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2TuesdaySeptember302014POLITICSMUNICIPALNEWSBRIEFSGahchoKuwaterlicenceapprovedDeBeersCanadaandMountainProvinceDiamondshaveannouncedtheGahchoKuProjecthasreceivedapprovalofaTypeAWaterLicenceanecessarystepindevelopinglarge-scaledevelopmentprojectswithintheterritory.Thewaterlicenceforthelargestnewdiamondmineunderde-velopmentgloballywasapprovedonSept.25.Onceunder-waytheprojectisexpectedtoemploycloseto700peopleoverthetwoyearsofitsconstructionphaseandaround400peopleonceitisoperational.SuddendeathinYellowknifeunderinvestigationYellowknifeRCMPareinvestigatingthesuddendeathofafemalefoundinthecitycentreovertheweekend.Anunre-sponsivefemalewasfoundonthemorningofSept.27inanalleywaybetween50thand51stSt.behindtheGoldRangehotelandtheTreeofPeaceFriendshipCentre.ShewastakentoStantonTerritorialHospitalwhereshewaspronounceddeceased.Thealleyhasbeencordonedoff.TheChiefCoro-nerandRCMPareinvestigatingthedeath.RCMPchargedwithcontemptafterimproperreleaseofassailantAcontemptchargeagainsttheRCMPhasreachedtheNWTSupremeCourtafteraYellowknifeofcerwrongfullyreleasedawantedman.Cst.RyanGillisafdavitstatementclaimshewasworkingattheRCMPheadquarterswhenPauloLamvucameintoinquireaboutawarrantinhisname.Lamvuwaschargedwithassaultcausingbodilyharmin2010andawarrantwasissuedtwoyearslaterwhenhemissedacourtappearance.GillisreleasedLamvuwithasummonsthoughthewarrantstatedthatheshouldbekeptincustody.Gillishasapologized.CaringforOurPeopleCaringforOurPeopleYellowknifepressesaheadwithcontroversial50-50landpurchaseByJACKDANYLCHUKAdayaftercastingthedecidingvotetospend1.45milliononaprob-lempropertyintheheartofdowntownYellowknifeMayorMarkHeyckshowednosignofbuyersremorse.IwasgladthatIhadachancetospeaktoitandcastavotesaidHeyckwhoseusualroleatcouncilisasanimpartialrefereewhoisrarelycalledontobreakadeadlock.Knownasthe50-50lotforitslocationatthecornerof50thSt.and50thFrank-linAve.theodd-shapedpropertyhasbeenvacantformorethanadecadehemmedinbyathicketofcaveatsandthetroubledCentreSquareMall.ItsacomplicatedbeastHeycksaidofthemallsownershipstructure.Itincludesthecityacon-dominiumcorporationandrealestateinvestmenttrustsREITsHuntingdonCapitalCorp.andRoyalHopeallofwhichcouldinfluencehowthe50-50lotisdeveloped.HeyckthinksthecityisbetterpositionedthanaprivatebuyertocutthroughthelegaltanglebutmadeitclearthatthesalewillnotproceedunlessthecitycanpersuadeNorthlandUtili-tiestorelocatea2.5-metreeasementthatcutsthroughtheproperty.Thecaveatsarenotin-surmountableandwehaveagoodworkingrelationshipwithNorthlandHeycksaid.TheREITshaveastrongfinancialinterest.Theyareeagertoseewhat-evergoestheresucceed.Thepropertywouldbepaidforwith300000fromthecitysdowntownreservefundthelanddevelopmentfundandprofitsfromthegrowingforestofdowntownpark-ingmeters.Andwhilethecityisreachingforthe50-50corneritissellinglanditboughtonthewestsideof50thSt.threeyearsagoaspartofaredevelopmentplanthatstalledwhenkeypropertyownersincludingcontributestothevibrancyofdowntown.ImoptimisticthatoncethecitytakesaleadershiproleinrevitalizingthatpartofdowntownwewillquicklyseeprivatesectorentitiesandgovernmentcometothetablesayingtheywanttobeapartofitHeycksaid.AmongthecouncillorstheiconicGoldRangeHotelrefusedtosell.ThingsdonthappenovernightsaidHeyckwhoviewsthepropertiesascatalytictodowntownre-development.Theywillbesoldasaparcelpreferablytoadeveloperwhomighttietheminwithlandon51stSt.nowheldbytheterrito-rialgovernmenthesaid.Heyckexpectstoseede-velopmentconceptsforthe50-50sitesometimenextyear.Councilwillhavethefinalsayonwhatgoestherebutthatwonthappenuntil2016.Hispersonalvisionisforamixedcommercial-residentialprojectthatwhoopposedthepurchasePhilMoonSonNielsKongeandRebeccaAltyobjectedtotheabsenceofadevel-opmentplan.AdrianBellDanWongCoryVanthuyneandBobBrookscastthepurchaseasanecessaryfirststepinrevitalizingdowntown.CommentaryonHeycksFacebookpagewasmostlynegativeandheacknowl-edgedthattherearemem-bersofthecommunitywhodidnotwanttoseethecityacquirethislandbuttherearemanyothersstronglyinfavourincludingbusinesseswithadirectstakeinthedowntowncore.Imoptimisticthatoncethecitytakesaleadershiproleinrevitalizingthatpartofdowntownwewillquicklyseeprivatesectorentitiesandgovernmentcometothetablesayingtheywanttobeapartofit.YellowknifeMayorMarkHeyckMayorMarkHeyckbrokeadeadlockonYellowknifeCityCouncillastweekandbackedamotiontobuytheproblempropertyknownasthe50-50lotfor1.45million.PhotoJackDanylchuk