Dorothy Westerman
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Apr 28/04) - For Dan Halldorson of East Prelude, there's nothing like living on a rocky shore with a lake view.

"I love it here," said Halldorson, who counts himself among the fortunate few who are able to live a rural lifestyle within a half-hour of Yellowknife.

Buying land in the Northwest Territories is not as simple as calling a real estate agent.

While there are usually several homes for sale at any given time along the Ingraham Trail, new construction is rare due to unsettled land claims.

Brian Austin, director of lands and infrastructure administration at Municipal and Community Affairs, said because of unsettled land claims in the territories, the territorial government introduced a land-lease only policy.

"In the early 1970s, a process was initiated between the territorial and federal governments to transfer the administration and control of certain federal Crown lands to the territorial government and the Commissioner of the NWT," Austin said. "It was known as a block land transfer."

Once this transfer was complete, Austin said it was then possible for citizens to lease land. Once a lease is issued, Austin said there is only a slim chance it would not be renewed.

"We do recognize many people make a significant investment in the improvements in their property and we are interested in making sure those investments are protected," he said.

Ingraham Trail popular

In 2002, the NWT Bureau of Statistics estimated there are 173 people living full-time on the Ingraham Trail. Officially, there are about a dozen permanent households. There are also 327 lots on which residents are paying property taxes of 10 per cent of assessed value of the land or a minimum $150 a year.

Commissioner's land encompasses approximately 150 square miles, including the city, out to the western shore of Prosperous Lake and most of Walsh Lake.

Beyond is federal land, controlled by the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development.

Land lease only

Any available territorial land can only be leased. For that to happen, approval must first come from the Yellowknife Dene, part of the Akaitcho First Nation, and the North Slave Metis.

"In order to sell land, we would have to go to Cabinet for specific authority on the area to be disposed of," Austin said.

So what Commissioner's land is available for lease in the territories?

"There have been very few new lease applications which have made it through the process," said Austin.

"It's also an area which is of interest to the aboriginal groups so they've been reluctant to approve new applications along the Ingraham Trail or anywhere."

Brenda Becker, manager of land administration with the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, said consultation must occur with First Nations and other government agencies to determine the appropriateness of the proposed land use.

"If there are any concerns, we do not grant the application," Becker said.

Concerns arise

Austin said concerns are ongoing, however, about the unauthorized occupancy of such land.

"The colloquial term is 'squatting.' And that is an issue for us," he said.

In December 2003, there was an estimated 400 squatters across the Territories, many of them in the North Slave area.

The federal and territorial governments are developing a work plan which will determine whether or not those who do not hold a proper lease on the land will have to vacate.

Becker said the two governments are meeting monthly to develop the joint plan.

"This squatter situation has been building for years. Some have been on the land for more than 20 years," she said. "It's an entire territorial issue."

"Right now we can't say if they (squatters) will have to move from the land. We want to make sure our action is consistent with the territorial government," Becker said.