SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - "This has nothing to do with land ownership or boundaries."

That was how Mayor Gord Van Tighem began a discussion on the community harbour plan during a meeting in Dettah Thursday evening.

After the harbour plan meeting held in Dettah Thursday, members of the Yellowknives Dene First Nation brought people to their feet for a drum dance. From left, Ernest Liske, Alphonse Crapeau, Peter Crookedhand, Leroy Betsina, Randy Baillargeon, Fraser Goulet, Bobby Drygeese and Ernie Goulet. - Nicole Veerman/NNSL photo

He was responding to a question from the audience about who has jurisdiction over what areas of the waterfront.

The meeting was organized to give Yellowknives Dene First Nation communities an opportunity to share their perspective on the city's harbour plan, which is in the preliminary stages. The plan seeks to establish a framework and vision for Yellowknife's waterfront, from Yellowknife River on the north to Negus Point on the south.

The study area also includes the communities of Ndilo and Dettah.

Van Tighem told the crowd of close to 35 people that the plan is a joint project that includes everyone, and it is up to the people to tell the consultants what they want to see.

"They (the consultants) come from away. They are experts, but they're not experts on us, so tell them about us," he said.

Ndilo Chief Ted Tsetta, who's a member of the Harbour Planning Committee, said his priority is to ensure the rights of his people are protected.

"We've been here for thousands of years and I just don't want interference with the way we've done things for years," he said.

Valerie Conrad, a member of the Yellowknives Dene and a lifetime Yellowknife resident, said she wants to ensure her people continue to have access to the waterways they have been using for thousands of years.

Part of the proposed plan is to create greater public access to the waterfront, an initiative Conrad said she can get behind.

"I just hope that the property owners in Back Bay and (on) Latham Island can get that NIMBY (not in my backyard) attitude out of their thought process," she said. "I like the idea of public access for everyone, not just a few homeowners."

She said her other concern is the increasing number of houseboats, which now number close to 20.

In the future, if people want to build houseboats, they should consult with the Yellowknives Dene, Conrad said.

"I have nothing against houseboaters. I like their spirit and lifestyle, as long as it's respectful of the traditional owners of this land," she said.

Joanne Erasmus said she is also concerned about the houseboats.

"It's getting crowded," she said.

There has to be a limit to the number allowed in the water, she said.

Houseboater Dawn Tremblay, who also attended the discussion, agreed, and said there should be some rules in place for houseboaters, including where they can be located and how they dispose of waste.

"I think, if done right, the harbour plan could be a really good thing," she said.

Part of the plan includes creating a regulatory body to oversee the city's harbours.

During the harbour consultants' opening presentation, Fiona Duckett, a coastal engineer with Ontario-based Baird and Associates, said a number of concerns have been raised about houseboats, one being that they aren't taxed.

"That's something that needs to be addressed," she said.

Tremblay said she wouldn't be opposed to a service fee - a sentiment that is shared by some houseboaters and was expressed at harbour plan meetings held in Yellowknife in December.

She said her concern is that it not be called a property tax because that implies ownership of the water.

With the information collected in the three public discussions, the harbour plan consultants will now write a draft strategy for the design and regulation of waters surrounding Yellowknife. The draft strategy is expected to be submitted in April.

The Harbour Planning Committee was formed in January 2010 after the city obtained a written endorsement from the Yellowknives Dene in September 2009. The 17-member committee includes representatives from city council, the Yellowknives Dene First Nation, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Transport Canada, several interest groups and Yellowknife residents.

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