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The Wildcat Cafe is undergoing internal renovations as of this week but the project should be wrapped up soon, according to Mayor Gord Van Tighem. Next spring's opening date for the overhauled historic restaurant, will depend on contractor Luke Wood of Thornton's. - Simon Whitehouse/NNSL photo

SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Mayor-elect Mark Heyck and the newly-elected city councillors are to be sworn in Monday at noon at city hall.

Afterwards, Heyck will set the agenda for future council and committee meetings, according to the city.

Heyck said he is aiming to have an orientation for the new council in mid-November, but scheduling has not yet been confirmed.

Disputed property won't be sold

Mayor Gord Van Tighem was forced to break a tie vote during the Oct. 22 council meeting and thereby defeated a bylaw to make a disputed triangular parcel of land on 47 Street available for a resident to purchase.

Neighbours Markham Breitbach and Georges Erasmus have been fighting over the property for more than two years. They last addressed council on the issue in August at a public hearing.

Council defeated a motion that would have allowed Erasmus to buy the parcel of land, which encompasses approximately 850-square-feet. The vote was 5-4 during second reading.

Breitbach has long argued that the piece of property, if sold to Erasmus, would cut off his access to the extended green-space behind his lot. Erasmus previously stated that he wanted to use the land for gardening.

Van Tighem sided with councillors Mark Heyck, Shelagh Montgomery, Amanda Mallon, and Paul Falvo.

Those who approved the motion were Bob Brooks, David Wind, Cory Vanthuyne, and Lydia Bardak.

Wildcat Cafe work ongoing

Renovations to the Wildcat Cafe continue, although the remaining work being done is inside, according to Mayor Gord Van Tighem said. Hope remains that the heritage site - now more than a year behind schedule - should be open for service in the spring.

"We have the best guy in the Northwest Territories working on it (Rick Muyres), and he is committed to getting it finished as he has been all along," said Van Tighem, who added he thinks the renovations are pretty close to being finished.

The outgoing mayor admitted there have been some obstacles over the summer including a missing range hood, which was later found but turned out to be unusable. The Wildcat's exact opening date next spring will be left to contractor Luke Wood, said Van Tighem.

"They usually open up around the end of May or the beginning of June, but it will depend on when the water comes on," he said.

The deck that has been built around the building was completed a month or two ago, he added.

"Similar to anything in Old Town, when the Prospector (Bar and Grill) was opened it had a deck and Bullock's has a deck," he said. "When the weather is good, people use decks."

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