A Yellowknife business owner put his shop and building up for sale when he learned the GNWT plans to build a new wellness and recovery centre on 51 Street.

Klaus Schoenne, owner of Yellowknife True Value Hardware, said he learned about the proposed $6-million project online and through the media, but not directly from the GNWT.

SA国际影视传媒淏ecause of my business I get procurement emails from the government and I noticed the one (about the wellness centre) came through on July 9 showing the location and the $6-million cost,SA国际影视传媒� Schoenne said.

SA国际影视传媒淎s soon as I heard rumours about that centre I put the shop up for sale. You know what happens at the sobering centre (on 50 Street). The people sit everywhere and leave garbage and waste. Someone was killed there. There are constant fights and arguments and the ambulances come. I canSA国际影视传媒檛 put my customers through that or my staff through that. I donSA国际影视传媒檛 know what benefit it is for any business (or for) the planned new visitorsSA国际影视传媒� centre.SA国际影视传媒�

The tender document on the project states that itSA国际影视传媒檚 under the responsibility of the Department of Health and Social Services (HSS) and is intended to be a more permanent home for the programs offered out of the Day Shelter and Sobering Centre.

The project will be built at 5019-51 Street, on GNWT-owned land in the empty lot north of the St. John Ambulance site. An environmental cleanup has been undertaken at the site, the document said.

In the timeline, the GNWT aims to have the RFP awarded by Sept. 3, 2021, with construction starting in fall 2022 and being SA国际影视传媒渟ubstantially completedSA国际影视传媒� by late 2023.

SA国际影视传媒淭hey already put out the tender, so then theySA国际影视传媒檙e going to consult with people?SA国际影视传媒� Schoenne asked. SA国际影视传媒淭heySA国际影视传媒檝e already got that in their mind that this is where they want to put it. Why waste taxpayersSA国际影视传媒� money on putting out a tender if theySA国际影视传媒檙e going to put it somewhere else? They wonSA国际影视传媒檛 change without public pressure.SA国际影视传媒�

Schoenne has launched a petition of SA国际影视传媒渃oncerned citizens who are against the building of the wellness and recovery centre at 5019-51 Street.SA国际影视传媒�

As of Tuesday afternoon the document had garnered 10 signatures.

True Value Hardware wasnSA国际影视传媒檛 the only business lacking consultation from the GNWT about the project. Owners and managers of nearby establishments the Tree of Peace Friendship Centre, St. John Ambulance, Signed, Crowe MacKay LLP and Barren Ground Coffee said they received no information from the government about the proposed centre.

However, Barren Ground Coffee owner Eric Binion said he would support the construction of a wellness centre on 51 Street.

SA国际影视传媒淲e are pleased that it will be downtown. We view it as positive. This is an important service that is needed,SA国际影视传媒� said Binion, who added that he doesnSA国际影视传媒檛 share SchoenneSA国际影视传媒檚 concerns about possible disorderly behaviour from wellness centre clients.

Range Lake Developments Ltd., which owns the two empty lots on 51 Street beside the Tree of Peace, was also not consulted by the territorial government, said company president Biswanath Chakrabarty.

His company plans to construct an affordable housing complex of up to 74 units on the 51 Street lots. He hopes to break ground on it next summer.

Chakrabarty called the GNWTSA国际影视传媒檚 choice of location for the centre SA国际影视传媒漹ery unfortunate.SA国际影视传媒�

SA国际影视传媒淧eople might think that living there isnSA国际影视传媒檛 the best idea. It has the potential to compromise their quality of life,SA国际影视传媒� he contended. SA国际影视传媒淭his doesnSA国际影视传媒檛 fit into the mandate of the downtown to bring businesses in. It doesnSA国际影视传媒檛 fit into making it a thriving downtown. ISA国际影视传媒檓 very supportive of a facility, but thatSA国际影视传媒檚 not the right place.SA国际影视传媒�

Arctic Energy Alliance, Route 51 and Zehabesha SA国际影视传媒� also in the immediate area SA国际影视传媒� did not respond to inquiries by press deadline.

Schoenne suggested that an alternative location for the wellness centre could be the empty lots on the west side of 50 Street, which are owned by John Yaceyko.

The GNWT could buy the five lots from Yaceyko, he said, and constructing the building in that location would fit in better with the surrounding environment.

SA国际影视传媒淭he only reason ISA国际影视传媒檝e heard about why theySA国际影视传媒檙e building it (on 51 Street) is because the clients want to be downtown. Well, I want to be downtown too but obviously I canSA国际影视传媒檛 with that centre across the street from me. What about the post office? ItSA国际影视传媒檚 moving out. Put (the centre) there. WeSA国际影视传媒檙e using the argument about downtown so then put it downtown,SA国际影视传媒� Schoenne said.

But Yaceyko said no one from the government contacted him about the lots. HeSA国际影视传媒檚 looking to sell four lots on 50 Street and one on 51 Street.

SA国际影视传媒淔rom my end I was looking to sell it to a condo developer. I donSA国际影视传媒檛 want to be sitting on it for years,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

As a next step, Schoenne hopes someone from the GNWT contacts him and discusses the centre.

Otherwise, he said all he can do for now is wait and hope that once the project receives a development permit then he can appeal it.

Yellowknife North MLA Rylund Johnson said Yellowknife city council will likely ask about consultation around the project and whether a good neighbour agreement was reached before council approves any development.

SA国际影视传媒淚 suspect we are in for a at least a year-long debate on this, followed by the inevitable appeal. Strong chance with COVID-19 construction costs (Health and Social Services) will need to come back to the assembly for more money,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

Health Minister Julie Green did not respond to a request for comment before deadline.