Yellowknife (May 07/04) - The clock is ticking for residents of Con camp, although the loggerheads between the city and territorial government over the transfer of the land their homes sit on continues.

As a result, residents fear their hope of staying put will leave them in the back of a moving truck.

In all, 26 homes in Con Place and Rycon trailer courts are affected. On June 30, Miramar Con Mine is scheduled to shut off the taps, potentially leaving residents without water and sewer services.

The city wants to take over the water services and the land underneath the homes -- currently on lease to Miramar from the territorial government -- but say they will only accept it if they receive assurances that the land has been remediated up to residential standards.

Rycon has been home to mine employees for over 30 years and Con Place for nearly 17.

"If the mine is serious with their shut off date, it's definitely an issue come June," said Becky Messier, who lives at Con trailer court.

Feeling helpless

"Without water and sewer it's going to be pretty hard to live here. You can't even move your house in that time period. We're feeling really helpless right now."

Miramar meanwhile -- which is open to the transfer -- wants an answer one way or the other, so it can carry on with its closure plans.

Con Mine general manager John Stard said the mine may be willing to hold off on turning off the water while the city and GNWT work out an agreement, but it can't wait forever.

"It's all in their ball court," said Stard.

"We want to get going with our reclamation plans."

Lorna Skinner, another resident, said they were told they may have to pay for remediation and paving over the gravel road inside the trailer court themselves.

She said they're prepared to do it, although they don't understand why. Clean-up and paving may cost $300,000 or more.

"If we have to do that, we have to do it," said Skinner.

"It's a lot of money. Nobody else in this city has to pay for their paving that I know of."

Meanwhile, few people in the neighbourhood have been able to find work since the mine closed last November, said Skinner.

"I find it quite appalling," said Skinner. "Nobody's getting any jobs."

While Con camp residents face the prospect of footing the bill for bringing the land up to residential standards themselves, the city has big plans for the Con Mine site later down the road.

According to the latest city general plan, a sizable portion of the site will eventually become a new subdivision for up to 1,600 homes -- Yellowknife Bay South.

Mayor Gord Van Tighem indicated that the city's dispute with the GNWT over Con Camp may prove to be a "bellwether" in its long-term goal for developing a portion of Con Mine for residential use.

Van Tighem argued last week at public hearings into Con Mine's closure plan that because several areas on the site -- include Con camp -- are listed under Miramar's lease as suitable for industrial or residential purposes, then the government should ensure these areas are cleaned up to residential standards.

"Would it not seem logical that if the current and future use is residential then you need a residential requirement?" Van Tighem offered.

Debbie DeLancey, deputy minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, said she was not familiar with the city's future plans for Con Mine.

Land to be left at industrial standard

But regardless of whether some portions of the land may be suitable for residential use or not, she said the government's leasing agreement with Miramar only calls for the land to be left at industrial standards upon closure.

"As an individual I'm compassionate, but as a regulator the lease was always quite clear that those were temporary residences," said DeLancey.

"It was always quite clear that it was Con's intent to remove everything under their abandonment and restoration plan."

Skinner said all residents want is the two governments to come to a decision soon.

"We just want to buy our land and move on with our lives," said Skinner.