Richard Gleeson
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Oct 02/00) - A Yellowknife man says his little piece of paradise is being spoiled by a new outfitting business that will be operated out of a territorial park this winter.

Garth Wallbridge has a cabin across the water from Pontoon Lake Park. Former premier Don Morin has received permission to operate a tourism business this winter in the two hectare park 30 kilometres outside of the city.

"I look straight at that park," said Wallbridge.

"I'm about 300 metres across the lake, so it's just going to destroy the privacy and seclusion that I seek when I go to my cabin, which I do almost every weekend."

Morin said he has talked to Wallbridge, but there doesn't seem to be much room for compromise.

"He basically told me he's dead set against us being there, and I can't really address that concern because I will be operating a business there," he said.

Morin said he plans to meet with other cabin-owners on the lake to hear any concerns they may have.

Tipis will be set up to resemble a tipi winter camp. Starting Nov. 15, the business will offer a sampling of traditional aboriginal culture, dogsledding, snowshoeing as well as snowmobiling, Northern Lights viewing and other activities.

Acting director of parks and tourism Eric Yaxley said Morin paid $200 for a permit to use the park, $100 for an outfitting licence and was required to post $1,500 in security against any environmental damage.

The park permit runs for one winter, from Sept. 11 to April 16.

Morin's was the only permit application received for the park, Yaxley said.

Wallbridge said his objections to operating a business out of a park are not based strictly on his loss of privacy.

He said Morin's business sets a precedent that jeopardizes the serenity of every recreational property and limits the public's use of the parks.

Yaxley said it is common practise to allow businesses to operate in parks and that Pontoon Lake Park has "barely any" use in the winter.

"Ever since they started, 20 years ago, we've had commercial operations in our parks," said Yaxley.

And that's common in territorial, provincial and national parks."

Wallbridge, a lawyer, is exploring environmental legislation he suspects prohibit the kind of business Morin is operating and has expressed his concerns in a letter to the Resources, Wildlife and Development Ministry.