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Hard times for houseboaters More house-boats in Yellowknife Bay told to move due to complaints
Candace Thomson
Northern News Services
Published Wednesday, July 31, 2013
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Another cluster of houseboaters are being uprooted and told to move from their spots, this time on Yellowknife Bay.
A barricade set up to block the breakwater at Baker Creek prevents houseboaters from parking their vehicles there. The houseboats have been ordered to move out of the area by July 31. - Candace Thomson/NNSL photo |
The Government of Northwest Territories is taking action because of complaints and concerns the boats are disrupting the unofficial bird sanctuary in the area near Willow Flats and obstructing views of the waterfront.
On July 15, Glen Sibbeston received a Notice of Trespass from the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs (MACA) that stated he had 30 days to move his houseboat away from the lake bed in the area, which MACA claims is Commissioner's land.
Sibbeston plans to move his houseboat to another location, but he said it wasn't only because of the notice.
"I acknowledge that the spot is in an area that people use and so when I position myself there I'm using it as well, but the way I'm intending to use the space exposes me to a little more publicity than I would really prefer," Sibbeston said.
He's not fully convinced MACA has the jurisdiction to make him move, and said in the notice there was language used that implied the department would be open to hearing a rebuttal.
While he's not sure MACA has exclusive use of the lake bottom because of the Canada Shipping Act and other federal regulations, Sibbeston said protesting the move would be a time investment he doesn't want to make.
"It could be as simple as writing a letter back asking for evidence that they have exclusive use of the area," he said. "But it's a time investment when I'm 51/49 on staying there."
He plans to move his houseboat within the next week, but isn't sure where yet.
Emerald Murphy, the director of lands administration with MACA, said her office received five complaints about the houseboats.
"The area they're in, the lake bed, is Commissioner's land, and they don't have a lease or the Commissioner's permission to be there," said Murphy.
In other words, the houseboaters are squatting.
"We make sure that we don't have squatters whenever we can," said Murphy.
Bill Leard, a long-time resident of Old Town, said he agrees with MACA's decision to evict the houseboats in order to protect the bird sanctuary and wetlands.
"MACA is doing absolutely the right thing to protect the area," he said.
While he said he is sympathetic to houseboaters, having built a few himself and helped to build others, he's always looked at the situation from the perspective of someone who lives on Jolliffe Island.
"It's a completely different perspective from a houseboater. For me, it's an environmental issue," he said. "The wetlands are a nature preserve, as far as I'm concerned. "They're the last green space left in the city and they should stay as natural as possible. There shouldn't be anything in the way, even houseboats."
MACA is prepared to take action should the houseboaters refuse to move, said Murphy.
The removal of the Willow Flats houseboats has no connection to the decision to remove the Giant Mine houseboats, as Baker Creek is Commissioner's land leased to the city
A week has passed since the city issued notices to houseboaters at Baker Creek ordering them to move from the area before July 31.
So far, only one houseboat has moved, and all vehicles have been removed from the breakwater, which was blocked by Municipal Enforcement Division officers on Friday.
Dennis Marchiori said one houseboater has called and asked for an extension to allow for repairs to be done to the houseboat.
In the event houseboaters don't move, the city is prepared to take action, said Jeff Humble, director of planning and development at the city. Humble added of the owners of three remaining houseboats have yet to contact the city.
"We're going to assess the situation and the circumstances under the zoning bylaw to figure out our course of action," he said. "We do intend to get the results we're looking for on this matter."
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