.
Search
Email this articleE-mail this story  Discuss this articleWrite letter to editor  Discuss this articleOrder a classified ad

Legislature Briefs: Whole lot of squatters

Mike W. Bryant
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Feb 23/05) - Tu Nedhe MLA Bobby Villeneuve says a snowmobile trip last weekend north of Yellowknife proved to be a real eye opener.

Villeneuve said he was surprised by the number of squatter's cabins he saw along the way.

He said it's time the territorial government worked with the Akaitcho First Nation to stop people from building illegal dwellings out in the bush while land claims negotiations remain unresolved.

He said it was hypocritical for the City of Yellowknife to complain about the Yellowknives Dene wanting to build within city limits, while people ignore federal rules about building cabins without a lease.

"It's why First Nations get frustrated," said Villeneuve on Monday.

"I'd like to see some action soon from the government."

New Wildlife Act coming

Premier Joe Handley says long-awaited changes to the NWT Wildlife Act will come before the legislative assembly for debate this May.

The territorial government has been pondering an overhaul of the act for more than five years. Handley's announcement came with some prodding from Range Lake MLA Sandy Lee, who wanted assurances that the GNWT wouldn't make any changes to caribou quotas without consulting the public first.

A management plan for the Bathurst caribou herd was tabled in the legislative assembly last week. It called for a reduced quota - potentially to zero - for non-aboriginal hunters, and prohibiting hunter outfitting camps if herd numbers become low.

"I have to tell you I was quite surprised at how often the issues of rights and privileges of game hunting came up during my door-to-door campaign," Lee said during her member's statement.

Handley said no changes to hunting regulations will come without consulting the public first.

"We would want to take into consideration the needs of all, and the interests of all the users of that caribou herd," said Handley.

Watch out for that truck

Hay River South MLA Jane Groenewegen says living in suburban Yellowknife can be hazardous to your health - particularly if one lives near Old Airport Road.

Groenewegen joined several Yellowknife MLAs Friday, in questioning a decision by Michael McLeod, minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, that gave the Yellowknives Dene permission to survey a parcel of land by the airport known as the Sandpits.

The Yellowknives want to build a hotel and residential development there. The city wants the land for a bypass road to the Kam Lake industrial area.

Groenewegen, who lives in the Frame Lake area while in Yellowknife, questioned the minister on the amount of heavy traffic from Kam Lake using Old Airport Road to get to Highway 3.

"Who would be liable today if there was an incident involving injury in Yellowknife because of this type of traffic on our roads?" asked Groenewegen.

McLeod said he assumed the liability would fall onto the shipper. He added that there is no territorial legislation requiring bypass roads for heavy trucks travelling through municipalities.