Paul Bickford
Northern News Services

Hay River (Sep 01/03) - The Town of Hay River wants more land for development, but the mayor says it may face opposition.

Duncan McNeill says the territorial government has told the town that the Northwest Territory Metis Nation may oppose any transfer of Commissioner's land to the municipality.

"Officials in the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs have advised our staff that it is their opinion that any applications by the town for the transfer of land on a fee simple basis will be objected to by the NWT Metis Nation," McNeill says.

However, a Metis Nation lands negotiator is not aware of any such blanket opposition.

"We've had no communication with MACA involving any proposals from the Town of Hay River," says George Kurszewski, the chief negotiator with the NTMN's negotiations secretariat in Fort Smith.

As for MACA, communications and policy advisor Brad Heath says, "MACA has been advised by the town that they feel their land application would be opposed by the Metis, and MACA has advised the town that the only way we'll know is if the town submits an application."

Heath also notes the town has not identified the specific land it wants transferred.

The MACA official said that all applications for transfer of Commissioner's land in fee simple title involves consultation with aboriginal groups in their land claim areas.

In the case of Hay River, that means the Northwest Territory Metis Nation and the Deh Cho First Nation. However, McNeill says the Deh Cho has deferred to the K'atlodeeche First Nation and West Point First Nation, noting neither have any significant concerns with a land transfer to the town.

McNeill says the town needs more land within its boundaries, especially for industry.

"We have no more land," he said. There are only a few vacant lots in the town's industrial area. "That's it."

Transferred land would also be for future residential and commercial development.

McNeill says the town has proposed to the Metis Nation that if it identified lands it may want to claim, those could be set aside by the town after any transfer.

Kurszewski says the idea was discussed at a meeting with Hay River several months ago, and he understood the town would get back to the NTMN about the idea, but it hasn't.

"We're interested in moving forward, if they're interested," he says.

Kurszewski says the Metis Nation is not opposed to the town getting land for industrial purposes. "We accept the principle that Hay River needs land to grow."

However, he says the town has to be willing to address Metis interests in an equitable fashion and there needs to be a dialogue.

The Town of Hay River first contacted MACA Minister Vince Steen about land in November, when the town's new general plan was submitted for approval. McNeill says the minister advised him at that time that he had instructed department officials to contact the town to begin discussions on land transfer.

On Aug. 29, McNeill says he sent a letter to Steen on the matter. "We're saying please give us some land."

McNeill could not estimate how much Commissioner's land the town would like transferred in various areas of town. However, he notes it would triple the size of the existing industrial park, across the highway from the downtown core.

McNeill said the territorial cabinet's land lease only policy is not working for Hay River.

"We don't want leased land because that is not what buyers want."