by Richard Gleeson
Northern News Services

NNSL (Aug 20/97) - Credibility and not heritage preservation was on trial at a public consultation meeting on the future of the Woodyard.

"I think most people here have the same feeling I do," said Esther Braden at the Thursday meeting. "Been here, done that."

Braden presented newspaper articles from years past noting an important piece of Yellowknife history is disappearing along with the Woodyard.

"What does it take to give this town the message?" asked Braden. "It bothers my mind that they're so hell bent on scrubbing out this history."

The focus of the Thursday-evening meeting was three options developed by city staff for the future of the two-hectare strip of land along the Yellowknife Bay shoreline.

All three call for demolition of the few remaining shacks on the commissioner-owned land.

Others at the meeting pointed to two recent reports on the Woodyard.

One comes from an ad hoc committee of property owners, tenants and those interested in heritage preservation. The other was prepared by a city-appointed heritage committee.

Both were presented last year and recommended, in varying forms, preservation of the buildings and wetlands in the area. The city did not implement any of the recommendations contained in the reports.

Director of planning and lands Bob McKinnon, who fielded most of the questions posed Thursday night, said council had directed the department to consider the recommendations of the reports when preparing a plan for the area.

Some residents at the meeting suggested the planning process was already well under way. "You're putting the cart before the horse," said Hal Logsdon, suggesting the options themselves should have been based on public input.

"This is more of a strategy than a process," he added.

All who spoke at the meeting said the three options outlined in the staff report, "The Woodyard -- an examination of alternatives," were unacceptable.

Area resident Fran Hurcomb noted any plan for the Woodyard is complicated by the fact that the city doesn't own the land or buildings -- save for one -- that sit on it.

At the suggestion of Old Stope Society member Stephen Fancott, McKinnon agreed to recommend to council that a committee, similar in composition to the ad hoc committee, be assembled to oversee formulation of a plan for the controversial area.