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TuesdayFebruary1720157POLITICSMUNICIPALItsnevertooearlytostartplanningyournexteducationexperienceAuroraCollegeWeekprovidescurrentstudentsalongwiththepublictheopportunitytoexploretheirlocalcampusesmeetprogramstaffandlearnaboutthewidevarietyofprogramsAuroraCollegeoffers.Visitwww.auroracollege.nt.catodiscovereventshappeninginyourcommunityduringtheweekandvisitwww.ece.gov.nt.catolearnaboutprogramsthatcanhelpyoumeetyoureducationalgoals.February16-202015AuroraCollegeWeekCitydropsmissiontosaveRobertsonHeadframeByDALICARMICHAELThelatesttwistintheRobertsonHead-frameprotectionsagahassupportersfrus-tratedafterYellowknifemunicipalofcialsrevealedasimplelegalclausecouldcrushadecadesworthofefforts.InacitycouncilmeetinglastMondayYellow-knifesdirectorofpublicworksandengineeringChrisGreencornrecommendedthemunicipalgovernmentdropitsquesttobuythelandmarkforanumberofreasonsthetoponebeingthattheproposedactionissimplynotlegal.TheoldbuildingscurrentownersatNew-montMininghaveofferedtosellittothecityundertheconditiontheyarerelievedofallre-sponsibilitiesthatcomewithitincludingitspotentialdemolitionandcleanupasstatedintheConMineAbandonmentandRestorationPlan.ForNewmonttorelinquishthehead-frametheywanttobefullyindemniedGreencourtsaid.WelookedintothatandbasicallytheterritorialgovernmentsaidthecitycantlegallyindemnifyNewmontinthiscasebecauseofapartoftheCitiesTownsandVillagesAct.TheonlygovernmentwiththepowertoprovideindemnicationistheGNWTorthefederalgovernment.Inadditiontheshort-termcostsoftakingcareoftheformerConMineheadframesstruc-turalrestorationandupkeepareestimatedtobeabout235000thoughasthebuildingagesandnewproblemsarefoundthosegurescouldeasilyincreasebyasmuchas50000to150000accordingtoamemorandum.Ontopofthatexpectedenvironmentalre-mediationcostscurrentlysitbetween45000to75000thoughonthesamememoran-dumitwasnotedthatitwouldnotbeoutoftherealmofpossibilityfortheamounttoescalateashighas500000.WehavenoideahowmuchitsgoingtocostGreencornsaid.Theengineeringde-partmentisnotgoingtobeheldtothenalguresforthepotentialcleanupofthisthingbecausewejusthavenoidea.WaltHumphriespresidentoftheNWTMin-ingHeritageSocietyandafrontlineghterfortheheadframesaidheisupsetwiththeoutcomebutispreparedtokeeppushingfortheiconicbuildingspreservation-evenifthatmeansrunningformayororaskingtheGNWTtobackthecause.Whyhavewewasted10yearsonthisifattheverybeginningtheycouldhavefoundoutthatlegallywerenotallowedtotakethehead-framehesaid.InawayImdisappointedthatwevewastedallthistimemoneyandeffortonsomethingtheyshouldhavefoundoutyearsagobutontheotherhandmaybeitsbetterthatthecitysnotinvolvedbecausetheyrenotverygoodatthis.Astowhyittooksolongforthecitytoun-coverthetechnicalityGreencornsaiditcamedowntoacombinationofNewmontnottak-ingpastproposalsseriouslyandpreviouscitycouncilsfailingtopushhardenough.Thishasgonethroughseveralcouncilsandseveraladministrationshesaid.Wevegotaprettygoodteamatthetablenowandthiscoun-cilreallypusheditfurtherIthinkthaneverbeforeandtheyreallywantedtogetsolidan-swerssowedid.OncewereallystartedtellingNewmontthatthisisreal...theyhandeditofftotheirlegalteamandthatswhatcameback.TousthisisntjustaYellowknifestoryHumphriessaid.TheRobertsonHeadframeis260feettallthetalleststructureintheNWT.ItsalandmarkanditsmorethanjustamonumenttoorathingofYellowknifeitsaniconicimageoftheNorthandminingintheNorthformostpeople.WhileHumphriesmightbemorevocalabouthisfeelingsregardingtheheadframeGreen-cornsaidhetoofeltletdownbytheoutcome.Ithinktheresthissentimentinthepublicthatcityhallisjustouttosaynoandjustthrowoutallthesethingsandthatsnotthecasehesaid.WereYellowkniferstooandNorthernerstoobutitsalsomyjobasthedirectorofpub-licworkstospendmoneyandtaxpayersdol-larswiselyandIjustcantgetmyprofessionalopinionbehindsomethinglikethis.DetonChoCorp.losestwoexecutivesinoneweekByDALICARMICHAELArisingstaroftheYellowknifebusinesscommunityislookingforwardtostartingfreshandreturningtoitsformerglorywiththeretirementoftwoofitsexecutivemembers.RoyErasmusJr.formerpresidentandCEOofDetonChoCorp.announcedhisres-ignationlastweekasdidvice-presidentoftheorganizationsminingandconstructiondivisionRickMiller.TakingErasmusplaceisBobMurphywhowasappointedco-presidentforrestructur-ingpurposesinearlyJanuary.MurphyhasworkedforDetonChoinsomecapacityforthelasttwodecades.ReplacingMillerisBuddyStroichformerpresidentoftheGwichinDe-velopmentCorp.MurphysaidErasmusreasonforresigningwasbetweenhimandGodandrefusedtocommentonMillersdeparture.Themovecomesfollowingaseriesofnan-cialwoesthathavebeleagueredtheYellow-knivesDeneFirstNationYKDFNownedcompanyforthelastfewyears.TheproblemsstartedwhenDetonChotookontheIngrahamTrailrealignmentprojectin2012Murphysaida16-millioncontracttobuilda5-kmbypassaroundGiantMineatHighway4.IwasntherebutfromthefinancialrecordsIvereadandmydiscussionswithMr.ErasmusandMr.MillerwefoundthatwhatevercouldgowrongdidgowrongMurphysaid.Theystartedtheprojectandthingswentallhaywireandtheylostalotofmoney.Murphydidntspecifyalloftheprob-lemsthathadhinderedtheprojectbutdidnotethattoughconditionsofwinterconstructionexacerbatedissuesastheypoppedup.TheydidtheprojectinthewintertimeMurphysaid.Wintercostsareaboutthreetimessummercosts.Theyputalotofmoneyintoitandtheyhadtohiresomebodyelsetonishit.Aftersinkingover10millionintothebypassthemountingcostsbegantohaveadeepimpactonthecompanythoughYKDFNcameoutrelativelyunscathed.Forthescalyearof2014thecorporationlednetlossesof3.3millionand156318inunpaidrentandleases.Theyearprevioustheyreportedanetincomeof152318afterreceivingrevenuesof83million.WithallthenancialpressuresDetonChowasunabletomakeitspaymentstocon-tractedcompaniesandlatelastsummerwashitwitha97263lawsuitbyBassettPetro-leumDistributors.SinceIvebeenhereIvetalkedwithMr.BassettandIvemadeanarrangementwithMr.BassettthathessatisedwithandhesgettingrepaidMurphysaidthoughhedidnotreleasedetailsoftheagreement.ItsbeenafarfallforthecorporationthattookhometheYellowknifeChamberofCom-merceBusinessoftheYearawardin2013andwasnamedoneofthe500fastest-growingcompaniesinCanadabyPROFITMagazinethesameyear.NowMurphyishopingtohelpthecom-panyclimbbacktothetop.BasicallywithinthenextfewweekswehopewithallourbusinessesandallourjointventuresoursituationwillberesolvedMurphysaid.Wellbeongoingasabusi-nessagainwithoutanytroublesthereslotsofbusinessforthecompany.PhotoJackDanylchukINDUSTRYABORIGINALBUSINESSThefutureoftheRobertsonHeadframeisasprecariousaseverfollowinganannouncementbyYellowknifedirectorofpublicworksChrisGreencornonFeb.9thataproposeddealbeingpursuedbetweenthecityanditsownerNewmontMiningisnotlegal.