Terry Kruger
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Mar 31/00) - Calling it "one of the most interesting planning projects" to come along in some time, city planner Monte Christensen has kicked off discussions aimed at coming up with a plan to develop and manage the waterfront.

About 70 people gathered in the library meeting rooms over two nights last week to review the draft plan and see what planners have envisioned for the future.

They were told about a network of trails, ideas for community docks, parks, boat launches and the general need to improve public access.

"It doesn't mean the city wants to do all this stuff, because there is an opportunity for private enterprise to do some of this stuff," explained Christensen at the March 20 session. "We hope to maybe be a catalyst to make things happen."

That includes extending an invitation to the public to come up with ideas and input for what it wants along the city's 23-kilometre waterfront.

The detailed discussion of ideas will come next week, at planning meetings set for April 4-5, also in the library meeting rooms.

Last week, many of those in attendance sat quietly while Christensen outlined the draft plan.

In the audience were houseboaters and Old Town and Latham Island residents, among others. There was no heated discussion and the mood was generally conciliatory when it came to the touchy issues of ownership of waterfront land in Old Town and who controls where houseboats can be located.

"There are different views on who owns the shoreline in the area," said Christensen.

He suggested part of the process of legitimizing residents' ownership of the land in question could include some kind of trade-off that would ensures public access to some of that shoreline.

In response to a question from houseboater Matthew Grogono, Christensen said it was "unfortunate" that the city and houseboat owners ended up in court.

"Somehow, we've got to resolve" the situation without derailing the whole waterfront development.

"Water/land occupancy is an age-old issue," said Christensen. "It always gets bogged down by houseboats and other things.

"I hope that doesn't happen."

Most of the comments about the waterfront plan were favourable.

"I think what you're doing is good stuff," said Robin Reilly. "You see over and over, cities reclaiming their waterfront areas."

He also pointed out the fact that the plan doesn't address access during the winter.

"You should think about that."

Reilly also encouraged the city to go into waterfront development with an eye to the bigger picture.

"The plan should include the larger regional context," he said.

"Yellowknife Bay is only a little, tiny nick in the countryside."

Jack Williams, who helped his father develop a park at the Latham Island causeway, also had praise for the city.

"I think development of the waterfront is a good idea," said Williams.

"Latham Island and the causeway is our Granville Island," he said, referring to Vancouver's popular False Creek development.

He also suggested the plan look more at the need for increased parking.

Others suggested looking at getting renewed access to the boat launch at Con mine, something the city is already considering, and working with senior governments to improve how their departments, forestry, fisheries and defence use their waterfront land. After the meetings, Christensen was optimistic this process will be beneficial.

"There was interest there that people wanted to see some things done," he explained.