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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
It could be well into next spring before anyone will be building recreational cabins on Banting, Walsh, or Prosperous lakes, and the reason has nothing to do with the building season.

The Department of Municipal and Community Affair's recreational lease policy framework has been in the works since 2009, but public outcry to a discussion paper released back in January that proposed 35 new lots off the Ingraham Trail forced the department to put that plan on the back-burner and conduct further consultations.

"We had good feedback and ... constructive feedback," said Emerald Murphy, director of lands administration for the department.

"A lot of people aren't satisfied with how the government has handled land administration in the past and of course we're trying to improve things so we're open to constructive criticism and suggestions."

One of the parties the department will consult with is the Yellowknives Dene First Nation, whose members have voiced concerns about conflicts with traditional land uses and the effects more cabins could have on the environment, Murphy said.

"What we're doing is we're entering into conversations with the Yellowknives Dene about what their concerns are," said Murphy.

"We're very sensitive to the fact that all this land is under land claim and the Yellowknives Dene have been here a very long time and many of their people may have traditional uses of the land."

Shannon Gault, executive assistant for the Yellowknives Dene First Nation, declined to comment prior to upcoming meetings with the GNWT, but said representatives from the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs were present at the Akaitcho First Nation general assembly in August and would be present at a meeting Monday night to begin discussions. Dates for further meetings may also be set at that time.

Former mayor Dave Lovell, a cabin owner on Banting Lake, said he is one of those disappointed with how land administration has been conducted over the past 20 or more years but is more impressed with the government's actions of late.

He said the government is doing a good job removing squatters but hopes they do not allow squatters to apply for leases on choice land they've "pre-empted" by squatting there. "My thought is that ... if any government is going to get ahead of the game, the government has to select the spot they're going to lease, not the people, and then put it up for a lot draw," said Lovell.

Murphy said there is a lot of work ahead for the department before the plan is finalized. The Department of Municipal and Community Affairs has stated the freeze will be lifted on March 31, or once the framework is finalized.

More information on the discussion paper and updates regarding the recreation lease policy framework can be found on the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs website.

Fact file

MACA proposals for cabin lots

A discussion paper published in early 2012 asked for feedback from the public on territory-wide policy options for recreational leases territory-wide. The end of the paper requested feedback on the options suggested in the paper. Some of the information included in the paper is detailed here.

Number of additional sites proposed for Yellowknife: 35

Lease site disposal options: First-come-first-served, public lot draw, or public auction

Maximum lot size: 1,200 square metres with an optimal lot being 30 metres wide by 40 metres deep

Minimum distance from shoreline: 30 metres

Maximum size of primary cabin: 1,000 square feet plus an optional deck, 15.5 feet in height

Source: Department of Municipal and Community Affairs

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