Dog Trotters Association allowed to stay in Kam Lake, for now

The Yellowknife Dog Trotters Association will not be relocated after all.

At a city council meeting Tuesday, it was standing room only as people for and against the move made their opinions on the matter known.

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The city had moved to relocate the Dog Trotters Association to the Engle Business District, but now they have extended their lease in Kam Lake for up to two years.

The association's kennel in Kam Lake is home to about 200 sled dogs; however, unlike other kennels in the area, the Dog Trotters Association leases the land from the city instead of owning it.

Over the years, the Kam Lake industrial area has seen more and more residential use, leading to complaints from neighbours who don't want to live beside large kennels.

Two years ago, the association received notice that their 10-year lease would be terminated this month, with plans to relocate the kennel to the Engle Business District a newer area north and west of their Kam Lake site.

However, at Tuesday's meeting Coun. Adrian Bell said council had learned earlier that day that building caretaker suites residences built on industrial lots, which the dog trotterssay are needed for their business in Engle would go against several National Building Code rules and guidelines used by the Yellowknife fire department.

"What we found is that there are a number of different regulatory sources that would recommend that caretaker suites in heavy industrial areas not proceed," said the city's senior administrative office, Sheila Bassi-Kellett.

City council ultimately voted to extend the association's lease for up to two years while they work with the organization to negotiate a long-term agreement.

The Dog Trotters have been in their current location since 1978, when they were moved from Niven Lake.

They made an impassioned plea to councillors last month, asking them toreconsider the move. The groups said they did not want to disrupt their dogs, and thatthey hadinvested in building and maintaining a trail system in and around Grace Lake.