SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
The city voted all-but-one in favour of ending talks over preserving the Robertson Headframe on the Con Mine site on Monday, putting the historical structure's fate in the hands of the territorial government.
"We're trying to work out a deal with the GNWT to acquire the headframe," said NWT Mining Heritage Society president Walt Humphries.
"The headframe is no good without the land and the land is much more valuable with the headframe."
The society is a part of a working group - that includes others Humphries said didn't want to be named - which has taken the lead on saving the headframe from destruction since the issue was first voted on by council in June.
"It's not over until it's over," said Humphries.
"It's over for the city, they've bowed out of the equation. If this was their plan, I wish they would have done it 10 years ago instead of giving people false hope."
Humphries defended the headframe conservation project at a Municipal Services Committee meeting in January, where administration announced the city is not legally able to take over the structure under the current owner's requirements.
In order to transfer ownership of the headframe, Newmont Mining Corporation demanded to be relieved of any future liabilities on the site - something the city cannot offer under the Cities, Towns and Villages Act.
The Act is administered by the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs (MACA). At this time, MACA has not received an official request to look into amending the indemnification rule, said MACA spokesperson David Maguire.
Unlike the city, the GNWT does have the power to absolve Newmont of liability. This means relieving Newmont of financial and environmental responsibility, should anything go wrong.
Once the site is fully remediated, Newmont will hand it over to the government, under the Department of Lands.
"They currently have an existing lease in good standing for the parcel of land where the (Robertson) Headframe is located," Toni Riley, communications manager for the Department of Lands stated in an e-mail.
"To surrender the lease they will have to remediate the land to an acceptable standard, which will require the potential removal of the headframe and remediation of the land on which it currently stands."
There is no deadline for when the work needs to be completed as far as the department is concerned, as long as the lease remains in good standing, said Riley.
Currently, Riley said the Department of Lands is not in talks about taking ownership of the headframe.
"The Department of Lands has not been approached by any party wishing to take over ownership of the headframe," Riley said.
Whether the department would consider taking on the liability of the headframe, Riley would not say. For Humphries, there is still optimism that the structure will continue to be part of the city skyline.
"We're continuing on and trying to figure out the logistics of just how to do this but we need some co-operation," said Humphries. "Hopefully we can negotiate with the (GNWT) and figure out a way to do this."
