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7TuesdayJuly302013ByRENEFRANCOEURYellowknifeRCMPareinvestigatingthreesuspi-ciousresinthecitylastweek.AwarehouseintheKamLakeareaburnttothegroundearlylastWednes-daymorningafterreght-ingcrewsspentfourhourstryingtobringtheamesundercontrol.Theredepartmentwasfacedwithheavyyellowishandgreysmokebillowingoutmanydifferentvoidsonthestructureupontheirar-rivalstatedapressreleaseindicatingthestructuresinteriorwasengulfeden-tirelyinames.Thiswasanextremelydifcultretoghtduetothestructurebeingcon-structedofmostlymetal.Thismadetheinsidelikeanovenonthehighestpos-siblesettingsaidDarcyHernbladCityofYellow-knifeFireChief.Atotalof24personnelrespondedtotheincidentwithtwoenginestwotank-ersoneambulanceoneres-cueandonecommandunit.Crewshadtocutholestoallowtheelevatedheattoescape.Itisbelievedthatthemajorityofsmokeandheatwerecausedfromsprayfoaminsulationinthestruc-turewhichmadeiteasyfortheretospreadquickly.ThewarehousebelongedtoWilfsRenovationsabuild-ingcompanyknownforitsrestorationworkwithreandooddamagedstructures.Noonewasinsidethebuilding.Earlierthatsamemorn-ingrecrewsrespondedtoahousereinNDilosum-moningallon-callandoff-dutyreghterstohelp.Thethreeresidentsofthepropertyandonehamstermadeitsafelyoutoftheburn-inghome.Ourpriorityisthesafe-beingofthepublic.Inthisinstancealltheoccupantsofthedwellingwereoutsidesoourfire-fighterswereabletofocusonensuringthefiredidnotspreadtootherstruc-turesHernbladsaidinapressrelease.Thefiretookapproxi-mately2.5hourstobringundercontrolduetoitbeingwellestablishedintheroofspace.Thefirewasinvestigatedandde-terminedtobeacciden-talinnaturecausedbysmokingmateriallocatedatthefrontentrancetothehome.Theredepartmentwaskeptonitstoeswithyetan-othercallthemorningofJuly24involvingavehiclereon47thStreetneartheGogaChobuilding.CrewsfoundaNissanXterrawithsmokeshow-ingfromtherearoftheve-hicle.Therewasquicklysuppressedwithoneattacklineafteropeningthedoortothevehicle.Noonewasinjured.Additionallyaround230a.m.onJuly23anotherve-hiclewasreportedtobeonreinDanielsCourt.Firecrewsgainedcontrolofthesituationbeforeitspreadandnoonewasinjured.Policebe-lievethiswasnotarandomattack.Theinvestigationiscontinuing.RCMPareworkingwiththeOfceoftheFireChiefonthecases.Itisunknownifthecausesoftheresarerelated.YellowknifepoliceinvestigatethreesuspiciousresPhotoJamesMacKenzieByJACKDANYLCHUKDeterminedtoeatintoa70millioninfrastructuredeficitwhileinterestratesarelowYellowknifecitycouncilvotedlastweektoboostborrowingforanewwatertreatmentplantthatwillcost10millionmorethanfirstestimated.Thewinning30.3mil-lionbidforthewaterplantfromOntario-basedNACConstructorsLtd.was5millionmorethancityad-ministratorswarnedcoun-ciltoexpectlastApriland10millionabovetheorig-inal20-millionestimateof2006.NACwhichalsowonthecontracttorebuildtheBluefishhydrodambeatouta31-millionbidfromDetonChoNahanniCon-structionLtd.andClarkeBuilderswhichbid31.1million.CouncillorLindaBusseywantedthecontracttogotoaNortherncompanybutthecityhadnochoiceinei-thermatter.Itisrequiredbylawtoacceptthelowestbidandthenewplantisneces-sarytomeetnationalstan-dardsfordrinkingwateradoptedbytheterritorialgovernmentin2009.CouncillorNielsKongesuggestedthecitycoulddelaylessessentialproj-ectssuchasimprovementstoPilotsMonumentandtheGovernmentDockbutwithinterestratesforecasttoremainlowMayorMarkHeycksaidthereisnoad-vantagetobegained.Councilalsobacktrackedonapolicysetdownbytheirpredecessorsandpickedup2millionininfrastructurecostsforanewHomesNorthprojectinKamLakeamovethatcouncillorPhilMoonSonpredictedwillreturntohauntthem.Wellhearaboutthisfromvotersinthenextelec-tiontherst-termcouncil-lorwarned.Historicallythecitycov-eredinfrastructurecostsinresidentialdevelopmentsHeycksaidbutfacedwitha70millionbillforproj-ectslikethewatertreatmentplantdecayingsewerlinesandpotholedroadscouncildecidedin2010itwantedtorecoverallcostsforbuildingroadssidewalksandparksinnewsubdivisions.Itsachallengeforthecitytoaddressaginginfra-structurewithscarcecapitalwhenyoureconstantlyput-tingmoneyintonewdevel-opmentsHeycksaidex-plainingcouncilsmotiva-tionin2010.Thecurrentcouncilde-cidedtotakeastepbackandretaindiscretioninthesemat-tershesaid.CouncilwasalsoswayedbydeveloperLesRochersargumentthatlotsinKamLakeshouldreceivethesamesubsidyasthoseinNivenLake.AffordabilityisakeyelementoftheKamLakedevelopmentandcouncilistakingitonfaiththatitwillbemoreaffordablethanNivenLake.Extraborrowingforthewatertreatmentplantwillamounttolessthan5mil-lionHeycksaid.Councilpreviouslypassedabylawtoborrow20millionandhadputaside5millionfortheproject.Thistakesabigchunkoutoftheinfrastructuredecitasdoestheacceleratedprogramtoreplacecorrugatedsewerpipesandroadrehabilitationthrough-outthecityHeycksaid.Yellowknifeslong-termdebt-lessthan2million-andlowinterestratesmakeaconcertedeffortoninfrastruc-tureprojectsattractiveHeycksaid.Youcansavemoneyifyoucancompress10yearsofworkintoveyears.FullspeedaheadonYellowknifesinfrastructureprojectsMarriedAreyougettingComeseeournewsamplesofweddinginvitationsandbridalsupplies.CascadeGraphics867-871-3000ex.27207McDougalRd.FortSmithWeekdays9am-5pmclosedforlunchJusticeSuspiciousFiresPoliticsMunicipalSmokebillowsovertheKamLakeareainYellowknifeduringawarehouserelastweekthattookrecrewsfourhourstocontrol.