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Dog Trotters Association asks city to halt lot sales

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Musher Jordee Reid, left, and her husband Cai Reid, in front, take their dog team out for a run on the gravel path beside Deh Cho Boulevard. Reid is reminding residents to be aware of mushers who have begun training along city roads. photo courtesy of Jordee Reid

The Yellowknife Dog Trotters Association has asked the city to stop the sale of lots, due to conflicting land applications in the Grace Lake area.

Musher Jordee Reid, left, and her husband Cai Reid, in front, take their dog team out for a run on the gravel path beside Deh Cho Boulevard. photo courtesy of Jordee Reid

The association identified Lot 7 in Kam Lake as a possible area for expansion because of proximity to fall and winter trails, road access, municipal services and suitability for residential and mushing uses.

There are three land use applications for the area: a tourism operation for aurora viewing from proponent Liang Chen, a new lot for the dog trotters and a proposed lot for ACE Enterprises quarrying operations.

Administration recommended refusing those requests because it won't know what it intends to do with that land until the Community Plan Review is complete.

The association became aware of land applications following last week's council meeting.

“Our request is that city council halt any ad-hoc land applications for the Kam Lake growth reserve area until the city's general plan review is complete,” said Jordee Reid, a member of the association adding, that she hopes the area will become “dog mushing central.”

As the city works through its community planning, the purpose and use of land in the Grace Lake area is uncertain and all of the lots requested by those applicants are part of the growth reserve.

Further, single-source disposal is a grey area of land disposal that could be “problematic” said senior administrative officer Sheila Bassi-Kellett during a council meeting Monday.

“We want to stay where we are plus we want land that people can purchase for expansion so that they can live next to their dogs,” said Reid, in an interview with Yellowknifer.

The city made the decision to extend the lease on an existing lot, not included in the above applications.

Administration will work with the three applicants to find suitable land to accommodate those requests.

The Dog Trotters' Association saw their leases extended by two years in recent months, following outcry that their 10-year lease would be terminated, and their dogs relocated.

The association has been working with administration to assess potential lots, including Lot 7, ideal for combined residential and mushing use.

However, there is currently no location zoned in Yellowknife for residential and dog mushing use.

The city's zoning laws are discouraging other dog mushers from setting up shop in Yellowknife because there is nowhere for them to go, said Reid.

“I'm hopeful that the city will do right by the dog mushers in what we've been requesting and they already have.”