Winter tourism business upsets cabin owners
Richard Gleeson
Northern News Services
Yellowknife (Nov 08/00) - Owners of cabins on Pontoon Lake are complaining they were not consulted about a business proposed for the park.
 Garth Wallbridge |
The winter tourism business is owned by former premier Don Morin.
"We have been involved in consultation -- after the fact," said another cabin owner, Rosanna Strong.
The lack of discussion was listed as the number one concern in a preliminary screening of the proposal to operate the business, known as Aurora Village, in the park.
The evaluation of outfitting licence applications begins, and usually ends, with a preliminary screening, required by the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act.
Public consultation is not a requirement of preliminary screenings, but Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development Minister Joe Handley said it is something the department carries out when new businesses are allowed to work out of territorial parks.
"Every time we do this we want to consult with the neighbours who might be effected by the new activity," Handley said. "Sometimes the notice is, in the view of some people, too short."
The screening was carried out by the RWED manager of Trade and Investment Bob Murphy, who dismissed concerns about a lack of consultation with the explanation, "Consultation with the Pontoon Lake residents did take place, however, Mr. Wallbridge and others chose not to attend."
Murphy said a Sept. 12 letter from Morin to Pontoon cabin owners served as notice of the proposal to bring the business to the small park.
The letter begins, "We are just starting out as a new family business in the Yellowknife area.
We will be operating out of Pontoon Lake Territorial Park as Aurora Village and our starting date for the 2000-01 winter tourism season is fast approaching."
Wallbridge said he never received the letter.
As cabin owner Gordon Carter wrote in a letter to Handley, implicit in the 'notice' is that a decision has already been made.
Rethinking permits
Morin had good reason to believe he had all the authorizations for the business, because at the time, so did RWED.
In a Sept. 29 letter to Wallbridge, RWED superintendent Larry Adamson forwarded a copy of the outfitters' licence and park permit required for the operation of Aurora Village at Pontoon Lake Park.
The park permit is dated Sept. 11 and the outfitters' licence May 16.
"The licence was originally issued for Small Lake (a site the business was originally proposed for), but was changed to Pontoon Lake due to land use considerations at Small Lake," Adamson explained.
But Murphy said an outfitters' licence for the business was not issued until Oct. 26, a day after the preliminary screening was completed.
Morin said he is currently looking for another site, one that is larger and more permanent site for the business, but has yet to settle on one.
The business was permitted to operate at Pontoon for one winter only.
