Yellowknife eyes Frame Lake beach as one of several public areas that need facelifts

The Northwest Territories government is partnering with the City of Yellowknife to improve public spaces around the capital including McNiven Beach on Frame Lake, the Ceremonial Circle, and the lookout over JackfishLake areas that showcase nature.

City officials presented a draft of its Capital Area Development Plan to N.W.T.'s Board of Management on Friday. The plan calls for the creation of a Capital Area Committee consisting of members from the City of Yellowknife, territorial government, RCMP, Department of National Defence, and Yellowkniives Dene First Nation.

The aimis to have these participating landowners to commit $50,000 each annually to help complete projects in their jurisdictions.

Milan Nguyen, a planner with the City of Yellowknife, said the plan's vision is to enhance recreational amenitiesand preserve culturally significant landsand natural settings.

"McNivenBeach was once a family gathering place, and once hosted concerts, and even had a regular lifeguard on duty," said Nguyen of the dilapidated beach.

An advisory from the N.W.T. Department of Health and Social Services in April said Frame Lake has been identified as having arsenic levels above 100 parts per billion.

"Studies done in the past had already indicated a significant level of arsenic contamination in the sediment of Frame Lake," the advisory states.

"The former beach area has been closed for swimming, wading and beach activities for many years due to bacteriological and other concerns."

The capital area plan calls for water quality testing atMcNivenBeach. If the water is deemed safe, a restoration effort could begin in 2018.

The Board of Management voted unanimously to move forward with the draft plan.

"This is something that is very important to us as a capital city, and has impact on the North," said CoryVanthuyne, board member and MLA for Yellowknife North.

"I see this as an important initiative going forward."

Other initiatives under the plan include improving the city's walking trails, enhancing amenities at thesnowboardpark at Bristol Pit, and exploring opportunities to increase year round use ofSombaK'e Park at City Hall.

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