SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Grace Lake is not the only place the city is considering for a new golf course, according to documents submitted to the Mackenzie Valley Review Board in 2012.

This map of the city's preliminary plans for developing the Giant Mine site was submitted as part of the Mackenzie Valley Review Board environmental impact review process in 2012. The map includes plans for a residential development, a "major recreation" area, a nature preserve, and a golf course. - image courtesy of the Mackenzie Valley Review Board

The preliminary map, which was submitted as part of the environmental impact review process for Giant Mine's cleanup in August 2012, show plans for a residential development, a "major recreation" area, a nature preserve, and a golf course.

According to the map, the residential area would be overlaid on top of the old Giant Mine town site, overlooking Yellowknife Bay, while a golf course and a "major recreation" area are mapped out on top of existing tailings ponds.

When asked about the designs Mayor Mark Heyck said the city is seeking the opportunity to develop the site but that the map was "essentially just a concept."

The city's senior administrative officer, Dennis Kefalas, added that it would likely be a long time before more detailed plans for the site can be formulated because it is not yet known what sort of restrictions the federal government's Giant Mine project team will impose on development there.

"There's still some delineation of what kind of contamination exists on site. So until then no real movement can be made because we don't know what we're dealing with," he said.

Kefalas explained that while it is not possible to build any permanent structures on top of tailings ponds, there are several examples of other jurisdictions that have successfully converted them into low impact recreational areas such as golf courses.

Kefalas said rehabilitated tailings ponds are seen as ideal locations to develop recreational spaces because "you're not impacting the contaminated soil in any way."

"That's just one of many concepts, to include a golf course, because that's what's done in other jurisdictions," said Kefalas.

However, any detailed plans for the site would be determined based on the needs of the city and the progress of other developments the city is pursuing, he added.

"There might not be a need for any of those fields but if there is it could be an option," he said.

The city is currently part of a working group that includes representatives from the federal and territorial government.

The group meets on a monthly basis independently of the review board's ongoing environmental assessment process which is currently pending approval from the federal government.

In its August 2012 submission to the review board the city asked whether the Giant Mine project team would be willing to commit to preliminary public consultation "to explore the proposed land use concept which addresses criteria for evaluating the community interest on the Giant Mine remediation."

Kefalas said the city and the Giant Mine project team were supposed to meet in May to discuss the possibility of developing a framework agreement to move ahead with public consultation, but they were recently pushed back.

Even though discussions between the city and the Giant Mine team are ongoing, no development at the site may begin until the site is fully cleaned up, according to the Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development

The timelines and standards to which the site will be cleaned up will not be finalized until the environmental assessment is approved by the federal ministers responsible for the project.

However, preliminary estimates by the department outlined in its executive summary for the site's cleanup indicate major surface work will take approximately five years to complete.

As the Giant Mine site is located on Commissioner's Land, the city would need to obtain a lease from the GNWT in order to proceed with any development.