said Woytuik. "I don't think anybody is contemplating another lawsuit.

"There just doesn't seem to be any level of government taking an active interest in it."

Following some lengthy debate, Brooks himself voted to have the motion referred to committee.

MACA deputy minister Debbie DeLancey said if the city tried to obtain title over its in-boundary waters like it did last time, it would probably take 15 years or more to get a nod from the federal government, and that would only include the lake bed.

A multi-jurisdictional agreement, however, may speed things up considerably.

"There may be some wisdom in Councillor Brook's proposal for trying to negotiate a multi-jurisdictional agreement because it sidesteps that timing issue," said DeLancey

"If all the parties were willing to sit down at the table, there might be potential for something to be developed."

Back Bay resident Vaughn del Valle, who attended Monday night's council meeting, said he thinks there are enough hurdles in place to discourage rampant development on waters adjacent Yellowknife.

"You can't get a mortgage without passing the building code, or insurance either," said del Valle. "There's no need in complicating the issue with more bureaucracy."