Yellowknife industrial area not the right place for proposed worker camp, says city

Yellowknife city councillors say work camps to provide people with temporary housing are much-needed — but the location matters.

Council's governance and priorities committee met Monday to discuss a proposal from real estate development company Homes North Ltd., which submitted an application to build a 114-dorm commercial worker camp in the Engle Industrial Business District.

The company ultimately decided not to move forward with the proposal.

The district, which is zoned for heavy industrial use, does not currently permit residential uses. The development project would require changes to Yellowknife's zoning and community plan bylaws.

"The only rub I'm having a hard time with is ... the location for this," said Coun. Rob Warburton, who has been a proponent of getting work camps established in Yellowknife.

"It's so hard to say that out loud, because I want these so badly. But I feel like we're forcing these things to come forward because there's no other real viable large chunks of dirt available to do this on."

A report from city staff recommended against moving forward with the amendments. It laid out serious health and safety issues, and raised concerns about the site's proximity to the airport and the NORAD forward operating location.

"The proposed use does not represent good land use planning," it stated.

"Elements of heavy industrial use create conflict with human habitation, such as noise, pollution, vibration, odour, traffic and other safety hazards."

An established need

The proposed development would involve three buildings on a 10-acre lot in Engle that is mostly vacant at the moment.

In its application to the city, Stantec Consulting Ltd. — contracted to represent Homes North — pointed to the need in Yellowknife for temporary accommodations for workers.

It said work camps can help provide "immediate housing options" and reduce pressures on hotels and the local housing market.

"We know that work camps are not intended to be permanent, but are rather filling a gap during a period of growth, which is what we see in Yellowknife now," Zoë Morrison, a Stantec community planner, told the committee Monday.

"The idea is that a work camp would be there for 10 to 15 years, and then the lot would be turned over for some other use in the future."

Health and safety risks

Craig MacLean, the city's director of public safety, told the committee that it wouldn't be safe to put a development where people would be sleeping and living within the evacuation zone of propane and bulk fuel facilities.

"This [raises] concern for us when we assume the site will cater to non-vehicle clients that would be bussed in," he noted.

He added Engle doesn't have fire hydrants.

Coun. Cat McGurk said Homes North would need to address the safety concerns before they would support the project.

"The main issue is this is not considered a safe place to put people," they said.

What's next?

City manager Stephen Van Dine said the timing of the application comes less than a month before the city gives its own update to council on allowing work camps.

"It's regrettable, from my standpoint, that it takes the time and energy and expense of a member of the public to bring this to the point where it is today, and [we don't] have a solution ready," he said.

City staff have been working on updating Yellowknife's community plan to include work camps.

Charlesy White, Yellowknife's director of planning and development, said that work will also include public consultation.

"It's not just about what the type of use is, but where is it, can we service it — taking all those pieces into consideration through that fulsome policy review," White said.

"Stantec has started some of this work ... I think what we need to do is have that conversation city-wide: where is the best place for these to go, what does it look like, and how do we get there?"