The City of Yellowknife is reaching out to residents for their views on a new swimming pool and how AirBnBs should be regulated.
An open house about plans for a new pool will take place on Thursday, September 20, from 6pm till 8pm in the Multiplex’s PSAV room.
The City says the current Ruth Inch Memorial Pool, opened in 1988, has “reached the end of its useful lifespan” and needs to be replaced by a facility able to handle more demand.
Thursday’s open house will allow residents to inspect various concepts for a new pool and provide their feedback. You will also be able to leave feedback online from September 20-25.
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“We are taking every effort to ensure we consider all ideas,” said Councillor Niels Konge in a news release issued late last week. “It is important we hear from residents at each step of the planning process.”
Six different concepts were reviewed by a committee at an August meeting about the new pool. Consultants say seven possible sites exist for a new pool, with two sites – the old pitch-and-putt next to the current pool, or the Multiplex/Fieldhouse area – being leading contenders.
More: City of Yellowknife’s Aquatic Centre Advisory Committee
The committee subsequently directed the consultants to keep working on three options: a stand-alone facility on either site, a new centre attached to the current Ruth Inch pool, or a new centre attached to the Fieldhouse.
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In 2016, city councillors voted to accept $12.9 million in federal funding for a new pool. Early projections for the total cost of a pool come out at around $30 million in total. The federal contribution must be spent by 2022.
AirBnB feedback
Meanwhile, the City has launched an online survey for people to have their say on forthcoming regulation of services like AirBnB in Yellowknife.
Under the new bylaw, the City will define AirBnBs and the like as “a home-based business whereby temporary accommodation (the entire home or a room in the home) is provided for compensation to members of the public for less than 30 days at a time.”
Take the survey: City of Yellowknife short-term rentals survey
Residents have until September 30 to complete the online survey. Alternatively, you can provide feedback at one of two public meetings at City Hall on either Wednesday, October 3 at 2pm, or Thursday, October 4 at 7pm.
The online survey asks residents who should be allowed to operate a short-term rental, what type of building should be permissible for short-term rentals, and whether any additional rules, including safety requirements, should be put in place.
Earlier this year, the City said it hoped to have regulations in place by early 2019. At the time, a fine of up to $1,000 per day for unlicensed AirBnBs was being proposed.
Some residents have expressed concern that an increase in AirBnB operation in Yellowknife will cut down on available rental accommodation for local people.
Other residents feel the City has a limited right to regulate how they use property they have purchased.
