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Houseboat builder throws in towel
Randy Sibbeston to move structure from Willow Flats to avoid lengthy court battle

Evan Kiyoshi French
Northern News Services
Friday, October 30, 2015

SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Building and selling houseboats in Yellowknife is "too much of a hassle," Randy Sibbeston has concluded.

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Randy Sibbeston said he's preparing his houseboat, currently pinned to the rocks on shore of Willow Flats, for the journey to Fort Simpson. - Evan Kiyoshi French/NNSL photo

After a two-year court battle with the territorial government, the star of the reality television series Ice Lake Rebels is giving up on the floating real estate business and moving his houseboat parked on the shore of Willow Flats to his hometown of Fort Simpson.

Sibbeston told Yellowknifer his plan to build a houseboat community on Yellowknife Bay couldn't happen because the spot at Willow Flats in Old Town where he planned to put his houseboats was designated as a bird sanctuary by the city in 1982.

The Department of Municipal and Community Affairs filed a lawsuit against Sibbeston in 2013, citing his unauthorized use of Commissioner's land.

He has built a half dozen houseboats for sale in the past decade, with the one has had pinned to the rocks near the end of Lundquist Road for the past two years being the only one remaining unsold.

He's preparing to move that houseboat up the Mackenzie River to his hometown, where he said he'll put it on a lot on dry land and rent it out.

He said he blew $20,000 on a business plan to mass-produce lightweight and easily portable floating homes but being dragged into court by the GNWT convinced him it wasn't going to be a profitable business. He said the GNWT offered to help him find another spot for the houseboat community but a lack of suitable access points means the bird sanctuary near the shores of Old Town was the only option that made sense.

"It turned into kind of an albatross," he said. "I'm going into real estate. I'm not going to play around with houseboats anymore."

Sibbeston, 45, is the son of NWT Senator Nick Sibbeston. He plans to run in the territorial election to represent the Nahendeh district.

"Yellowknife has lost its charm," he said, adding his role in the reality series has people confused about where he lives. He said he's never lived on a houseboat in Yellowknife.

"That was just for TV," he said.

Weledeh MLA Bob Bromley - who raised the issue of Sibbeston's houseboat in the legislative assembly in October 2013 and also lives within sight of Sibbeston's houseboat, said he's "overjoyed" to learn the house will soon make its way over the horizon.

"I've seen them working on it, so I assumed that (it's leaving)," he said. "I'm overjoyed, as I'm sure the neighbourhood is."

Sibbeston said he thinks members of the legislative assembly and city council who "don't like houseboats" went after him because they couldn't find a way to collect taxes from houseboaters. He said the bird sanctuary was initially supposed to be a marina, which could have contained houseboats but city council switched it to a bird sanctuary to stem the proliferation of houseboats on Yellowknife Bay.

In 2013, Sibbeston told Yellowknifer Bromley used his political influence to quash his plans.

Bromley said he has the e-mails to prove the issue isn't his alone.

"I could show you my e-mail list of people that have sent messages and continually - over the two years that it's been - requested updates on the action that the government is taking,"

said Bromley.

Contrary to Sibbeston's assertions, Bromley said he is generally a fan of houseboats.

"I kind of like them," he said. "I'm disappointed that we haven't managed the situation. I think there needs to be some islands protected from houseboat use and available for the public to use. But I like diversity in life. They are people who are very strong volunteers in the community. They bring unique and interesting perspective to issues."

Bromley said a plan to get houseboaters to pay some taxes in return for city services is still in the works and should begin to move forward since the territory has devolved authority over waterways from the federal government. Some houseboaters have said they'd gladly pay taxes if it meant they had better access to city services, he said.

Negotiations with the Yellowknives Dene First Nation also need to happen before plans move ahead because the First Nation's land claim puts a hold on some areas populated by houseboaters, such as Jolliffe Island.

"Things have changed since the GNWT devolved authority from the federal government," Bromley said. "So now, there is the potential for them to work with the city, and with the Yellowknives Dene to come up with a program that works."

The city's director of planning and development Jeff Humble stated in an e-mail that the city is in discussions with the Yellowknives Dene, which could help the city to begin regulating houseboats on Jolliffe Island.

"I can confirm ongoing discussions and partnership approach with the Yellowknives Dene with regards to Jolliffe Island tenure, which would aid the city in terms of regulatory abilities with regards to houseboats while also addressing the long-term common interests of the island as a park with 'traditional cultural aspects,'" wrote Humble. "This process ties in with the Akaitcho/YKDFN land interests and GNWT jurisdiction over the waterway

post-devolution."

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