N.W.T. holds public meeting on Ingraham Trail land plans

The N.W.T.’s Department of Municipal and Community Affairs (MACA) is holding a public meeting in Yellowknife Wednesday on plans for land around Jackson, Banting, Prosperous and Walsh lakes.

The department is considering offering up 35 new leases around Walsh and Banting and setting aside 17 spots for day use.

But people who already lease land there say the department needs to make it easier for people to get to their cabins.

Dave Gilday, who has had a legal cabin on Walsh Lake for 15 years, says the Vee Lake dock can't handle any more traffic.

"We don't have to be like Southern Ontario; that's one of the great things about living here — we do have space. We don't have to be tripping over one another."

He said during the summer the narrow access road is packed with vehicles.

"While the land isn't necessarily crowded, certainly access to the land is overtaxed as it is," he said.

"The landing can't handle more traffic between the leases that are there now, the number of squatters that are on the lake now, plus all the day users."

Gilday said the existing dock has been built and maintained by volunteers.

Bev Chamberlin, director of lands administration for MACA, said since the area is not a territorial park, the government isn't planning for a parking lot or dock.

Gilday also said the department's computer-generated plan doesn't fit the land.

"It's preposterous. By not being on the ground, they don't realize that they're putting some leases or proposed leases on one bay that's all marsh land. It's a loon breeding area."

Gilday added MACA needs to kick squatters off the land before leasing it out and not give them dibs on the land as they have before.

"Giving a lease to a squatter is like giving the registration of a stolen vehicle to a car thief," he said. "They took it. It doesn't belong to them. The government turns around and gives leases? I just don't get it."

The lots are on Commissioner's Land but fall under the Akaitcho land claim negotiations.

The Yellowknives Dene say they haven't been consulted but Chamberlin said the plan isn't set in stone yet.

"We'll be going out and doing a thorough ground truthing of every single foot of the shoreline there and taking a good look at the area," said Chamberlin.

She said the department still needs to figure out how big cabins can be and look at impacts on fish stocks.

The department hopes to have all this done by June so it can start handing out new leases this summer.