Frustration surfaces over commissioner's lands
Malcolm Gorrill
Northern News Services
Inuvik (Mar 23/01) - Inuvik Twin Lakes MLA Roger Allen came to town council looking for advice on what should be done with local commissioner's lands.
He got an earful.
 Roger Allen |
Last October, MACA put a freeze on transfers. Allen told council March 12 that a transitional phase is under way, with a self-government agreement on its way -- along with a community government that would follow implementation of that agreement.
Allen asked council how the land issue should be handled.
Coun. Don Craik said control over commissioner's lands should be transferred immediately to the Town of Inuvik.
"It still remains part of the community and for the benefit of all our citizens," Craik said.
He said there was no need to delay the transfer until the self-government body takes effect.
Coun. Vince Sharpe agreed, citing the town's expected population surge as reason enough to do the transfer now.
"We need that land," Sharpe said.
"You can find very little land for sale privately in town. What land is for sale is being grabbed up," he said.
"We can't sit back and wait for subdivisions to happen, we need to develop subdivisions now," Sharpe said.
"Whoever holds the rights to that land is going to be able to hold the town to ransom. We just can't allow that to happen."
Not detrimental
Coun. Denny Rodgers said turning over control now would not be detrimental to self-government, as all lands owned by the Town of Inuvik will be transferred to the community government anyway.
"The only difference is, is right now economic growth and development is being held up because we can not get this land transferred," Rodgers said.
"Everything the town has goes back into the community for the benefit of all community members."
Coun. Clarence Wood said that the Town of Inuvik represents the entire community right now.
Coun. George Doolittle asked Allen a pointed question.
"The Town of Inuvik as a municipal entity, do you think it can't allocate land equitably on behalf of the community?"
Allen told council that since December the town has been meeting with other interested groups in an attempt to work out how to share the commissioner's lands. He said he expects that process to continue.
