Nathan VanderKlippe
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Sep 13/02) - A near-miss between an airplane and a canoeist on Back Bay has prompted Transport Canada to review aerodrome operations on the popular body of water.

The incident has pitted Arctic Air against boaters -- with owner Ron Lee calling boat owners "nothing but a frigging lynch mob" -- and the Great Slave Yacht Club labelling Lee a "cowboy."

Margaret Ferguson was canoeing on Great Slave at about 8:30 p.m. on Aug. 6 when an Arctic Air Cessna-185 began its takeoff slide. Lee was piloting the plane, and said he could not make out the low-profile canoe from far off.

Seeing the aircraft coming directly at her, Ferguson turned her canoe broadside to it and started waving her paddle. The advancing plane turned to its left, missing the canoe by an estimated 10-13 metres.

Lee said another plane had just landed, and he had to aim his aircraft between the taxiing plane and the canoe.

"I have boated in the Bay for the last 11 years and have never experienced anything of this nature," Ferguson wrote in a letter to Transport Canada.

On shore, members of the Great Slave Yacht Club saw the incident, which confirmed some of their feelings about Arctic Air.

"(No) other carrier or private operator using Back Bay has exhibited the type of irresponsible behavior (sic) demonstrated by Arctic Air Charters pilots," wrote Yacht Club Commodore Gary McLellan in another letter to Transport Canada.

At times, he said, the planes have almost hit the Yacht Club's radio antenna, which is barely higher than many of the houses on the Bay.

Susan McLennan, spokeswoman for Transport Canada, said the investigation is not specifically of Arctic Air, but enforcement action could be taken.

On the water, federal regulations stipulate that airplanes have to give way to unpowered vessels. Pilots flying dangerously can also be charged with the aerial equivalent of reckless driving.

Closing Back Bay to aircraft is not an option, McLennan said.

Lee is defending his actions.

"You're not going to abort a takeoff because there's a canoe sitting out on the lake. You do avoidance," he said.

"Any time an airplane comes within 100 yards of a canoe it looks quite threatening because the plane is carrying along and making a terrible noise. Everything is all in control, but still the bitching goes on."

Lee said boaters are also part of the problem, accusing some yacht club members of purposefully trying to get in the way of airplanes.

Death has happened before

A beacon was installed atop the Pilots Monument in the early '80s after a 1982 boat-plane collision left sailboat operator Nick Martin dead. Pilots can trigger the light by radio whenever they come in for a landing or are ready to takeoff.

But that hasn't been enough, said Lee, who suggested creating a 60-metre wide corridor down the centre of Back Bay, marked out with buoys. Boats could cross the corridor, but would need to clear the zone when the beacon started flashing, he said.

It's an idea he's wanted to discuss with other community members, but hasn't had any success in getting the Coast Guard or RCMP to organize such a meeting.

But Boyd Warner, owner of Arctic Excursions, said the Bay is safe as it is.

"Back Bay is huge as far as operating float planes is concerned. ... Some pilots might be a little more hotshots and ram-roddy, but really there's no safety issue at all on Back Bay," he said.

And while Lee feels that planes will eventually be pushed from Back Bay by an encroaching population, Warner isn't too worried.

"The planes are all part of the nostalgia of the Old Town," said Warner. "If people have a problem with the noise, then relocate."