Yellowknife (July 18/03) - It's time for Yellowknifers to start thinking about how they want the city to develop over the next five years.

The city's 2003 general plan is now under review and Mayor Gord Van Tighem says it's an opportunity for "people to take stock of where the community is and where we want it to be going."

A team of consultants has been hired to help identify issues in Yellowknife, focusing mainly on growth management.

Consultations with the Construction Association, the Chamber of Commerce and other interest groups directly affected by the plan are already underway.

"I know the real estate agencies want more land to build affordable housing and we have to talk to these types of people," said Monte Christensen, manager of the planning and lands division.

Christensen said the public will be asked to respond sometime this fall to suggestions from those groups and organizations already consulted.

"There are certain issues we need to resolve quickly, like where should we build the next subdivision," he said.

Christensen said the plan hasn't been formally reviewed since 1996.

"But because we refer to it so often, in that sense, we are reviewing it on an as needed basis," said Christensen.

Van Tighem said the original idea for the general plan review focused more on internal consultations with the city staff and smaller consultations with the community.

The plan was later reversed to focus more on the community because it "provides you with a broader perspective and allows you to think outside the box," he said.

City councillors have already received a questionnaire on what issues they would like to see in the plan.

Van Tighem said one of his suggestions is that the plan not only concentrate on the future, but remember the past.

"This is a developing city, other city's have developed before and made mistakes and I think we need to look at those mistakes and learn from them," said Van Tighem. "Why reinvent the wheel?"