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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Yellowknife heritage buffs want to ensure an old mine worker's house remains standing for years to come.

The city's Heritage Committee has approached city council with a request to designate the home at 5209 55 St. as a heritage site.

Barb Cameron, left, Raymond Karu, Stephanie Yuill and Kersten Nitsche of the city's Heritage committee paint a fence in front of the home of Aurel and Annette Lemay. The group hopes the old miner's house will become a designated heritage site. - Jason Emiry/NNSL photo -

Kersten Nitsche, acting planner with the city, said the committee would like to recognize the historical importance of the house because it maintains many of the elements found in homes built in Yellowknife during the 1940s.

The house also has a connection to the city's mining past. It originally occupied a lot at Negus Mine at the edge of town but was relocated into the city in 1953. Other homes were moved in from the Negus mine site but Nitsche said this one is very well preserved. When it was moved into town, the home was very modern compared to other homes in the city.

The group spent Saturday morning scraping paint off the fence surrounding the home in order to put fresh colour around the front yard. The paint and supplies were donated by Aurora Decorating.

Nitsche said the committee is waiting until city council passes a motion that will officially designate the home as a heritage site, expected for Sept. 22. If approved, the committee will hold a ceremony for the house and commemorate the location with a plaque.

"We approached the owners of the house with the idea," said Nitsche. "They were very excited about it."

The house was originally built in 1947 by Negus Mines to be used as staff housing. Jim Dunn, a mechanic for the mine, and his family occupied the house until September 1952 when the mine closed.

The company sold many of the houses that were used at the mine. Aurel Lemay, a former employee at Negus, bought the house in 1953 for $500 and moved it into Yellowknife that September. Curry Construction moved the house by truck for an additional $500. Lemay dug a basement and put the house on a new foundation. The original foundation of the house began to rot so Lemay used cement to build a new foundation in 1955. Lemay worked at Con Mine from 1953 to 1983 as a hoistman. He and his wife have kept the house in excellent condition during the 55 years they have lived there.

"We're very proud of ourselves," said Annette Lemay, Aurel's wife.

"Both houses beside us came from Negus as well. When we rebuilt the basement my husband didn't take a summer holiday so that he could finish the work. He got some books on making cement and did it himself."

The house received a few renovations over the years. The original kitchen was changed into a sewing room. A bedroom in the back of the house became a much larger kitchen. The house contains all original mid-1950s wood in the basement.