HAY RIVER - The vast majority of residents in Paradise Valley – a section of Hay River – want it to be annexed by Enterprise.

Residents of Paradise Valley, a section of Hay River, have declared their interest in having the area annexed by Enterprise. - Paul Bickford/NNSL photo

A declaration to that effect has been signed by 36 adult residents of the area.

"Basically we had about 95 per cent of the residents in Paradise sign that they would be willing to work with Enterprise to make that happen," said Evellyn Coleman, who helped collect the signatures.

Coleman said residents are serious about joining Enterprise, and it's not just a way to get Hay River to deal with their issues.

"It's just a better fit, I think," she said.

In all, about 65 people live in Paradise Valley, an area roughly 25 km south of downtown Hay River.

Coleman explained the desire to join Enterprise is mainly fuelled by inadequate services in Paradise Valley for municipal taxes.

"We're not getting a lot of services for that money," she said. "We feel out here it's basically just a tax grab – just get as much money as you can out of people and provide as little service as possible."

For example, she said the area has no garbage collection and the road is only plowed occasionally in winter.

Enterprise Mayor Al Flamand said any negotiations on annexing Paradise Valley would have to be approved by the hamlet's residents in a plebiscite.

"We'd welcome them as a group of people, but, at the same time, we would not want our taxpayers to have any cost in this process," he said.

Flamand said adding Paradise Valley would make Enterprise a stronger community, such as helping make the case for a school in the community and providing more volunteer firefighters.

Enterprise currently has 94 people.

Flamand thinks the hamlet could offer better services to Paradise Valley, including garbage collection.

Paradise Valley – also known as Paradise Road, Paradise Gardens or simply Paradise – was an unincorporated area until the GNWT made it part of Hay River in 1990.

The residential and market garden area along the Hay River is one kilometre from Enterprise's corporate limits and eight kilometres from the community.

Coleman said some residents discussed annexation with the Hamlet of Enterprise in August and it asked for a survey, which resulted in the declaration.

"Enterprise basically said they would not pursue this unless the Town of Hay River would be willing to talk to them," she said.

The declaration was sent to the Town of Hay River and discussed at a Dec. 6 council meeting.

Instead of letting the issue be guided by protocol established by the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs (MACA), council decided to be proactive and meet residents of Paradise Valley.

Coun. Andrew Cassidy, himself a resident of Paradise Valley, said it would send a strong message if council engaged residents to determine why they took such a "drastic" approach.

"I think it would be a loss for our community if we were to just let this go and take the approach that we'll let MACA sort it out," he said. "We have a group of people in the community that are definitely sending a strong signal."

Before Cassidy commented, Mayor Kelly Schofield asked the councillor if he is in conflict of interest, since Cassidy's wife signed the declaration. Cassidy replied he did not believe he is in conflict.

Councillors will consider setting up a meeting with Paradise Valley residents early in the New Year.

Schofield said town council was surprised by the declaration.

"We didn't see that coming," he said.

Schofield cautioned Paradise Valley residents the grass is not always greener on the other side, adding he thinks they should stay in Hay River.

"They do have a pretty good deal and a really fair shake by living in town," he said. "They're subsidized on many fronts by the Town of Hay River and the residents, and we hold no ill will against them for that. They are part of this community."

Schofield said, while Paradise Valley residents don't get full municipal services, they get certain things from the town they don't pay for.

"They think they don't get emergency services, but, if there's a fire, we respond," he said. "So they do have emergency services. However, they don't pay for that. We take that out of their mill rate. Basically, they pay 10 per cent less than the rest of residents of Hay River just for living out there."

Mike Aumond, the deputy minister of MACA, said no one has yet spoken to the department about annexation, although it is aware of the declaration.

MACA has not received a request from either Hay River or Enterprise to revise boundaries, he said. "Until such time as we receive a request from either of those communities, we don't have a reason to do anything."

Aumond said the minister of MACA would consider a boundary change if a request came from a community government, not from residents. "Ultimately, the minister would make the decision."

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