Iqaluit (Aug 28/06) - City officials hope the solution to homes being buried by snow in Iqaluit's Road to Nowhere subdivision is as simple as building a fence.

The city rolled out the first look at a proposed system of snow fences during a public meeting at the Arctic Winter Games arena this past Tuesday.

The "Cadillac version" of the fence would cup the Road to Nowhere subdivision from the northwest to the southeast. The series of six fences would stretch nearly one kilometre and could cost as much as $1 million.

Homeowner Doreen Follett wants council to build the whole thing to prevent her house from being completely buried by snow like it was last year. "I don't live in my house right now," Follett said. "I'd like to be able to move back in this winter."

Project engineer Bill Waechter said snow fences in Baker Lake and Chesterfield Inlet have been successful cutting snow drifts by as much as 80 per cent depending on wind direction. Small sections of test fences near Lake Geraldine had a small impact in Iqaluit, he said. "It's not going to completely disappear but certainly it's going to be a lot better," Waechter said.

The fences could even be used as the basis for a network of walking and snowmobile trails, he said. Reflectors on the fence would cut the risk of snowmobiles colliding with the fence.

Follett said she hopes the fence would cut her insurance costs, which more than tripled when insurers discovered the drifting problem. Other homeowners in the area can't get insurance at all.

Iqaluit insurance broker Christine Trudel isn't sure a snow fence will change much. Rates are set on the cost of replacing a house, so the Arctic's high shipping and construction costs, not snow drifts, drive up rates, she said.

Mayor Elisapee Sheutiapik said council is expected to consider the options at its Sept. 12 meeting.