SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - After watching part of the old Bartam Trailer Court site on School Draw Avenue fill up with construction debris Monday, resident Dave Gilday said "enough."

David Gilday stands in front of the Bartam site on Monday after Nova Builders dumped several loads of debris in the area. - Tim Edwards/NNSL photos

"It's clearly against the bylaw to be dumping stuff like this. This is illegal," said Gilday, who lives a few blocks away.

The source of the debris was a demolished house, which was scooped up into a dump truck and deposited on the Bartam site on the orders of the Edmonton-based company Nova Builders, which owns the property and plans to construct an apartment building there.

"Mike Mrdjenovich (the owner of Nova Builders) has been doing things his own way around town," said Gilday.

"We don't build things and make money and go back down south. We live here and we make our contribution every day to the community. We're just plain tired of being abused here in this fashion."

Milan Mrdjenovich, the son of the Nova Builders owner, was at Bartam when Yellowknifer arrived, and said the trash, which contained wood, insulation, metal and other debris, was only to be there for about a day. He said they couldn't take it to the dump.

"At the dump there's something wrong with the bulldozer so where you dump construction material, it's all backed up right now because there's a lot of development going on in town," said Mrdjenovich.

Gilday was not satisfied with that response.

"It doesn't matter they're unable to dump today, that's irrelevant. You don't go dumping trash around town. That's nonsense," said Gilday.

Jeffrey Humble, director of planning and lands, said that the dumping was unacceptable in the city's view as well.

"You can't be storing wastes on site," said Humble.

"You need a permit if that's gonna be the case. There's a solid waste bylaw, there's a zoning bylaw, there are other bylaws that we have in place, so we notified Nova that storage of material there is unacceptable."

Humble said his department along with municipal enforcement, is "exploring opportunities for fining."

"There's a one-time fine and then a fine for every day that the infraction remains," said Humble.

He said he believed it would be a fairly "nominal" amount, but added Nova has an prior outstanding order relating to the clean up of the Bartam site, so there may be an extra fine tacked on for that.

There are a variety of offences and fines that may apply under the city's solid waste bylaw. A first time offence for unauthorized dumping carries a $300 fine - up to $600 for a third time offence.

The Bartam site has been a subject of controversy for more than a decade.

In 1993, 17 Yellowknife residents were paid a total of $709,900 to move out of the trailer court and make way for new development, which never occurred.

At the time, Mike Mrdjenovich proposed building apartments for seniors there. More recently, Mrdjenovich wanted to build townhouses but is now proposing to build an apartment complex.

"People were knocked off (Bartam) in 1993 and it's just been sitting vacant ever since," said Gilday.

"It's just unfortunate that we've got the next addition here which is the dumping of garbage, which is unsightly in any neighbourhood."