Yellowknife city council unanimously supported moving forward with a controversial quarry proposal near Vee Lake at a third reading vote during Monday night's regular meeting.
The vote of support, with the exception of Coun. Julian Morse who stepped out of the room due to his day job at the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board, allows the city to ask the GNWT Department of Lands to lease a parcel of unsurveyed property just off Vee Lake Road. If approved, the city could then consider sub-leasing it to the Det'on Cho Corporation at a later date.
In February, council had heard that the corporation, which is an economic arm of the Yellowknives Dene First Nation, intends to extract non-acidic leaching aggregate from the site that can be sold to the Giant Mine Remediation Project over the next 10 years as well as any city project that may need rock for construction projects during that period.
photo screenshot sourced from the Citiy of Yellowknife
Yellowknifer Ryan Silke led a delegation in opposition to the project and asked the city to stop the proposed quarry due to the area's "natural aesthetics" and close proximity to a hiking trail to Ranney Hill. He also pointed out that he is not convinced other locations - including the Giant Mine site or anywhere on the highway all the way to Behchoko - had been explored or that long-term impacts of the area have been properly considered.
"We want to be able to preserve a nice recreation area," Silke told council, noting it is an area that he and many Yellowknifers enjoy because of its unique pristineness.
"A guiding principle that many have argued for during the Giant Mine remediation proceedings has been that we should not make a hole to fill a hole and we should not make a mess to clean up a mess. I have been assigned to approach the city to stop this project and not to continue to pursue land tenure."
Silke had some supporters present and has been able to garner nearly 1,000 signatures in less than a week in an online petition opposing the quarry.
Simon Whitehouse/NNSL photo
Det'on Cho also had a delegation from the corporation as well as Ndilo Chief Ernest Betsina and Dettah Chief Ed Sangris from the Yellowknives Dene First Nation.
Betsina spoke to council and said the Yellowknives Dene were in full support of the Det'on Cho Corporation's plans for the area because the Dene want to be actively involved in the Giant Mine cleanup. With the location being in close proximity of the Giant Mine site, it means that work can be done quickly and safely, not to mention provide employment and input for YKDFN members.
"I respect peoples rights to express their opinion when it comes to proposals that affect our lands, water, wildlife and welcome and encourage screening," he said. "I am not shocked that people have expressed their concern on this or any projects but surprised they're expressing opposition to this so early."
Betsina said he is confident in the corporation's ability to have located the most strategic area for extraction and to address safety concerns around the needs for widening Vee Lake Road as necessary and provide signage and other safety elements.
Simon Whitehouse/NNSL photo
He also addressed the complaints of recreational users who have stated that hiking might be disrupted.
"When people express their concerns about interrupting views from places they enjoy, I can (empathize)," he said. "In fact, for generations the Yellowknives Dene have enjoyed views from all over the now City of Yellowknife. Most people in this room live and work on a parcel of land that began to be transformed less than 100 years ago. For us, however, this transformation was more significant than interrupted vistas. It changed our way of life."
The YKDFN and Det'on Cho had issued a joint news release on Monday night that reiterated Betsina's arguments.
Council first discussed the issue at the Feb. 17 government priorities committee meeting when Det'on Cho's John Henderson gave a presentation. The vote passed second reading at a Feb. 24 regular council meeting that would have taken a third reading vote had there been a full slate of councillors present.
