Circles of boulders lining the median along Franklin Avenue from Forrest Drive to the fire hall turn-off have residents baffled.
But unlike the original Stonehenge, this is a mystery easily solved.
At a council meeting on July 22, senior administrator Sheila Bassi-Kellett explained the City had received a grant from tree-planting charity Tree Canada to purchase trees for the newly repaved section of road.
“The rocks are there … to protect the trees and give them a fighting chance,” she said, citing snow removal as a potential threat.
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Councillor Niels Konge expressed concern that grader operators would hit the rocks in the winter, costing the City of Yellowknife in equipment repairs, but Bassi-Kellett said the rocks were positioned far enough within the median that this fate would be avoided.
She added there enough room will remain to pile snow outside the rock enclosures in winter.
In addition to trees, the City will plant clover – which Bassi-Kellett said is a low-maintenance and pretty filler for the median.
Mayor Rebecca Alty added: “The beekeepers are really excited about the clover.”
There are no plans to plant trees on other Yellowknife medians, which are generally too narrow. However, clover and shrubs are likely to be planted.
In an email, a City spokesperson said the work along Franklin Avenue – including the addition of trees – is scheduled to be completed within the next few weeks.
