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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
The Union of Northern Workers has been ordered once again to create a temporary walkway on the west side of its building to allow tenants to safely access apartment units from the street, but the union is still in a fighting mood it seems.

Michele LeTourneau has been fighting the Union of Northern Workers for months to get it to create a pathway for tenants to the entrance of its building's apartments.

Tenant Michele LeTourneau said she was contacted by the RCMP Saturday who told her the UNW wants to press charges after she cut a hole through a chain link fence blocking access to the west side of the building three weeks ago.

NWT rental officer Hal Logsdon ordered the union to provide access on this side of the building for the second time since January on Thursday.

LeTourneau said an RCMP constable told her the UNW was looking at pressing charges for cutting down a section of fence to, as she puts it, "enforce the orders of the rental board."

"He said that the union wanted to press charges, that (the RCMP) didn't want to, that I had no criminal record and hadn't been in any trouble with them, so they wanted to see a peaceful resolution and that would involve paying for the repairs (to the fence) to be done," LeTourneau said.

UNW public affairs representative Josh Campbell declined to comment for this story. The RCMP did not return phone calls.

The issue of a pathway has been an issue of contention since access to the east side of the building was closed because of a fuel spill on a neighbouring property in March of last year.

LeTourneau said accessing the building through the Aurora Tours lot next door or via the alleyway behind the building is dangerous since the area is frequently used by drug dealers and homeless people.

Logsdon ordered the union to create a pathway on Jan. 17 after another tenant complained to the rental office. That decision is currently being appealed in NWT Supreme Court.

Logsdon's latest ruling states if the UNW doesn't comply by May 24, two of its tenants, including LeTourneau, will be allowed to get the work done themselves through hiring a contractor, and that until the work is done, to pay their rent to the NWT Rental Office.

The hole LeTourneau cut through the fence April 18 - which she said was done out of frustration - was sealed up the next day.

"(The ruling) leaves me feeling optimistic that we will reach a resolution, an end to this situation. I feel the rental officer put a lot of thought into it to make sure it was clear and specific and the tools are all there in the decision to see this through to the end," said LeTourneau, who along with neighbour Annemieke Mulders applied to the NWT rental board March 20 asking either the UNW do the work or that they be allowed to, and in the meantime to have their rent paid to the NWT rental board.

The UNW argues it has no obligation to create a pathway because the original east-side entrance was never for tenant access, despite a sign stating "No trespassing. Private property. Tenant's use only."

According to documents attached to Logsdon's ruling, the UNW argued the sign was old and was there because tenants' mailboxes were once located in the area but it no longer adheres to the UNW desires. The union also stated that keeping the pathway on the west side closed is necessary to reduce the risk of vandalism to employee vehicles. Logsdon's ruling states a locked gate could resolve the issue.

"I find the respondent in breach of their obligation to provide and maintain a walkway giving access to the rental premises in a state of good repair ... an order shall be issued requiring the respondent to restore access to the rental premises from 52 Street either by providing respondent 24-hour access through the main entrance to the building or by providing a temporary walkway on the west side of the building until the walkway on the east side is deemed safe," stated rental officer Hal Logsdon in his decision.

LeTourneau said she wasn't surprised by the decision.

"It just seems reasonable to have direct access to my apartment. And it seems reasonable that since we've always had access, that a solution has to be found," LeTourneau said.

"Denying the safe access to four separate female tenants seems like a misstep, I guess, and I think that our cases were strong and I wouldn't have expected a different decision, quite frankly."

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