Metis cabin owners get tax bills
Northern News Services
Published Monday, October 27, 2014
NORTHWEST TERRITORIES
The NWT Metis Nation is concerned about the taxation of traditional leases in the South Slave.
"I know they've hit a few cabin owners already that started getting a land tax bill and they're not taking the bill back," said NWT Metis Nation President Garry Bailey. "They haven't consulted with anybody on this yet, so they've got a lot of work to do as far as I'm concerned."
Traditional leases are granted to First Nations only. In the past year, bills have been handed out to traditional cabin owners - particularly in the South Slave - for the first time in Bailey's memory.
"We haven't had to pay taxes on traditional cabin leases before and we don't intend to start," he said.
Although the taxes may be new to some, David Oystrek, manager of assessment services with Municipal and Community Affairs (MACA) said this is not a change in policy. However, a lack of manpower has meant many properties in outlying areas have not been assessed before now.
"It's nothing new, we've taxed all property, we've taxed cabin leases before on the Ingraham Trail, outside other municipalities, in Inuvik and outside Fort Smith," said Oystrek. "We were directed by the Board of Revision to go out and finish off the assessments and make sure that everyone out there is captured, so we're just completing the work."
Although there are exemptions listed in the Property Assessment Taxation Act, Oystrek said in this case those exemptions are not applicable.
Bailey is concerned about the impacts these tax bills will have on Metis culture, adding that traditional cabins are used by trappers, hunters, fishers and people looking to gather on the land.
"It is under their Property Assessment Act that they've always had authority to do that, they say, but under the Property Assessment Act it also states that it can't affect our culture, traditions and way of life," Bailey said. "It's all about protecting (our traditions) so that we can continue doing it, teaching our youth how to do it and make sure the culture stays alive, and we shouldn't have to pay to do that."
Although MACA is responsible for assessing properties, the taxation of land leases is governed by the Department of Finance.
MACA has no plans to stop its assessments of cabins on GNWT-owned land, said Oystrek.
"They are currently being assessed and we are not changing that," he said. "According to the act, they are eligible to be assessed and in fairness and equity to everyone else, that is what we do, we go out and assess them."
