INUVIK - Owners of cabins on Commissioner's Land at Airport Lake are one step closer to being forced into lease agreements with the GNWT.

Inuvik Mayor Denny Rodgers looks at a map of Airport Lake that shows the land where 41 cabins sit, squatting on Commissioner's Land. Council voted on Dec. 3 to support the territorial government in demanding cabin owners enter into formal land lease arrangements. - Aaron Beswick/NNSL photo

Inuvik Town Council moved to support the territorial government plan to enter into formal lease agreements with the 41 owners of cabins on government land on Dec. 3.

"Right now they own the cabins, but if MACA (Department of Municipal and Cultural Affairs) decided to evict them they probably could," said councillor Jim McDonald. "But should they enter into leases then they have the legal right to occupy."

No one from MACA was available to tell Inuvik Drum about the terms, cost and obligations of those leases before deadline. In its motion, council also stated its support for a 60-day moratorium on new construction around the lake while MACA entered into lease agreements.

"Eventually the town may be interested in looking at acquiring that land," said McDonald. "If they (MACA) can get it all straightened out before then, it would be a benefit to the town and the cabin owners."

Cabin owner Eddie Lavoie agrees that formal leases will be good, but he'd like some basic services in return.

"I can't speak for other cabin owners, but generally I think leases would provide some protection," said Lavoie. "A lot of cabin owners put a fair amount of money into their cabins, so this would make it better if they want to sell the cabin. But personally, if they're not going to provide some service, I'd rather that they just sell the land."

Services Lavoie would like to see include maintenance of the road leading to Airport Lake, a garbage bin and perhaps even a wharf. He said while cabin owners are used to dealing without a wharf and removing their own garbage, non-cabin owners are responsible for much of the lake's activity.

As for the leases, Lavoie would like them to be long term - 25 or 50 years.

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