SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - After a year spent mostly on reviewing time-worn reports, the committee charged with drafting a plan for managing Yellowknife harbour sailed into uncharted water this week.

The city's harbour committee had a closed door meeting this week where discussions took place regarding a consultant's proposal on what to do with the city's waterfront. - Ian Vaydik/NNSL photo

"We had a good discussion; there was nothing that committee felt was completely off base," city councillor Shelagh Montgomery, chair of the Harbour Planning Committee, said after a private meeting to discuss the second phase of the project.

Closing the meeting to the public on Tuesday was not intended to "white wash" the process, Montgomery said.

"The committee needed to have an open and frank discussion about the potential implications of some of the suggestions on various users, landowners and interests on the waterfront, as well as to 'ground-truth' options being presented.

"As the first set of eyes, the committee wanted to ensure that what gets presented publicly seems sound, reasonable and feasible.

"Committee comments and recommendations will be incorporated into the draft plan for presentation and discussion with the public."

Yellowknifers will get their first look at proposals from the Planning Partners, the Toronto consultants hired to lead the two-year $400,000 process at focus group sessions scheduled for June 27 to 29 at city hall and at evening public meetings June 28 and 29 at Tree of Peace Friendship Centre.

Montgomery said the committee "felt happy with what they saw and encouraged that the process has advanced; there was a bit of a sense earlier that the background report was a lot of what people in Yellowknife had seen before and already know."

"The committee saw something that is more of a significant plan that the city can move forward with and develop partnerships around to create a long-term plan for the Yellowknife harbour."

Who will manage the harbour that reaches from the Yellowknife River to Dettah - an independent body or a city hall department, a key issue that consultants raised in their first report - will be canvassed during the focus group sessions and public meetings, Montgomery said.

"Those options will get fleshed out at the public meetings. The next stage will be a more public process through the focus groups and public meetings," she said.

The focus groups were developed from a list of people recommended by the committee and city hall, but anyone can attend and participate in the sessions if they contact the city, said Montgomery.

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