Yellowknife (Jan 12/07) - Yellowknife city council discussed setting up 9-1-1 service for its citizens July 15, 2002.

Much has changed in the city since that day, but one thing has remained constant: no 9-1-1 service.

Mayor Gord Van Tighem on Monday said that the decision to bring in the emergency phone service hasn't faded, but progress has been snail paced, at best.

Van Tighem: "We're deciding who's going to do what...it's been moving along slowly."

He said the GNWT, the city and the RCMP recently discussed how Yellowknife, Ndilo and Dettah can work co-operatively to adopt a 9-1-1 system.

"We're deciding who's going to do what...it's been moving along slowly," the mayor said.

Van Tighem explained that changes need to be made to the Northwestel system and arrangements have to be made with the Canadian Radio-Television Telecommunications Commission.

Some of these arrangements, he said, have taken longer than expected.

The City of Yellowknife has been investigating the feasibility of a 9-1-1 system since the early 1990s. At that time, the estimated costs for technical components was $5 million-$8 million. It was estimated, at the time, that staffing the system would cost close to $350,000 a year.

In 2004, Van Tighem told the Yellowknifer that implementation of the 9-1-1 system was one of the city's main priorities for the year.

But in 2004, the city ran into a road block: the territorial government.

The government of two years ago refused to hand over the cash for the 9-1-1 system; the reason being that it would be unfair to smaller communities.

For the municipality to run a 9-1-1 service on its own, the city estimated it would need to add 32 cents a month to Yellowknifers' phone bills, and inflate taxes by $420,000 a year.

On Monday, Van Tighem insisted the plan will eventually go forward. He said that all the studies on the service have been completed.

Now, he said, the pieces must be placed together. For example, discussion on funding from the GNWT must continue and street addresses must exist and be visible on all buildings for the 9-1-1 system to work properly.

"There's lots of prep work that needs to be done," he said. "It's not a simple sort of thing."

Mike Brandford, who works in support services for the RCMP, said that preparation is still ongoing for an emergency line, although the fate of the line is the city's choice.

He added that he's in favour of anything that would improve services.

Coun. David Wind said that the newly formed city council hasn't had an opportunity to discuss the issue.

Van Tighem added that the subject will be broached by the newly formed council soon. "There's lots of prep work that needs to be done," the mayor said. "It's not a simple sort of thing."