The future of Yellowknife’s Robertson headframe will be the focus of a public hearing at city hall Thursday night.
Miramar Northern Mining Ltd. and local prospector Walt Humphries will make their arguments in front of the city’s development appeal board starting at 7:30 p.m.
RELATED: Iconic Robertson headframe will not be saved by the GNWT
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Humphries, who’s also president of the NWT Mining Heritage Society, filed an appeal of the company’s permit to demolish the structure last month – mere days before Miramar had planned to start tearing it down.
He’s hoping to delay its demolition even further while Miramar says it wants to make good on a promise to remediate the site of the former Con gold mine as soon as possible.
Miramar, the company responsible for the now-defunct mine, will be represented by lawyers from the Yellowknife law firm Lawson Lundell. Humphries will represent himself.
“I think the permit was issued incorrectly by the city and that a whole lot more information has to be provided by Miramar before they even consider a permit,” said Humphries.
“I’m hoping that eventually they live up to their obligation and turn the headframe over to the people of Yellowknife which is what the original idea was years ago.
“I’m in this to save the headframe and to have it go to its rightful owners which to me are the people of Yellowknife and the North.”
Thursday’s appeal will focus not on whether saving the structure is in the public interest, but rather if the city made mistakes in permitting its demolition.
Dating back to last February, both the city and territorial government have called off talks with Miramar to keep the headframe standing.
The development appeal board will have up to 60 days to make a decision.
