SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
The second summer of major reconstruction at Northland Trailer Park began Tuesday with contractor RTL -Robinson Enterprises Ltd. digging at Norseman Drive.

Season two of reconstruction work on water and sewer lines at Northland Trailer Park began this week. YK Condo Board No. 8 president Jenni Bruce said she is working with RTL-Robinson Enterprises and the city to ensure communication lines with residents remain open. She is asking residents to provide their cellphone numbers to the condo board so that the contractor can access properties as needed. - Simon Whitehouse/NNSL photo

The route is currently closed to outside traffic, but city officials state the project is about halfway complete.

The city and the contractor hosted a season-opening meeting May 13 at the Multiplex in order to inform residents about construction plans over the summer. Yk Condo Corporation No. 8 president Jenni Bruce said she was impressed with the tone at the meeting despite a turnout of about only 40 people.

“The meeting didn't even last 45 minutes and was incredibly positive,” she said. “The city and RTL basically handed out the plans and let citizens pose questions about access to homes and how it will all work.”

Bruce said the main aim is to get most of the digging work on Northland roads complete this season. Next summer will see the completion of work connecting homes to newly installed water and sewer lines.

“This year the work will be predominantly in the park and will involve getting mains laid in the streets and connecting of some services,” said public works director Chris Greencorn.

RTL is expected to have up to four crews working in the park, he added.

“The goal is to have all the mains laid this summer and tie in each individual trailer some time this summer. We will then probably finish off in 2015.”

One of the main objectives this year is to keep local traffic flow moving as much as possible, something the condo board says RTL and the city's engineering staff has facilitated well to date.

In August 2012, the city passed a bylaw to borrow up to $15,767,679 to finance water and sewer lines at Northland. The three-year construction project will replace aging water and sewer pipes first installed in 1975. According to the bylaw, Northland residents will pay the loan back over no more than 25 years, at no more than $358 per month per home. A five-per-cent interest rate is also applied on the loan.

A big component of moving the project forward is keeping the lines of communication open with residents who make up about 258 households. In addition to the YK Condo Board's website, Bruce said the board is looking to host tailgate parties similar to last year and will likely hold those every Friday again.

She is also hoping to attain cellphone numbers for all residents so that people can be promptly contacted if RTL needs to access their properties.

“Occasionally workers will need to get under a home and sometimes even into a home,” said Bruce. “Their (RTL's) goal is to contact directly those residents who will be affected by the bill up to two weeks in advance. But sometimes people aren't home and it is a little tricky knocking on doors. The more numbers we can get, the easier it will go.”

Mayor Mark Heyck said the project appears to be moving forward at a positive pace, particularly with the completion of line connections from city pumphouses to the trailer park last year.

“The discussions about getting that infrastructure done we have had thoroughly over the last decade while I was on council,” he said. “To see shovels in the ground now and heading into the second (season), I think residents are by and large extremely happy to see work proceeding. Hopefully by the end of next construction season we will be all done. ”

Resident Cynthia Creed said it was too early to tell how construction was going since work began this week, but she expected some inconveniences, such as a requirement to park off-site and some difficulty getting around the narrow streets.

“We have been told we would have to park off-site and they did it last year when they worked on the 100 block,” she said. “The condo board has sent out e-mails with alternative parking areas, so I think they have been pretty proactive with arranging alternative parking. Granted, it is kind of inconvenient to not be able to drive up to your door, but the work has to get done or nobody can sell or buy property.”