Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I mentioned in Committee of the Whole yesterday, the City of Yellowknife has a land issue. A quick look around the city shows that this city’s expansion is hampered by water bodies and large rock outcrops. That’s why Yellowknife is so compact and the lack of urban sprawl is something that Yellowknife has been recognized for. This is something that other cities strive for.
Right now with lands withdrawn from development by Aboriginal government and the territorial government releasing little land to the city, Yellowknife is reaching the end of available land to use for future development, whether it be for housing, recreational use, commercial or industrial use.
It’s gratifying to see my local government planning ahead, but frustrating for me that they are not getting great cooperation from the territorial Lands department. From my time on city council, I know that the acquisition and development of land takes time, years in fact. The city is on record that they wish to take over all Commissioner’s lands in the city and have asked for it from the GNWT and have been denied that.
That the GNWT will only release small parcels at a time has hampered the city’s planning efforts. It means the city is unable to get access to or ownership of a significant quantum of land for development and it’s pretty hard to plan in a vacuum when receiving land in dribs and drabs. There’s no opportunity to plan for the big picture, to plan for future expansion in a coordinated and timely manner.
On top of the lack of a significant quantum of land, it’s my understanding that several parcels in Old Town will not be released in fee simple title. It will only be given to the city under lease arrangements. It’s hard to understand why that is, and I appreciate the Minister’s offer yesterday to look into that for me.
Things are not yet dire. The city does have some space for development of single family dwellings in some parcels which were developed in the past. Niven Lake area, Block 501 and Grace Lake still have some lots available. But as they should, council is looking to the future and planning for a potential influx of residents due to several construction projects on the horizon. The city needs a large parcel to plan for the next subdivision and they need certainty to plan properly.
I understand the need to consult with local Aboriginal governments. That’s part of the land release process. I’m not asking for that to change, but the GNWT must be more understanding of the needs of community governments where land is concerned.
Thank you. I will have questions for the Minister of Lands at the appropriate time.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.
