For more information about scheduling remediation activities and impacts to public use areas, please visit the Government of Canada website.

The GNWT is responsible for these areas throughout active remediation (from 2023 until 2038). This responsibility includes:

• Ensuring consistent, unencumbered access to the area for remediation activities
• Vehicles on site
• Garbage
• Public boat launch parking

The GNWT is now the source to ask questions or voice concerns for any issues around the public boat launch. There is currently no threat to human health or safety at the public boat launch, but the GNWT will be able to address public concerns should they encounter garbage at the boat launch, vehicles blocking the road, or anything else out of the ordinary. The GNWT will also be responsible for keeping the public informed of any impact remediation may have on these publicly accessible sites.

If you have concerns or wish to make a report, you can do so by emailing publicuse_giant_lieupublic@gov.nt.ca, or by calling (867) 767-9236 Ext 53190

Giant Mine site land ownership 

• The site is situated on Land administered by the GNWT. Canada has been issued a Land and Water Reserve to allow for the implementation of the remediation of the Site. The GNWT is responsible for these areas throughout active remediation (from 2023 until 2038). The GNWT is responsible for:
  • ensuring consistent, unencumbered access to the area for remediation activities
  • waste management at the boat launch
  • public boat launch parking

Arsenic levels and water safety at the public boat launch

• Water in Yellowknife Bay has arsenic levels below the arsenic drinking water guidelines. The site’s current water treatment process reduces arsenic levels in effluent (treated discharged water) to below current federal and territorial requirements before the treated water is released seasonally to Baker Creek. The new Water Treatment Plant will further reduce arsenic levels in effluent to meet drinking water guidelines for arsenic. Water monitoring in Yellowknife Bay will continue in the long term; however, we do not encourage swimming or wading activities in this area.

Construction Risks

• Be aware of construction risks while using the public boat launch area at the Giant Mine site

• Boaters should be aware there will be in-water construction, as well as in-water work utilizing barges and other boating equipment. Public notices will be posted in the area when active construction is upcoming. Please see section on communications below for how to access information.

Traffic management controls in place during work at the public boat launch area

• The Project has a Traffic Management Plan in place to minimize the potential impacts to the public, workers, the environment and wildlife. This plan outlines traffic management and incident prevention practices for Project construction traffic operating within the site boundary, and for construction vehicles travelling off-site.
• The Boat Launch Access road has been flagged as a high congestion roadway and will have appropriate traffic management controls  as required during remediation activities: 

• signs and markers
• flagging personnel
• traffic signals

Site security

• Project security personnel are present 24 hours a day, throughout the year, to ensure the public does not go on the Giant Mine site. To protect the public, it’s important that people do not enter fenced or signed areas to avoid hazards and the potential for accidents and injury.
• There will not be permanent security within the public boat launch area, however concerns can be relayed to the GNWT.

In the summer of 2022, the GMRP team engaged rights holders and stakeholders, including the Giant Mine Working Group, the Yellowknife Historical Society, and the Great Slave Sailing Club, with respect to how the townsite and marina area might look in the future. The engagement allowed participants to review the conceptual drawings of the design and provide feedback into what the townsite and marina area will look like during each phase of the remediation as well as after remediation is complete.

The objectives were for the Project team to: • Identify potential conflicts between how various parties use the townsite and marina area; • Provide information about how access will be constrained or altered by future changes; • Get feedback on the size, shape, and locations of areas that will be used for parking and storage; and, • Inform participants of how the area will look and function over the next 10 to 20 years.

The Project has committed to ensuring access will remain available to both the Yellowknife Historical Society’s museum building and the lake at all times during remediation activities.