Michelle DaCruz
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (May 22/02) - Growth, change and promise are in Yellowknife's future, Mayor Gordon Van Tighem told the Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce in his 'State of the City' address Friday.

Both residential and commercial construction projects are in high gear in the capital.

"For 2001, residential construction was up almost three times from the year 2000. Commercial construction was up 39 per cent," said Van Tighem at the luncheon held in the Explorer Hotel.

Construction on the new arena and the territorial jail have contributed to the commercial growth, and there is an overhead crane in town for the first time in 12 years.

On the residential end, the Niven Lake development plan could expand to include an additional 135 to 225 lots that could be made available this year, said Van Tighem. Phase three of the plan should begin by the end of June.

As well, construction on 70 manufactured housing units on the south end of Range Lake Road is continuing.

"A study co-ordinated by the NWT Chamber of Commerce showed a demonstrable, provable need of between 500 and 900 units over the next four to five years," said Van Tighem.

"And we've got a good start on that."

The biggest challenge to Yellowknife's success, according to the mayor, is the shortage of people.

He admitted that the chance to attract skilled people could be tempered by the lack of readily available, affordable housing.

While the influx of permanent residents remains low, Yellowknife is still a nice place to visit, he remarked.

The end of the aurora season showed an upward trend in tourism, almost back to pre-Sept. 11 levels.

"These events show clearly once again that Yellowknife in not shielded (from) global events, and any future planning must include a global perspective," said Van Tighem.

Along with a group of NWT business people, the mayor visited Ottawa to lobby the federal government for increased funding to improve Yellowknife's infrastructure.

Van Tighem promised to keep the pressure on Ottawa to increase funding for roads, an airport expansion and other municipal growth.

"We need to ... show them the benefits to all of Canada from their investment in the North," he said.