Yellowknife city staff recommend abandoning Robertson headframe

Yellowknife city administrators recommended Monday that the city stop negotiations to take ownership of Con Mine's Robertson headframe. 

The Yellowknife landmark supported an elevator that carried miners to and from work underground, and lifted ore out, when the Con gold mine was operating.

Newmont Mining is willing to transfer ownership of the historic structure to the city or to any organization that wants to take it on, but only if the company is protected from all the liability.

Administrators says the city cannot legally accept the transfer, plus it would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to assess any environmental and structural liabilities.​

Chris Greencorn directs the city's public works and engineering division.

"We've really done our best to do what we can with this," said Chirs Greencorn, director of the city's public works and engineering division. "We're Yellowknifers too and we don't want to see this thing come down as much as the next person. But unfortunately it's also our job to weigh all our options as experts in our field and provide the best recommendation we have to you."

The recommendation didn't go over well with members of the public at Monday's municipal services committee meeting. 

"If I have to, I'll run for mayor and I'll save this damn headframe," said Walt Humphries of the Mining Heritage Society.

"I know it can be done. I'd have a nice simple platform, 'Save the headframe.'"

Humphries wants the city to lobby the territorial government for help in taking over responsibility for the headframe.

Councillors are expected to vote on the issue at a meeting in two weeks.