Jun 16, 2025 Special Council Meeting

THANK YOU EVERYBODY CALLING OUR SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING FOR MONDAY, JUNE 16TH, 2025 TO ORDER AND I WILL ASK COUNCILLOR ARDEN-SMITH TO READ THE

[1. Councillor Arden‐Smith will read the Opening Statement.]

[00:00:10]

FROM TIME IMMEMORIAL, IT HAS BEEN THE TRADITIONAL LAND OF THE YELLOWKNIVES DENE FIRST NATION.

WE RESPECT THE HISTORIES, LANGUAGES AND CULTURE OF ALL OTHER INDIGENOUS PEOPLES, INCLUDING THE NORTH SLAVE MÉTIS AND ALL FIRST NATIONS MÉTIS AND INUIT WHOSE PRESENCE CONTINUES TO ENRICH OUR VIBRANT COMMUNITY. THANK YOU COUNCILLOR ARDEN-SMITH.

SO JUST FOR THE MOVEMENT OF THESE TWO MEETINGS THAT WE'RE SORT OF HAVING IN TANDEM TODAY WE'LL RECESS THIS MEETING NOW.

SO CAN I GET A MOTION TO RECESS THIS MEETING UNTIL THE END OF OUR GPC? COUNCILLOR WARBURTON. CAN I GET A SECONDER? COUNCILLOR ARDEN-SMITH, ANY OBJECTIONS? NO. THEN WE WILL RECESS THE SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING UNTIL THE END OF OUR GPC MEETING.

AND THERE. AND WE WILL CALL OUR SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING BACK TO ORDER.

[2. Does any Member have a conflict of interest in any matter before Council today?]

DOES ANY MEMBER HAVE A CONFLICT WITH THE SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING TODAY? NO. NEXT WE HAVE A STATUTORY PUBLIC HEARINGS, STATUTORY PUBLIC HEARING REGARDING BY-LAW NUMBER 5107,

[3. Statutory Public Hearing regarding By‐law No. 5107, a by‐law to amend Land Administration By‐law No. 5078.]

WE HAD NO WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS AND WE HAVE NO SUBMISSIONS FROM THE FLOOR.

SO THAT CLOSES THE STATUTORY PUBLIC HEARING. NEXT WE HAVE ENACTMENT OF BY-LAWS, BY-LAW NUMBER 5107, A BY-LAW TO AMEND LAND ADMINISTRATION BY-LAW NUMBER 5078 PRESENTED FOR SECOND AND THIRD READING.

COUNCILLOR ARDEN-SMITH I MOVE SECOND READING OF BY-LAW NUMBER 5107.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. CAN I GET A SECONDER? COUNCILLOR MCGURK.

AND ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM MY COLLEAGUES RELATED TO THIS BY-LAW? COUNCILLOR WARBURTON THEN COUNCILLOR MCLENNAN. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. I WROTE IT OUT BECAUSE IT'S EASIER IF I DO IT.

I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO TALK ABOUT WE'RE MOVING THIS TO MAKE, BECAUSE WE CAN'T ORDER A HIGHER LEVEL OF GOVERNMENT TO DO SOMETHING.

HOWEVER, THIS WAS ORIGINALLY PUT IN DUE TO OUR FRUSTRATION WITH THE INABILITY, IT SEEMS, TO TRANSFER LAND IN ANY REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME.

WE'RE HERE NOW BASICALLY, BECAUSE IT'S A PROCESS PROBLEM.

THE CITY DEPENDS ON THE GNWT ABILITY AND WILLINGNESS TO TRANSFER LAND TO THE CITY, AND WE'RE JUST NOT GETTING IT. DESPITE YEARS OF DISCUSSIONS, WORKING GROUPS, DATA COMMITMENTS TRIED TO MOUS, THE GNWT APPEARS TO HAVE NOT CHANGED A SINGLE PIECE OF LEGISLATION, REGULATION OR POLICY TO REALLY HELP US WITH THIS PROBLEM.

MAYBE THEY HAVE, BUT I DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT. ABOUT THOSE CHANGES OR EVEN THE TOOLS THEY HAVE ALREADY TO USE.

LAND CONTINUES TO BE HELD UP, TIED UP IN RED TAPE AND LEFT SITTING UNUSED WHILE WE NEED FOR HOUSING GROWS MORE URGENT EVERY DAY.

WE WERE TOLD THIS IS ABOUT BUDGETS AND STAFF CAPACITY, BUT IT'S CLEAR IT'S NONE OF THOSE THINGS.

THIS IS ABOUT DECISIONS. THIS IS ABOUT GOVERNANCE.

THE GNWT HAS ALL THE POWER TO MAKE LAND TRANSFERS HAPPEN FASTER, RIGHT NOW AND TODAY, BUT THEY CHOOSE TO NOT CHANGE.

AND THAT CHOICE IS WORSENING OUR HOUSING CRISIS. [INAUDIBLE] WE CANNOT GROW, WE CANNOT BUILD, WE CANNOT HOUSE OUR RESIDENTS, ATTRACT OR RETAIN WORKFORCE IF WE ARE DENIED THE MOST BASIC TOOL OF DEVELOPMENT, LAND. NOW WE'RE NOT PERFECT. WE HAVE LAND THAT WE COULD USE BETTER.

AND WE ARE, WE'RE TRYING TO DO THAT. BUT THIS IS FOCUSED ON THE BOSS HERE.

IT ISN'T JUST FRUSTRATING, IT'S VERY OBSTRUCTIVE.

AND THE CONSEQUENCES ARE REAL, LONG HOUSING WAIT LISTS.

OUR RENTS KEEP GOING UP, OVERCROWDING, INCREASED PRESSURE ON SOCIAL SERVICES. ETC, ETC .

IF THE GNWT IS ACTUALLY SERIOUS ABOUT HOUSING CRISIS, THEY MUST START BY UNLOCKING LAND, IS THE LOWEST COST, HIGHEST IMPACT THING THEY CAN DO. WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET ANY MORE OF THEIR MONEY.

THEY MADE THAT VERY CLEAR. SO JUST GIVE US LAND SO WE CAN SOLVE IT OURSELVES.

WE'RE READY TO WORK WITH YOU. WE ARE READY FOR A LONG TIME.

BUT WE NEED MORE THAN TALK, WE NEED YOU TO START TRANSFERRING LAND.

STOP TALKING ABOUT IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU COUNCILLOR WARBURTON.

AND, YOU KNOW, JUST I APPRECIATE THE SENTIMENT.

JUST SO YOU KNOW, CITY ADMIN HAS RECENTLY SIGNED A MEMORANDUM OF COLLABORATION.

I HAVE TO BE POSITIVE HERE. SO I APPRECIATE YOUR SENTIMENT, BUT TO WORK WITH ECE TO PRIORITIZE THE PARCELS THAT WE HAVE APPLICATIONS IN FOR, SO THAT IT'S, REGARDLESS OF WHEN A PARCEL MAY BE, WAS PRESENTED THROUGH AN APPLICATION THAT IT PRIORITIZES PIECES OF LAND WE NEED.

SO I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THE SENTIMENT, BUT I JUST WANTED TO PROVIDE THAT ADDITIONAL CONTEXT.

NEXT UP WE HAVE COUNCILLOR MCLENNAN AND THEN COUNCILLOR FEQUET.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. SO A COUPLE QUESTIONS FOR ADMIN.

SO IF OUR LEGAL ANALYSIS HASN'T CHANGED ON THIS PART OF THE BY-LAW, WHY WOULD WE AS A CITY RETURN TO A STRATEGY, MOUS, MOC, WHATEVER IT IS THAT HASN'T WORKED? CITY MANAGER. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. CHAIR, FOR THE QUESTION.

SO I'M GOING TO PARSE THAT OUT A LITTLE BIT. SO BEAR WITH ME.

SO IN TERMS OF LEGAL ANALYSIS, ABSOLUTELY. THE BY-LAW THAT WAS CONSTRUCTED ABOUT THIS TIME LAST YEAR WAS A DULY CONSTRUCTED BY-LAW,

[00:05:01]

PART OF THAT SUPPORTING INFORMATION AND ANALYSIS RELATED TO ACTUALLY A POLICY THAT IS HELD BY MUNICIPAL AND COMMUNITY AFFAIRS WITH RESPECT TO THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE AUTHORITY AND MUNICIPALITIES ABOUT GIVING MUNICIPALITIES THE RIGHT OF FIRST REFUSAL.

AND SO THAT'S AN EXISTING POLICY. IT STANDS WITH MUNICIPAL AND COMMUNITY AFFAIRS.

IT PREDATES THE TIME I UNDERSTAND THAT LAND ADMINISTRATION MOVED FROM MUNICIPAL COMMUNITY AFFAIRS OVER TO IECC AND VARIOUS ITERATIONS IN BETWEEN. AND I BELIEVE THAT THE TEAM DID A GREAT JOB IN ASSESSING AND ANALYZING THAT PIECE AS IT BROUGHT IT FORWARD FOR THIS PROPOSAL THIS TIME LAST YEAR. AND WHAT WE'VE LEARNED SINCE THEN IS THAT THE, AS HAS BEEN LAID OUT BY THE CHAIR, THERE ARE SOME TECHNICAL PROVISIONS WITHIN THIS.

THIS BASICALLY IS ASKING THE GNWT TO DO SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE OUTSIDE OF THE SCOPE OF OUR MUNICIPAL AUTHORITIES UNDER THE CITIES, TOWNS AND VILLAGES ACT. I THINK ONE OF THE MEMBERS OF COUNCIL SPOKE TO ONE OF THE REASONS WHY COUNCIL FELT COMPELLED TO PHRASE IT THAT WAY.

AND I DON'T BELIEVE THERE WAS ANY LEGAL ARGUMENT FROM ADMINISTRATION TO SUGGEST THAT THEY COULDN'T DO THAT, YOU COULD NOT DO THAT. SO THAT PASSED. WE'VE HEARD FROM THE MINISTER OF MUNICIPAL AND COMMUNITY AFFAIRS WITH RESPECT TO THAT LITTLE PROVISION.

SINCE THEN, WE'VE HAD A COUPLE OF PIECES OF CORRESPONDENCE BACK AND FORTH.

I HAVE INVESTIGATED THE MEMORANDUM PROCESS THAT WAS STARTED SOME TIME BACK AND HAVE LEARNED A FEW THINGS.

THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING PROCESS FROM AN ADMINISTRATIVE PERSPECTIVE I DEEMED AS BEING UNPRODUCTIVE BECAUSE IT WAS NOT YIELDING THE RESULTS THAT WE WERE LOOKING FOR.

AND I BELIEVE IT WAS BEING UNPRODUCTIVE BECAUSE OF ALL KINDS OF REASONS.

BUT ONE HAS BEEN MIXED MATCHED INTERESTS IN WHAT IT WAS TO ACHIEVE.

AND SO WE, WE ADAPTED. THAT ADAPTION WAS, LET'S GET TO THE INTEREST THAT WAS UNDERLINING COUNCIL'S INTEREST IN PASSING THE LAND ADMINISTRATION BY-LAW THAT WAS PASSED AT THIS TIME LAST YEAR.

THAT INTEREST WAS MAKING SURE THAT GNWT WAS AWARE OF OUR PRIORITIES, MAKING SURE THAT THE GNWT IN CERTAIN INSTANCES WOULD NOT OFFER LAND TO A THIRD PARTY WITHOUT GIVING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE THEM BEFOREHAND.

TO MY KNOWLEDGE, THEY HAVEN'T DONE THAT SINCE IT HAD OCCURRED, I THINK, UNDER A PREVIOUS COUNCIL SOME TIME BACK.

AND WE ARE CONTINUING TO WORK WITH THEM ON THE DAY TO DAY PRIORITIES.

I BELIEVE COUNCIL HAS ALSO IDENTIFIED THE FACT THAT THE GOVERNMENT OF THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES HAS NOT MADE ANY LEGISLATIVE CHANGE WITH RESPECT TO THIS.

AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE GNWT WILL NEED TO CONSIDER WHETHER THEY ARE OPEN TO DOING THAT.

WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IS THAT SINCE 2023, WE'VE HAD ABOUT 11 OR, SORRY, 18 APPLICATIONS FOR LAND THAT HAS BEEN MADE. NOW, THIS IS WHERE I'M PULLING YOU INTO THE WORLD OF DETAIL AND THE NUANCES OF LAND ADMINISTRATION, WHICH IS VERY FUN AND EXCITING.

THOSE APPLICATIONS CONTAIN MANY PARCELS. SO WE'VE ACTUALLY HAVE CLOSE TO 80 PARCELS OF LAND THAT WE'VE APPLIED FOR SINCE 2023.

WE'VE HAD FOUR TRANSFERRED SINCE THEN. SO NOT A STELLAR RECORD IN TERMS OF SPEED AND VOLUME.

AND WE ARE LOOKING TO TRY AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO ACCELERATE THAT.

AT THIS POINT IN TIME I HAVE REASON TO BELIEVE THAT AT LEAST THERE'S INTEREST AND WILL AND SOME CLEAR COMMUNICATION.

WE DID HAVE SOME SUCCESS WITH RESPECT TO NOT A DEVELOPABLE PIECE OF LAND WITH RESPECT TO HOUSING OR COMMERCIAL, BUT WITH OUR SOLID WASTE FACILITY, WE HAD SOME PARCELS TRANSFERRED OVER, WHICH IS NOT INSIGNIFICANT AND NOT UNIMPORTANT.

AND WE'VE HAD SOME SUCCESS WITH RESPECT TO IDENTIFYING SOME AREA OF FOCUS AROUND WHAT WE HOPE TO BE AN AREA OF RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT WITH RESPECT TO TAYLOR ROAD. SO THERE IS SOME WORK HAPPENING THERE, AND I WILL TURN IT OVER TO DIRECTOR WHITE IN A MOMENT.

BUT IN THOSE DISCUSSIONS WE ARE LOOKING TO HAVE SOME AT LEAST ENCOURAGING AREAS OF INTEREST THAT THE CITY HAS WITH RESPECT TO MORE LAND AND WHERE THAT MIGHT BE.

BUT I'LL TURN IT OVER TO DIRECTOR WHITE AND TO DESCRIBE OUR PLANS ON BRINGING FORWARD A PRESENTATION LATER THIS SUMMER.

[00:10:06]

THIS IS INFORMATION THAT WE'VE TYPICALLY BEEN OF AN ADMINISTRATIVE NATURE.

YOU GENERALLY SET DIRECTION. WE DO THE DETAILED WORK.

I THINK, I BELIEVE ON A SUBJECT SUCH AS LAND THAT DETAIL WORK NEEDS TO SURFACE AND COME UP A LITTLE HIGHER INTO THE GAZE OF OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS AS TO WHAT SPECIFICALLY WE'RE ASKING FOR AND WHERE IT'S BEING SOUGHT.

SO THAT PRESENTATION IS SOMETHING THAT'S UNDER CONSTRUCTION NOW, AND WE LOOK TO BRING THAT FORWARD TO COUNCIL.

SOME AREAS THAT ARE HIGHLIGHTING OUR WORK WITH THE GOVERNMENT OF THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES WITH RESPECT TO THOSE TYPES OF APPLICATIONS, INCLUDE LARGER SWATHS OF LAND THAT ARE IN RELATIVE PROXIMITY TO SERVICED AREAS THAT CURRENTLY EXIST NOW, BUT WOULD REQUIRE ADDITIONAL SERVICING TO AUGMENT BUT AT LEAST APPROXIMATE.

SO THAT IS THE PRESENTATION THAT WE HOPE TO BRING TO COUNCIL RELATIVELY QUICKLY.

AND THEN WE'LL DECIDE AT THAT POINT WHETHER THAT INFORMATION ON A MORE REGULAR BASIS MIGHT BE OF INTEREST TO COUNCIL GOING FORWARD.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE DETAILED ANSWER. AND THEN JUST ONE FOLLOW UP JUST TO, ARE WE LIKE, SO CHOOSING TO STRIKE THIS AND ENTER A MEMORANDUM OF COLLABORATION.

THERE ARE NO TANGIBLE DELIVERIES FROM THE GNWT LAND WISE HERE.

THEY'RE JUST MORE PROMISES. SO MAYBE FIELD THAT ONE FIRST BEFORE PASSING IT OVER TO THE CITY MANAGER.

SO WE HAVE TO. AND THIS IS SOMETHING I'VE BEEN HAVING TO GRAPPLE WITH A LOT, COUNCILLOR MCLENNAN.

SO BUT ONE HAVE HAD VERY PRODUCTIVE MEETINGS WITH, YOU KNOW, FROM THE PREMIER DOWN THROUGH THE REST OF CABINET AND HIGHLIGHTING LAND AS OUR NUMBER ONE CONCERN AND ISSUE. I DO THINK WHAT WE NEED TO REMEMBER WITH THIS BY-LAW PIECE IS, THIS IS UNDER THE MINISTER OF MACA LANDS, UNDER THE MINISTER OF ECC.

AND SO, KEEPING THIS IN THE BY-LAW OURSELVES ONE I WOULD EXPECT IT TO NOT BE KEPT FOR US BY THE MINISTER OF MACA. IF WE DON'T REMOVE IT. BUT TWO IS THAT ULTIMATELY, EVEN IF WE KEPT IT WOULDN'T DO ANYTHING TO SPEED UP THE TRANSFER OF LANDS, BECAUSE THAT'S UNDER A DIFFERENT DEPARTMENT.

NOW, IN MY CONVERSATIONS WITH MINISTERS AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT WHEN WE PASSED OUR RESOLUTION AROUND THE ARCTIC SECURITY CORRIDOR IS THAT ALL OF THE POTENTIAL THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AS THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES, AS THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE, FROM ARCTIC SECURITY CORRIDOR TO A POTENTIAL MACKENZIE VALLEY HIGHWAY TO THE SLAVE GEOLOGICAL PROVINCE THAT WOULD RUN THROUGH THAT CORRIDOR.

ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE DEPENDENT ON A STRONG CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE AND STRONG COMMUNITIES.

AND WE'RE NOT THE ONLY COMMUNITY FACING THESE STRUGGLES AROUND ACCESS TO COMMISSIONERS LAND.

AND SO WE'VE MADE IT VERY CLEAR THAT IN ORDER TO SEE ANY FUTURE ECONOMIC POTENTIAL IN THE NORTH FROM THE CITY AND BEYOND, THAT THESE ARE CRUX ISSUES FOR ALL OF US, ACROSS COMMUNITIES.

YOU KNOW, THERE'S A MOTION PUT FORWARD THROUGH THE NWT ASSOCIATION OF COMMUNITIES THIS PAST SPRING OR.

YEAH, THIS PAST SPRING. RELATED TO THIS, YOU KNOW, THE ANSWER RESPONDED BACK WAS A LITTLE WANTING FROM THE NWT.

BUT I THINK THE THING THAT WE HAVE TO REMEMBER IS WHEN IT RELATES TO THIS BY-LAW PIECE, KEEPING IT OR NOT KEEPING IT ULTIMATELY WON'T SOLVE THE LANDS ISSUE.

I THINK IT WAS HELPFUL. PERHAPS. AND I, YOU KNOW, I'M STILL STAND BY WHY WE PUT IT IN THERE WHEN WE RELATE IT BACK TO THEIR OWN POLICY DOCUMENT THAT THE CITY MANAGER REFERENCED. YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF LAST YEAR, BUT I THINK AT THIS POINT IN TIME, KNOWING WHERE WE SIT NOW, JUST IN TERMS OF THE TANGIBLE, YOU KNOW, OUTCOMES AS YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT, I AGREE WITH YOU. THERE ARE NO TANGIBLE OUTCOMES TODAY.

BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO BUILD UP THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT WE GET TO WHAT YOURSELF AND COUNCILLOR OR DEPUTY MAYOR WARBURTON WERE TALKING ABOUT IN TERMS OF REALLY HIGHLIGHTING THAT EVERYTHING WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT SINCE PRIME MINISTER CARNEY WAS ELECTED AND ALL OF THE POTENTIAL THAT THE CITY AND THE NORTH HAS IS REALLY INCUMBENT ON BASIC PIECES LIKE LAND TRANSFERS, WATER AND SEWAGE.

YOU KNOW, THE THINGS THAT PEOPLE FORGET ABOUT WHEN THEY GET ALL EXCITED AND HOT AND BOTHERED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE BIG PROJECTS. WE GOT TO REMEMBER THAT THAT'S ALL DEPENDENT ON THE SKELETON OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT A CITY IS. AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN CONVEYING.

SO I'M VERY, VERY, VERY CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC, BUT THAT'S THE LONG WINDED ANSWER TO YOUR VERY SHORT AND CONCISE QUESTION.

[00:15:04]

AND I THINK THE MAYOR WAS BEING A BIT MODEST BECAUSE HE DID SPEAK TO THE MINISTER OF FINANCE LAST WEEK ON A NUMBER OF FINANCIAL ASKS THAT WOULD POTENTIALLY CONTRIBUTE TO HELPING MOVE THIS PROCESS ALONG, FINANCIAL ASSETS WITH RESPECT TO ECC HAVING THE STAFF COMPLEMENT NECESSARY TO PROCESS THE APPLICATIONS ON A TIMELY BASIS.

QUESTIONS WITH RESPECT TO SURVEYING COSTS THAT ARE CURRENTLY ONE OF THE REQUIREMENTS IN THE LAND TITLES LEGISLATION, THOSE ARE NOT INSIGNIFICANT COSTS UNDER THE CURRENT REGIME.

AND SO IF WE'RE CURRENTLY OPERATING UNDER THE CURRENT SURVEYING REQUIREMENTS, THEN WE DO NEED ACCESS TO RESOURCES, FINANCIAL RESOURCES TO DO THE WORK IN A MORE EXPEDITIOUS WAY.

AND SO THOSE ASKS WERE WERE VERBALLY CONVEYED TO THE MINISTER OF FINANCE TO HELP MOVE THE PROCESS ALONG.

AND WE ARE CONTINUING TO SHARPEN OUR PENCILS AND TRY AND FIGURE OUT, ARE THERE ANY MORE MEANS BY WHICH WE CAN REDUCE THE TIME ASSOCIATED? CAN WE BE PREPARING MORE COMPLETE APPLICATIONS? I DON'T THINK IT'S ON OUR END, TO BE HONEST, BUT WE ARE LOOKING TO TRY AND IMPROVE THE CURRENT PROCESSES THAT EXIST.

AWESOME. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. YEAH, I GUESS I'LL JUST PASS IT OVER TO COLLEAGUES.

I'LL HAVE A COMMENT AFTER OUR COLLEAGUES ASK QUESTIONS.

FAIR ENOUGH. THANKS. COUNCILLOR MCLENNAN. COUNCILLOR FEQUET. THANKS, MR. CHAIR. A QUESTION FOR ADMIN. WHAT WAS THE DATE THE GNWT LAST DISPOSED OF LAND WITHOUT THE CITY'S CONSULTATION THAT WE'RE AWARE OF? CITY MANAGER, I BELIEVE THAT'S WITH RESPECT TO THE HALL CRESCENT DEVELOPMENT, AND I DON'T HAVE THAT DATE AT THE TIP OF MY TONGUE, BUT THAT WAS THE LAST INCIDENT THAT I'M AWARE OF.

SO THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN NOT THE PREVIOUS COUNCIL, BUT POTENTIALLY THE COUNCIL BEFORE THAT SOOTHSAYER THAT IS COUNCILLOR COCHRANE SAYS HE THINKS IT'S 2014.

I WOULD TRUST THAT BRAIN ON AN ISSUE LIKE THIS.

COUNCILLOR FEQUET, GO AHEAD. OKAY, SO A WHILE AGO.

SO I WAS JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, YOU KNOW, RECENTLY OR A WHILE AGO.

WHAT WAS THE GNWT RATIONALE THAT THEY PROVIDED TO THE CITY FOR WHY THEY'RE NOT IN FAVOR OF THIS CLAUSE? CITY MANAGER. THE SHORT FORM OF THAT ANSWER IS THAT IT IS TECHNICALLY OUTSIDE OF THE SCOPE OF A MUNICIPALITY TO DIRECT A MINISTER, TO COMPEL A MINISTER TO DO MUCH OF ANYTHING.

SO THAT'S THE SHORT VERSION. COUNCILLOR FEQUET.

WAIT FOR IT. I'LL WAIT FOR ROUND TWO. THANKS, MR. CHAIR. OKAY.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM COLLEAGUES? COUNCILLOR COCHRANE. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MR. CHAIR.

I FULLY SUPPORT THIS CHANGE. I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS WILL NOT YIELD ANY TANGIBLE RESULTS IMMEDIATELY.

IT'S AN ACT OF GOOD FAITH TOWARDS THE GOVERNMENT OF THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY, SIMILAR TO WHAT WE DID WITH OUR MOTION LAST WEEK, WITH OUR CHANGES OR OUR MOTION FOR THE ARCTIC SECURITY CORRIDOR.

THING IS, IS THAT WE'RE DOING A LOT OF ACTS OF GOOD FAITH ON OUR LEVEL AS OF RECENTLY, AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME BEING PROVIDED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF NORTHWEST TERRITORIES FOR US TO CONTINUE TO GO FORWARD WITH THESE ACTIONS.

THIS, I HOPE, IS THE BEGINNING OF A GOOD RELATIONSHIP.

I'M GLAD WE'RE EVOLVING FROM AN MOU TO AN MOC, AND I TRUST THIS KIND OF, SHALL WE SAY, ACT BEING TAKEN AGAIN WILL PROVIDE ALL THE MORE LEVERAGE FOR THE MAYOR HERE TO CONTINUE WITH NEGOTIATIONS AS WE DO OUR BEST TO AT LEAST GET TO, I DON'T KNOW, FIVE PIECES OF LAND INSTEAD OF JUST THE FOUR PARCELS BROUGHT TO US BEFORE THE END OF THE LIFE OF THIS COUNCIL.

I DON'T WANT TO BE NEGATIVE ABOUT THIS. I THINK THIS IS A GOOD, POSITIVE STEP, I REALLY DO.

I THINK NO MATTER WHAT, THIS PROBABLY WOULD HAVE BEEN VETOED BY THE MINISTER OF MACA ANYWAY. SO IT'S A DANG IF YOU DO, DANG IF YOU DON'T. AND AGAIN, I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING SOME ACTS OF GOOD FAITH FROM THE GOVERNMENT OF THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES.

THANK YOU. COUNCILLOR MCGURK I'LL JUST KEEP IT SHORT AND SWEET.

THIS SEEMS LIKE FAIRLY CUT AND DRY ISSUE TO ME.

WE DON'T REALLY HAVE A CHOICE. IT'S FRUSTRATING BECAUSE WE OBVIOUSLY PUT INTO THE BY-LAW FOR A REASON.

[00:20:07]

THANK YOU COUNCILLOR MCGURK. SO IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE AT ROUND TWO.

COUNCILMAN MCLENNAN AND THEN COUNCILLOR FEQUET.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. SO I THINK THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST FRUSTRATING VOTES I'VE HAD AS A COUNCILLOR.

ON ONE HAND, I ACCEPT AND UNDERSTAND WHAT OUR MAYOR AND CITY MANAGER ARE SAYING.

PURSUING A LEGAL BATTLE WITH THE GNWT. WASTE TIME AND MONEY.

IN THE END, THEY'LL FIND A WAY TO WIN ANYWAY.

HOWEVER, I DON'T WANT TO SUPPORT THIS AMENDMENT.

I DON'T WANT TO SUPPORT IT OUT OF PURE AND INTENSE FRUSTRATION, WE SPENT YEARS PURSUING A LANDS MOU THAT WENT NOWHERE, AND I SEE NO EVIDENCE OF ANYTHING HAS CHANGED.

I SEE NO REASON TO BELIEVE THAT GNWT TRULY TRUSTS ITS PARTNERS ENOUGH TO RELINQUISH CONTROL IN KEY AREAS.

YET THIS IS WHAT MUST HAPPEN FOR THIS TERRITORY TO MOVE FORWARD.

I LOOK WEST AND I SEE A TERRITORY WITH THE LARGEST POPULATION GROWTH IN THE COUNTRY.

I LOOK EAST AND SEE A TERRITORY WITH THE LARGEST GDP GROWTH IN THE COUNTRY.

OUR NEIGHBORS HAVE CERTAINTY AROUND LAND. THEY HAVE LAND THAT IS AVAILABLE FOR DEVELOPMENT BECAUSE THEY HAVE SHOWN TRUST IN EACH OTHER AND FOUND MEANINGFUL AND TIMELY WAYS TO SHARE CONTROL. WE ARE BEING LEFT BEHIND IN THE NWT.

I'LL SAY IT AGAIN THERE IS NO PROSPEROUS PATH FORWARD FOR US WITHOUT THE AVAILABILITY OF UNCERTAINTY AROUND LAND.

THIS AVAILABILITY UNCERTAINTY COMES FROM THE GNWT TRULY TRUSTING INDIGENOUS AND COMMUNITY GOVERNMENTS AND FROM THE GNWT RELINQUISHING SOME CONTROL.

THE GNWT NEEDS TO CHANGE. AS A COUNCILLOR, I WANT I NEED TO KEEP IN MIND WHAT IS IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF RESIDENTS.

THIS IS NOT AN EXPENSIVE LEGAL FIGHT WITH THE GNWT.

I'LL VERY BEGRUDGINGLY SUPPORT THIS AMENDMENT.

THIS IS NOT BASED ON FAITH IN THE GNWT, BUT FAITH IN OUR TEAM, OUR CITY MANAGER AND OUR MAYOR.

TO THE GNWT, BE REALISTIC AND TRUST YOUR PARTNERS.

EVERYONE IN THIS TERRITORY IS DEPENDING ON IT.

THERE YOU GO. WE DON'T USUALLY GET AN APPLAUSE, SO I THINK THAT SAYS A LOT. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH COUNCILLOR MCLENNAN. NEXT WE HAVE COUNCILLOR FEQUET. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. I'D LIKE TO SAY DITTO TO WHAT COUNCILLOR MCLENNAN JUST SAID.

THIS TYPE OF COLONIAL APPROACH TO NOT EMPOWER COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES IS EXACTLY WHAT IS FRUSTRATING COMMUNITIES ACROSS ALL DEPARTMENTS, HOUSING, SOCIAL SERVICES, AND IN THIS CASE, LAND.

SO I SHARE THE SENTIMENT THAT COUNCILLOR MCLENNAN JUST ARTICULATED VERY WELL ABOUT THIS IS A TRUST ISSUE.

WE HAVE NOT SEEN ANY TANGIBLE, REASONABLE DEMONSTRATION OF ACTION OR COMMITMENT IN ANY WAY TOWARDS HELPING EMPOWER THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE TO ENSURE ITS OWN FUTURE AND HAVE CONTROL OF ITS OWN LANDS.

AND THIS PROBLEM IS NOT JUST PREVALENT IN YELLOWKNIFE, IT'S ACROSS THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES.

I DO TRUST OUR CITY MANAGER AND OUR MAYOR, WHO HAVE HAD VERY INTIMATE CONVERSATIONS, WHICH I HAVE NOT BEEN PARTY TO.

WE DO HAVE THE OPTION OF LETTING THE MINISTER CHOOSE WHETHER OR NOT TO REJECT THIS.

THAT IS ABSOLUTELY WITHIN OUR CONTROL AND AUTHORITY.

BUT IF THE CITY MANAGER AND MAYOR BELIEVE THAT THIS MAY HELP US IN THIS AND OTHER DISCUSSIONS, I'M HAPPY TO TRUST THEM. BUT I STRONGLY WANT TO CONVEY MY DISSATISFACTION WITH THE GNWT PROGRESS IN THIS SPACE AND MY FULL SUPPORT AND WILLINGNESS TO TRY SOMETHING ELSE IF THERE'S NOT SOME MOVEMENT IN A VERY SHORT TIME FRAME.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. COUNCILLOR ARDEN-SMITH.

MERCY. I THINK THERE'S NOT A WHOLE LOT THAT I CAN REALLY SAY THAT HASN'T ALREADY BEEN SAID.

FULL AND CLEAR. ALL GOVERNMENTS ARE COLONIAL.

THAT'S THAT'S JUST THE PROCESS. THAT'S HOW IT IS.

BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT WE ARE DISCUSSING HERE. WHAT WE'RE DISCUSSING HERE IS THEN GNWT YOU KNOW, STRONGARMING US INTO REMOVING A PORTION OF THIS GOING FORWARD.

BUT WE WE ALREADY KNEW THAT THAT WAS GOING TO BE A POSSIBILITY WHEN WE SUBMITTED.

SO THE AMENDMENT IS JUST KIND OF WHAT IT IS. GNWT NEEDS TO DO BETTER IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO WORK WITH US. THEY HAVE ALWAYS BEEN THE BULLY IN THE PLAYGROUND AND HAVEN'T WANTED TO WORK WITH US.

CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE HAS HALF THE POPULATION OF THE NWT.

SO, I MEAN, YOU NEED TO WORK WITH US. WE ARE THE HUB HERE.

WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE NOT ONLY YELLOWKNIFE BETTER, BUT THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES AS A WHOLE, BECAUSE EVERYTHING RUNS THROUGH YELLOWKNIFE. AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE ARE ALIGNING PRIORITIES, THIS IS NUMBER ONE. SO I'M HOPEFUL, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, IN THE BACK OF MY MIND, HOPE FOR THE BEST PLAN FOR THE WORST.

[00:25:02]

AND WITH THAT. YEAH. I MEAN, YOU KNOW WHAT? MYSELF AND THE CITY MANAGER WERE WORKING HARD TO BE OPTIMISTIC, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT YOU'VE ASKED US TO DO.

BUT I DON'T THINK IT HURTS THAT YOU'VE ALL EXPRESSED YOUR FRUSTRATION TODAY. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT AND ALL OF YOUR COMMENTS ON THAT. SO WITH THAT WE HAVE A MOVER.

WE HAVE A SECONDER. WE HAVE COMMENTS AND DISCUSSION UNDER OUR BELT.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE AMENDMENT? AND THAT CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY WITH SOME HEAD SHAKING AND I RESPECT THAT.

[4. By‐law No. 5107  ‐  A by‐law to amend Land Administration By‐ law No. 5078, is presented for Second and Third Reading. ]

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. CAN I GET A SECONDER? COUNCILLOR MCGURK DID IT LAST TIME.

SOMEBODY WORK WITH ME HERE? YEAH, NO ONE WANTS TO [LAUGHTER] COUNCILLOR COCHRANE. COUNCILLOR COCHRANE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AND THAT CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. SO THAT BRINGS US TO THE END OF OUR SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING.

AND IF I CAN GET A MOTION TO ADJOURN. COUNCILLOR ARDEN-SMITH, SECONDED BY COUNCILLOR MCGURK.

AND THAT WRAPS OUR MEETING. THANKS, EVERYONE.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.