Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
Page 7
Page 8
Page 9
Page 10
Page 11
Page 12
Page 13
Page 14
Page 15
Page 16
WriterchasesstoriesalongtheMackenzieRiverJournalistwinsGordonSinclairbursarytoresearchdevelopmentimpactArtsCultureWriting11TuesdayJuly82014ByJACKDANYLCHUKAgiantcraneinstalledtherstof28modulesinSummitCircleDevelop-mentscondominiumproj-ectlastweekllinginoneofthefewremainingblankspotsintheNivenLakesubdivision.Onceregardedasamill-stoneforYellowknifetax-payersNivenLakehasbeentransformedbycon-tinueddemandfornewhousingintoakeytalkingpointforthosewhoarguethecityshouldbeactiveindevelopment.WehavearoletoplaybutwehavetobecarefulandnotgotoofarsaidAdrianBellarealtorandcitycouncillor.AccordingtotheCan-adaMortgageandHous-ingCorp.slatestreportvacancyratesinYellow-knifeareat5.3percentthehighestsince2009eventhoughthenumberofavail-ablerentalunitsdroppedto1928from2080sincelastfall.BellsaidfreeinguplandoverthepastveyearsforHighStreetVenturescondosandtownhousesonSchoolDrawAve.theSummitCircleprojectandtheHomesNorthdevelopmentonKamLakeRd.hasopenedthedoortohomeownershipforrenters.ItwasntaukeBellsaid.Ithappenedbecausethecitymadelandavailable.Bellsaidthebroadrangeofnewhousingonthemarketisputtingdownwardpressureonresalehousingpriceses-peciallyoldercondominiums.Resalecondopriceshavedroppedbigtimehesaid.Peopleareturningawayfromtheolderunitsandbuy-ingthenewstuffatamuchhigherprice.Imprettysureallthisinventorywillgetboughtupoverthenextcou-pleofyearsandresalepriceswillrecover.BythetimeSummitCir-cleplantsthelastmoduleinitsprojectnextspringYel-lowknifedeveloperswillbefocusedonthesouthshoreofGraceLakewherethecityisplanninganew80-lotsubdivisionandgolfcourse.All30lotshavesoldinGraceLakeNorthanup-scalesubdivisionabout500metressouthoftheKamLakeindustrialzoneandarell-ingrapidlywiththesortofhomesthatBellsaidarey-ingofftheshelf.Lostamidtheboomwasademonstrationhousingprojectthecityunveiledtwoyearsago.Supportedwith1.2millioningrantsfromthecityandOttawaitwastointroducethelatestbuildingandconservationtechnolo-giesandwasheraldedasapotentialmodelforNorth-erncommunities.OriginallyproposedfortheRangeSt.redevelopmentschemestalledbythere-fusalofkeylandownerstoselltheprojectwasmovedtoasiteownedbyentrepre-neurTonyChangwhohasyettobreakground.CallstoChangsofficewerenotreturned.ApreliminarysketchshowedanL-shapedbuild-ingopeningtothesouthcreatingamicroclimateforasecond-storeygardenfedbygreenwastecompostedon-site.Renewablebio-fu-elswouldheatthebuilding.Thedesignersareaimingfora40-percentreductioninwateruseand25-percentreductioninwastewaterdis-posala50-percentreductioninenergydemandand60-percentdiversionofsolidwastefromthecitylandll.YellowknifehousingboomleavesdemonstrationprojectonthesidelinesPoliticsMunicipalSummitCirclebeganassemblingtheCavoHousingDevelopmentuponNivenDriveinYellowknifelastweek.Twenty-eightprefabstudiooneandtwo-bedroomunitsareexpectedtobeinstalledinphaseoneoftheprojectoverthenextfewweeks.PhotoJackDanylchukByDALICARMICHAELAdventurejournalistKarenMcCollhasembarkedonasummercanoetripalongtheMackenzieRivertoexamineandwriteaboutimpactsofindustrialdevelopmentoncommunitiesintheMack-enzieValley.TheprojectbecamerealitywhenMcCollwasawardedthe15000RovingReporterBursaryearlierthisyearfromtheGordonSinclairFounda-tionnamedfortherenownedCanadianjournalistwhore-portedaroundtheglobefromthe1920stothe1980s.IguessthereasonwhytheGordonSinclairboardlikedthisproposalwasbecauseitwassomethingtheycouldpic-tureGordonSinclairdoingMcCollsaid.Hewasanin-trepidreporterfordecades.NowlivinginWhitehorseYukonMcCollisaformerresi-dentofFortSimpsonwhereshewasanemployeeatNahanniNationalPark.Herconnectiontotheterritorywasoneofthefactorsthatmadehereagertoinvestigatetheimpactindus-trialactivitieslikeoilandgasdevelopmentstheinstallationofyear-roundroadsnewpipe-linesandmininghaveonlocalcommunities.TheinformationgatheredistobepublishedintheTorontoStarandbroad-castedonCBCmuchlikeSinclairusedtodoinhistime.Indthatpeopleinsouth-ernCanadaarentnecessarilythatfamiliarwiththeareasoIwantedtogototheseareasdocumentsortofsomeofthechangesthatcouldbecomingtheimpactstheopportunitiesMcCollsaid.McCollsmainobjectiveinthisexcursionistobringstoriesfromtheMackenzieValleytoanationalaudienceespeciallytothoseinsouth-ernCanadawhoareunawareofissuesintheregion.WeknowTorontoniansandTorontoStarreadersarereallyinterestedineventsandpeopleandissuesout-sideourcoverageareasaidAlisonUnclesMcCollseditorattheTorontoStar.ApaddlealongtheMack-enzieRiverwithaviewtowritingabouttheimpactofdevelopmentIknowissomethingthatwillreallyresonatewithourreaders.Duetotightbudgetsthroughoutthenewspaperin-dustryitisntoftenthatpubli-cationsliketheStarcanfundexpeditionslikeMcCollsUnclessaid.Becauseofherbursaryshehasthiswonderfullux-uryofcastingawidenetandthenseeingwhatstoriesshecomesupUnclessaid.Wegenerallyparachuteinanddoastorythatweknowexistsratherthancanoeinggentlyforeightweeksandndingstories.ItsawonderfulwaytodojournalismandIwishwecoulddomoreofit.TraditionaltravellingMcCollandherpaddlingpartnerDanielCampbellhopetospend22daysonthewatertravellingthroughFortSimp-sonWrigleyTulitaDelineNormanWellsFortGoodHopeTsiigehtchicandInuvikbeforeyingtoTuktoyaktuk.Theyplantovisiteachcom-munityfortwotofourdayswiththehopesofwrappingupthetourbymidAugust.ThecanoeingcameaboutbecauseIstartedlookingatlogisticsforvisitingthecom-munitiesobviouslyitsquiteexpensiveMcCollsaid.Itwasalmostlikeanepiphanymoment.Ofcoursetheriverisactuallythemosteconomi-calwaytodothistrip.Shealsoappreciatesthehistoricalandtraditionalsignicanceinpaddlingtherouteastradersinthepastoftendidshesaid.ForupdatesonMcCollsdevelopmentsfollowheronTwitteratkrmccollandlookforthetagMackRiverExp.PhotocourtesyofKarenMcCollJournalistKarenMcCollandherpaddlingpartnerDanielCampbellprepareforaneight-weekjourneyalongtheMackenzieRiver.