Yellowknife (Dec 03/04) - Bird lovers and Niven Lake residents say they don't want to see a nature preserve turned into an apartment complex.

The land in question sits adjacent to Niven Lake and two apartment buildings owned by a Calgary-based company, New North Projects, which wants to build a third one on the site.

Birdwatcher Nicole Chatel says the empty lot adjacent to Niven Lake is an ideal habitat for grassland birds. - Mike W. Bryant/NNSL photo

The land once served as the city dump, but it was covered with landfill 11 years ago. It was split between two zoning designations -- nature preserve and parks and recreation.

Naturalist Jamie Bastedo said the city may get more than it bargains for if the land is dug up and developed. "Who knows what else is in there," said Bastedo. "Much like the bottom of Niven Lake, the best thing is not disturb it."

Bastedo believes the city could be held liable if toxins were released and people became sick when the landfill is uncovered to make room for the new apartment complex. He said there were few regulations in place when people began dumping there during the 1940s and no one really knows what's buried there.

Bastedo said it would be better to convert the site into a park."It was always informally thought it would become some kind of recreational playground, much like Fritz Theil Park. That's built on an old dump."

Mayor Gord Van Tighem said he isn't worried about contamination on the site, noting that the entire Niven Lake area was a pretty messy place itself before it was developed.

"Anywhere around Niven Lake was once upon a time probably a dump," said Van Tighem."The general feeling from the public with the first two (apartments) was that they were fairly responsible developers. They left the trees up and did not bother the trail."

Andy Wong, who owns a house on 49th Avenue on the other side of the proposed apartment block, said he doesn't want to see green spaces in the area crowded out by high-density residential development.

"I basically just go behind my place and climb on the rocks right there," said Wong. The city sent out letters to his neighbours, Oct. 29, asking them to comment on the proposal, but Wong never got one.

"You can't criticize the city for doing what it's doing," said Wong. "Obviously, at some point in time we'll have to organize ourselves to oppose that development."

Birdwatchers Patricia Baldwin and Nicole Chatel say the site is one of the few areas in town where a grassy field grows -- a perfect habitat for birds like the Horned Lark and Lapland Longspur.

"We've found relatively rare birds there every year," said Baldwin.

Last year, Baldwin and other fellow birdwatchers complained to City Hall when it was discovered the site was being used to store construction equipment.

"It completely ruined the habitat for these birds we were watching," said Baldwin. "What the heck were these guys doing allowing people to put construction materials on a nature preserve?"

The project will be discussed at a city council committee meeting, Jan. 17.

New North Projects president Greg Herndieg could not be reached for comment.