Glen Korstrom
Northern News Services

NNSL (May 22/98) - One local entrepreneur hopes the city's waterfront management study is not evidence a public dock is in the works to replace the one closed by Con mine.

"There is a dock problem in Yellowknife," said Mike Stilwell, who owns Sail North. He just wants the private sector to come up with a solution.

"From the city, this is the only public boat launch," he said, pointing to the Old Town boat launch while standing on one of the arms of his marina.

Some boaters launch from makeshift areas or alleys. The current boat launch, however, is the only one with specific necessary conditions, such as a steep drop and good traction.

Stilwell, who is building a dock on the waterfront of his property, wants to charge fees to help people launch boats.

Last year he sent a letter to the city suggesting he take over management of the boat launch, but he said he only received a letter that the idea was passed along.

His idea was to deliver people home and pick them up after they have the boat in.

Questions on the waterfront management survey include asking what watercrafts people own and which shoreline activities are important.

"I hope they share the information with people who are trying to do this privately," Stilwell said.

Bob McKinnon said the survey was handed out toward the end of April and the city will give people until the end of May to respond.

"It deals with the issue of access to the waterfront in general terms and it is part of a study that has been going on for a long time."

Stilwell said he is worried the city will try to do something on its own with regard to access, competing with entrepreneurs such as himself who have invested their own money in improving Yellowknife's waterfront.

To demonstrate how much demand there is, Stilwell said the current launch can be littered with as many as 40 vehicles on a Friday night setting boats out and 40 vehicles on a Sunday night with owners bringing their boats back in.

"It's a car-and-trailer parking problem created by the boat launch."

Though there is not supposed to be parking right by the boat launch, parking is accessible by the community policing building further up Franklin Avenue.