by Doug Ashbury
Northern News Services

NNSL (Nov 05/97) - The North's only headstone company has thrown a lawsuit at city hall.

Hammond Stone Works owner Andrew Hammond said the city betrayed him when it tendered gravestone work at the Lakeview Cemetery.

So, he launched a lawsuit in territorial Supreme Court for $55,516.

"The city came to me, saying they had unmarked graves. They needed 250 graves marked," Hammond said.

Hammond completed the first 98 flat-stone markers last year after winning a September 1995 tender.

He said the city used his information in tendering the next batch of stone markers.

Yellowknife-based Nahanni Construction Ltd., with the low bid, was awarded the second batch.

To make matters worse, Hammond said he is concerned that the second batch of stones has not been placed in the cemetery. He believes they should have been done this year.

Nahanni Construction president Bob Morgan said the city was late in getting correct grave information to the company and that set the project back.

"The first four (Lakeview sites) we looked at had modern markers," he said.

Nahanni arranged for Edmonton company Remco Memorials Ltd. to cut and letter the stones. A Yellowknife company would prepare the footings and place the markers.

"We're done as far as we can proceed this season because of the weather," Morgan said.

It was hoped the work would be done this year but that was not a requirement, Morgan added. "I think the city has done a good job and the taxpayer is getting good value."

The new markers replace old, weathered, wooden markers.

City director of community services Max Hall said because of the litigation, it would be inappropriate to comment.