Yellowknife council OKs plan to pitch 911 service in N.W.T.

Having 911 emergency service in the N.W.T. came a step closer to becoming a reality Monday when Yellowknife city council unanimously approved a recommendation to work toward phasing it in.

Yellowknife, like other communities in the Northwest Territories, does not have a 911 emergency number.

A recent city report estimated 911 service would cost about $1 million a year.

The report says it would be cheaper for Yellowknife to split that cost with the Northwest Territories' six next largest communities: Inuvik, Hay River, Fort Simpson, Fort Smith, Norman Wells and Behchoko.

But that plan would work only if the territorial government chipped in for at least half the total, the report added.

"The numbers are very challenging, not just financially but with our population," Coun. Paul Falvo, who chairs the city's 911 committee, said at Monday night's council meeting.

"I don't think there is a precedent anywhere in the known universe for 20,000 people going it alone without the support of — in Whitehorse's case, the support of their territorial government — and hopefully, that will be our case as well."

Council will now try to sell the idea to the N.W.T. government and the other communities.