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The houseboats along Baker Creek by the Giant Mine boat launch remain despite assurances offered to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans from houseboaters that they would move their dwellings shortly after breakup earlier this spring. - Candace Thomson/NNSL photo |
City won't act on Giant houseboats 'Too many players involved,' says Harbour Plan co-ordinator
Candace Thomson
Northern News Services
Published Monday, June 24, 2013
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
The houseboats in Baker Creek continue to draw complaints from the community but the city isn't doing anything about it, at least not without consulting other government departments first.
"There are several players involved and there needs to be co-ordination in terms of determining what the proper protocol is in taking action on the situation," said Jeff Humble, director of planning and development for the city and co-ordinator of the Yellowknife Harbour Planning Committee.
Humble said even though the six houseboats are moored to city property a spit of land that separates Great Slave Lake from Baker Creek -- the city still has no jurisdiction.
That leaves the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, the Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development's Giant Mine remediation team as players that could have jurisdiction and help consult the city on what to do, according to Humble.
He said plans are in the works to determine the best course of action, but would not speculate as to when the issue will be dealt with. The houseboats are moored near a busy sailboat club and public boat launch.
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) doesn't claim jurisdiction on the issue either.
Last month, DFO officials reportedly spoke with houseboat owners who volunteered to clean up debris on the shore, which some residents claim is harming the spring spawning run of Arctic grayling and Northern pike. Yellowknife-based DFO detachment supervisor Gerald Fillatre told Yellowknifer last month that officials were monitoring the situation but the houseboats didn't appear to be harming the fish.
A few of the houseboaters told DFO officials they planned to move their homes out of the area once the ice broke up on Great Slave Lake.
The houseboats are still there, and the situation hasn't changed, according to Fillatre when News/North spoke to him on Tuessday, so DFO still can't do anything to satisfy the numerous complaints they've received.
None of the other departments involved in the houseboat issue were available for comment before press time.
News/North visited the area on Wednesday but didn't find anybody at home. Randy Sibbeston, who built some of the houseboats, didn't return phone calls.
David Radcliffe, who has fished from Baker Creek since he was a boy, said he is unhappy the city isn't doing anything but he is not surprised either.
"It's ridiculous they're not doing anything about it," said Radcliffe.
He added the houseboaters should take more responsibility for the damage he claims they're doing to the environment. He said he thinks now that the spring ban on fishing at Baker Creek has been lifted the houseboats will be in the way.
"That's where they're going to want to fish from, and if you cast a line now, you're going to catch a hippie," he said.
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