Yellowknife (May 13/05) - The Department of Fisheries may seek compensation from a Yellowknife business they say may be responsible for a fire that destroyed their waterfront garage last January.

Neighbour David Connelly has been trying to obtain a copy of a demolition report on the gutted building, but area director Ron Allen said the department won't release it while legal action is pending.

Allen said the Jan. 17 fire at 3520 McDonald Dr. started after contractor Two Way Enterprises removed snow from the property with heavy equipment, which he claims ruptured a propane line that leaked gas into the garage and ignited.

The spectacular blaze not only destroyed the building, he said, but tools, tents, floater jackets and other odds and ends, plus an ATV and three vehicles parked nearby. He said damage is estimated at $500,000.

"The fire was the result of snow removal activity that bumped and cracked the propane line," said Allen.

"Until that settles we're a little cautious about what documents are going where."

The fire investigation was conducted jointly by the Yellowknife Fire Department and a federal fire investigator. Yellowknife deputy fire chief Darcy Hernblad confirmed that the likely cause of the blaze was a ruptured propane line after it made contact with the shovel from a front-end loader.

Connelly, who lives across the street from the Fisheries site, said he is disappointed the department won't share the demolition report with him.

He said he was forced out of his home for several hours during the fire, and was shocked to hear that nearly 20,000 rounds of ammunition had been stored in the garage.

Connelly said he wanted a copy of the report because he had heard that some materials retrieved from the site exceeded territorial limits for the disposal of hazardous waste.

"During the demolition there was a huge amount of dust," said Connelly.

"I am concerned about the health of myself, my tenants, and the community, and that should come ahead of whether Fisheries want to sue someone." Connelly said he intends to file an official access-to-information request in order to obtain the report.

Allen said the materials in question was lead-based paint from the side of the building. He said that material was "shipped out" to a disposal site down south.

Temporary sheds

The department plans to replace the garage with some temporary sheds until such a time a permanent structure can be built.

A community group, meanwhile, is trying to convince politicians and government officials to build a public park there instead.

Connie Kimble, owner of Two Way Enterprises, said no one from Fisheries has contacted her about the fire.

"They should be letting me know this, or talking to me, or doing something, but they're not doing nothing," said Kimble.