Mike W. Bryant
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Sep 16/05) - The decision to carve up Commissioner's land within city boundaries between the Yellowknives Dene and the city will come next January, announced Michael McLeod, minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, on Monday.

The minister indicated at the beginning of the month that he would make his decision within a "couple weeks."

Other than a few small parcels given to the city on Monday, however, and another tract to the Department of Transportation, the lion's share of the land up for grabs won't be doled out until next January.

McLeod had declared Sept. 1 as the deadline for the city and Yellowknives Dene to make submissions on what lands they would like to possess, but in Monday's press release McLeod said that the land transfer has been delayed by request from the Akaitcho First Nation to allow time for the Yellowknives "to complete land identification through the Akaitcho Process negotiations."

Commissioner's land within municipal boundaries was barred from sale four years ago under an Interim Measures Agreement until land claims with the Akaitcho First Nation could be settled.

McLeod could not be reached for comment, but his department's director of land administration, Brian Austin, said the Sept. 1 deadline was meant mainly to spur the Yellowknives Dene into action, who had been slow to identify lands for selection to the territorial government.

"It was hoped that it would do that, and I think it's met with some success," said Austin.

"Obviously, there was process that was initiated, and that was the intent."

McLeod is expected to portion out hundreds of hectares of Commissioner's Land once he makes his final decision.

The city wants more than 800 hectares of land to build a new residential subdivision at Tin Can Hill, an expanded commercial district on Old Airport Road, a new landfill, and an industrial corridor and a secondary access road to Highway 3.

Yellowknives leaders have previously expressed a desire to create third settlement in the Yellowknife area because they are running out of space in Ndilo and Dettah.

The territorial government also wants a slice of land to build a new courthouse.

Lands released on Monday were three small parcels to the city: 7.6 hectares to add to the Kam Lake industrial park; a 400 square metre lot next to the Tree of Peace Friendship Centre on 51st St.; and 100 square metres at Pilot's Monument. A 126 hectare lot of land was also given to the territorial Department of Transportation for future expansion of the Yellowknife Airport.

Mayor Gord Van Tighem said he is not concerned that only a few parcels of land have been released so far.

"Even January is still okay," said Van Tighem.

"It would've been really neat if we're able to go along as we've had historically but that doesn't happen now."