Housing development near Yellowknife jail prompts concerns

The North Slave Correctional Centre is raising concerns about plans to build about 100 homes right next to it.

Most of a proposed housing development slated to happen right next to the jail will be modular homes. But there are also plans for a large, multi-family building. Homes North is already clearing the land in preparation for construction.

Staff at the correctional facility are worried about the proximity of residential homes just over the property line from where inmates exercise.

Warden Midge Ravensdale is also concerned about the plan to build trails along the jail's property line. "We are concerned about contraband being thrown over the fences," she says. "If the trails are in the area it's going to be much more traffic and much more difficult to monitor."

The correctional centre wants to see the multi-family buildings moved to another area, and to have two fences built for added security.

Yellowknife Mayor Mark Heyck says now is not the time to be bringing these concerns to light, as plans have already been underway for two years — ever since developer Les Rocher completed a landswap with the territorial government to start the project.

"The territorial government or a department within the territorial government was now coming back to oppose certain elements of the development when presumably those discussions should have happened years ago because they were part of that process in the first place," Heyck told CBC News.