Three docks on Latham Island in Yellowknife’s Old Town were left damaged this week. Their owners are making a link to a storm that swept through on Thursday night.
Cathie and Kevin Bolstad, who have lived in the neighbourhood since 1994, said the damage was particularly strange because it appeared concentrated on three neighbouring properties, belonging to the Bolstads, Nielz Huizenga and Craig Scott.
“We all got up on Friday morning and Craig, our neighbour, noticed the docks had been ripped,” Cathie told Cabin Radio.
Sections of all three docks had been pushed out of place, lifted and tossed onto the shore.
Advertisement.
Advertisement.
Kevin said one section of the Bolstads’ dock ended up 30 to 40 feet from where it had been.
“We’re all curious as neighbours: what was it?” Cathie said. “Was it a big wave? Was it a little mini twister?”
Residents also noticed a line along the shoreline parallel to the docks, adding to their suspicion that some sort of localized weather event may have caused the damage. While the likes of dust devils do occur in the NWT, there is no confirmation that any mini tornado or other twister-like phenomenon was responsible.
Cabin Radio could not reach an Environment and Climate Change Canada representative on Saturday to confirm whether Thursday night’s recorded weather could have supported a phenomenon like the one residents suspect.
Advertisement.
Advertisement.
While the cause remains uncertain, the neighbours did not wait around to figure it out before getting to work.
By 10am on Saturday, they were out repairing the docks and cleaning up debris, with Cathie baking cinnamon buns for the group as they worked.
“It’s a good neighbourhood,” Kevin told Cabin Radio. “It’s always good to work with neighbours and know that you can count on them.”
For Cathie, the quick response was a reminder of what makes the Old Town community special.
“We are blessed,” she said. “We have fabulous neighbours in this neighbourhood. Everybody works together all the time.”
