40 years ago
Tom Doornbos livened up a city council meeting and supplied a location to council for a new skating rink – for a price.
Tom was the owner of lot 17 on 46 Street and had been receptive to using the land for a rink if taxes on the property were remitted for a certain period.
“You scratch the taxes off,” he told council. “There's a bill for the taxes, there's a bill for the garbage, there's a bill for the water. You scratch them off.”
Council passed the motion regarding the rink.
Doornbos also had a few other suggestions. He informed council that he wanted “help” with the lot he owned beside the new courthouse. When asked if he would sell it, he replied, “Yes....for $1 million.”
Tom indicated he was willing to trade the land for the old city hall.
“You have lots of money,” he said, “Give me some.”
Mayor Fred Henne said administration would negotiate with Doornbos regarding the downtown property.
Doornbos had requested a similar arrangement with taxes for a lot beside the tennis court that had been turned down earlier that year.
At the time he offered the city the use of the lot as a park, in lieu of taxes. Because Petitot Park (now Somba K'e park) was so close. Council decided it didn't need any extra land.
30 years ago
Yellowknife city council approved Regency International's application for a development permit.
The corporation would expand the Explorer Hotel. The development would add more guest rooms and more meeting rooms.
20 years ago
Only a small minority of eligible Yellowknife ratepayers turned out to authorize the city to borrow close to $3 million.
With a turnout of 12 per cent as a backdrop, ratepayers voted 286 – 152 to allow the city to borrow the funds for the 1999 road rehabilitation and paving program.
A total of 440 people voted out of a possible 3492.
10 years ago
Yellowknife Direct Charge Co-op members got a total of $365,554 in member gas discounts.
The rebates covered fuel purchases made between November 2007 to April 2008.
According to Louise Cormier, the co-op's accounting manager, the average cheque amount was $105.