Jess McDiarmid
Northern News Services
Published Wednesday, November 14, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - The city has served notice of unauthorized development to the Arctic Winter Games after the host society began to erect signs too early.

The city issued a notice of unauthorized development to the Arctic Winter Games for signs, including the above, that were put up before the development appeal period was up. - Jess McDiarmid/NNSL photo

Yellowknifer noticed at least two signs on Wiley Road and Franklin Avenue were put up before the two-week development appeal period was up.

Jeffrey Humble, director of Planning and Lands for the City of Yellowknife, said plans identify 31 signs to be erected in the leadup to the March 9 to 16 games, which will bring hundreds of athletes and participants to the city from around the circumpolar world.

The signs were approved by a city development officer between Oct. 29 and Oct. 31, which would mean that the two-week appeal period will be over by today.

The notices, served by Nalini Naidoo, manager of Planning and Lands, last Friday, come on the heels of charges laid by the city against Yellowknife Catholic Schools (YCS) for beginning construction on portables at St. Joseph school prior to the end of the appeal period.

The portables were ordered to provide more space after a fire destroyed part of the school.

"As we did with the school board, we served notice for them to stop commencement of development," said Humble. "So in other words, no more signs will be posted until the appeal period goes through."

The Arctic Winter Games Society can resume the erection of signs once the appeal period is over, he said. If it ignored the order, it would be fined.

"This is following it by the book," said Humble. "That's the way we'll be handling it in the future."

He said he didn't know when or how many signs had been put up.

Dave Hurley, general manager of the Arctic Winter Games, could not be reached by deadline.