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DENINU KU'E/FORT RESOLUTION
On July 17, Robert Ekinla was riding his quad to a popular recreational area outside of Fort Resolution.

This large opening in the ground on a channel of the Slave River, east of Fort Resolution, is believed to have occurred sometime overnight on July 16 or in the early morning of July 17. - photo courtesy of Derek Beaulieu

When he rounded a turn in the gravel road as it neared the Slave River, he was shocked to see a gaping hole on the riverbank where a community cabin was supposed to be standing.

"No house. Holy smoke!" Ekinla recalled thinking.

The community elder got on his satellite phone and called his wife. "I said, 'There's no house here now. It's in the water.'"

The cabin, owned by the Hamlet of Fort Resolution, had fallen into the hole after the ground apparently collapsed beneath it. As of late last week, the cabin was still clinging to the side of the hole.

The ground collapse is believed to have happened late on July 16 or in the early hours of July 17.

Various estimates of people who have seen the hole say that it is between 100 and 200 feet in diameter. It is unclear how deep the hole is because it is filled with water from the river.

Ekinla's discovery prompted a flood of Fort Resolution residents to see the hole which is located on a channel of the Slave River, about 15 km from the community.

"The whole town was there the night after it happened," he said.

There are several theories circulating in Fort Resolution about what may have caused the ground to open up.

Ekinla said a lightning storm passed over the area the night the hole appeared.

"I think lightning struck the ground there and it just caved right in," he said, noting it could have also been caused by an underground stream.

Derek Beaulieu, another Fort Resolution resident, has another theory.

"It's a sinkhole," he said. "You can see it. Look how round it is. It's perfectly round."

Beaulieu said the land just seemed to drop. "That's why the building is in perfect shape."

One curious thing he noticed is water bubbling up in the hole.

"The water is just gushing up, like a volcano underneath," he said.

Chief Louis Balsillie of Deninu Ku'e First Nation thinks the land collapse was caused by an underground current, like an eddy of the river.

"It's sweeping away the bottom of the ground," he said.

Another theory is that it was a basic riverbank collapse, although a very large one.

Balsillie said the cabin was a great asset to the community.

"Everybody went out there and did their weekend thing out there," he said.

Tausia Kaitu'a-Lal, senior administrative officer with the Hamlet of Fort Resolution, said the land collapse is quite a sight to see.

"My reaction was, 'What happened?' It was a wide open space," she said, noting she is leaning to the sinkhole explanation.

The SAO noted the cabin was bought by the community government about 20 years ago for use by all residents.

Many people would go there for camping, family outings, and hunting and fishing. Others just went there to enjoy the view of the Slave River.

The cabin contained a stove, cupboard and shelves, along with wall-to-wall boards on which people could sleep.

A boat launch in the area was partially destroyed by the land collapse.

Kaitu'a-Lal said people should use caution when going to look at the opening and not get too close to the edge, noting it could still be collapsing.

"You don't know what the edge is like," she said. "With the fact that the whole area just came down like that, it's not safe."

As of the middle of last week, Ekinla said the hole is about 20 feet bigger than when he first saw it.

"It's still caving in," he said.

As for whether the cabin can be recovered, Kaitu'a-Lal said it might be able to be pulled out, but that hasn't been decided yet.

She noted the cabin is on the side of the hole on what appears to be a little island of land. "I think, once that island moves, it will probably float out."

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