City of Yellowknife releases proposed vacant building bylaw

City councillors are considering a new bylaw that would require owners of vacant buildings in Yellowknife to apply for permits with escalating fees.

In November 2025, councillors approved work to create a bylaw that would regulate unoccupied and abandoned buildings as well as a new property tax class for vacant land. Councillors and city staff described the proposed initiatives as “the stick” to spur development alongside “the carrot” of development incentives the municipality currently offers.

City staff presented a draft vacant buildings bylaw to councillors during a meeting at City Hall on Wednesday.

“I believe the intent is clear and I believe the measures we put in place are reasonable given the environment that we’re in,” city manager Stephen Van Dine said.”We’re hoping that it will achieve the result that council is looking for with respect to maximizing the highest and best use of available lands to promote development and in particular housing.”

A memo to council on the bylaw notes the city “continues to operate within a constrained housing environment characterized by limited housing supply and low vacancy rates.”

It said buildings that have been abandoned or left empty for years present a concern not only for reducing housing availability, but also “pose safety risks, attract vandalism, diminish the city’s appearance and limit economic growth.”

If approved, the bylaw would require owners to have permits for buildings that remain vacant and abandoned over an extended period. Those permits will come with escalating annual fees to “encourage remediation, redevelopment, sale or demolition.”

The fees for vacant building permits proposed in the draft bylaw range from $1,500 for the first permit up to $8,000 plus one percent of the assessed value of a property for fifth and subsequent permits.

The draft bylaw states properties would be exempt from permit fees if a building became vacant beacuse of a catastrophic event, as a result of the owner being in long-term care or because the owner died.

Under the bylaw, permits would require vacant building owners to secure their properties against unauthorized entry, remove combustible materials and take steps to prevent infestation by pests, among other measures.

The draft bylaw includes fines up to $2,000 for an individual and $10,000 for a corporation for violations like not possessing a vacant building permit or not following the terms of a permit.

Owners would not have to have a vacant building permit if they have a valid building permit for construction, repair, rehabilitation or demolition of the building, the bylaw says. The bylaw would also not apply to buildings approved for occupancy that are actively for lease or sale at a fair market price, or that are occupied on a seasonal basis.

Charlsey White, Yellowknife’s planning director, said the city estimates between 10 to 15 buildings would require permits.

The city said the proposed bylaw was modelled after a similar vacant and unoccupied buildings bylaw in Whitehorse.

Mayor Ben Hendriksen and several councillors expressed support for Yellowknife’s proposed vacant building bylaw.

Hendriksen said the intention of the bylaw is not for the city to make money from fees and fines, but to “move land and have real value added to the community” from buildings that have sat vacant for too long.

“It’s something that a lot of us have had our eyes on almost since the start of our term,” he said.

“As the land crush … has seemingly only become more and more real throughout our three and a bit years, this is proof that we are trying to squeeze every last little bit out of everything that is available in our community.”

Councillors are expected to vote on the bylaw at the next council meeting.

The city is hoping the Yellowknife bylaw will take effect on January 1, 2027 and said a phased rollout will include public outreach.

City staff are also expected to release a proposal for a vacant land tax to councillors in August.