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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
A dock with mysterious origins rests partially submerged down the shoreline from the Giant Mine boat launch.

A partially-submerged dock beside the Giant Mine boat launch will be removed by the City of Yellowknife but is not considered a hazard to boaters utilizing the launch. - Lyndsay Herman/NNSL photo

"Late last week a pipe was reported tied to a tree in the Giant (Mine) town site area," Mayor Gord Van Tighem stated in an e-mail to Yellowknifer. "Upon closer inspection it was determined to be a floating dock structure that had been towed and deserted there."

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) investigated the site on behalf of Transport Canada once they received the report from the City of Yellowknife.

"We got a call that something was out there and potentially a navigation hazard," said Bruce Hanna, habitat biologist for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. "Two of us went out to the site.

"Transport Canada is responsible for 'navigable' waters but they don't have any personnel up here in the navigable waters division so we went out and took a couple of photos."

Hanna said the dock did not cause any habitat issues.

Transport Canada, upon review of the photos and information provided by the two DFO employees who visited the site, decided the dock did not constitute a navigation hazard due to its close proximity to the shore, the speed limit for vessels in the area, and the dock's high visibility, said Hanna.

Van Tighem said the city will remove the dock and it is likely the city's steel recycling contractor, who is currently in town, will cut it up and send the materials to British Columbia for recycling.

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