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A boat passes by an island on Drybones Bay, the site of a forest fire on July 1, 2007. Snowfield Development Corp. has been charged in relation to the fire. - NNSL file photo

SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Representatives of Snowfield Development Corp were in Territorial Court on Tuesday morning to face charges stemming from a fire at Drybones Bay last summer.

Snowfield president Robert Paterson, appearing on behalf of the exploration company, and employee Ray Hill, who is being charged separately, appeared before Judge Brian Bruser to speak to two charges each under the Forest Protection Act.

One of the charges against Snowfield and Hill is for leaving the vicinity of an unextinguished fire that had been set by a person. The other charge involves setting an outdoor fire without taking every reasonable precaution to prevent the fire from spreading.

Paterson, a resident of Vancouver, asked for an adjournment in order to have time to consult with Snowfield's lawyer. Bruser granted the adjournment to Aug. 26 and also said he could not preside over the case in the future due to a conflict of interest.

"I have a very close relative who is a shareholder in Snowfield," said Bruser.

The charges were laid after an investigation by the GNWT Department of Environment and Natural Resources. The department reported its findings to the Crown attorney's office and it was the Crown's decision to lay charges.

The fire affected 353 hectares of forest at Drybones Bay, located approximately 45 kilometres southeast of Yellowknife on Great Slave Lake.

"There's nothing really to comment about," John Dalton, an area manager for Snowfield, said Tuesday. "It's just very preliminary at this point."

Dalton said the exploration company has worked with the Yellowknives Dene First Nation to restore a graveyard destroyed by the fire.

He said a re-dedication ceremony was held last week and it included members from the First Nation, some of whom had been flown in on a plane chartered by Snowfield.

Neither Dettah Chief Eddie Sangris nor Ndilo Chief Fred Sangris could be reached for comment prior to press deadline.