Larga Kitikmeot has been given the green light to begin building a new 75-room medical travel lodge in Yellowknife.
Larga had applied to build a four-storey facility on a vacant lot at 346 Borden Drive to accommodate medical travellers from Nunavut.
In an announcement on Monday, Larga said the City of Yellowknife had granted the company a development permit for the site and plans are under way to construct the new lodge.
“This is an important development and will provide more space and comfort for our guests,” Larga stated.
“Our goal has always been to offer the best possible support for those who rely on us during their time away from home. This new building represents an important step in continuing that commitment.”
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According to city documents, the development permit was approved on September 16 and the last day to appeal passed on October 1.
The site of the new Larga Kitikmeot building in Yellowknife, next to Mary Brown’s. Sarah Pruys/Larga Kitikmeot
A rendering of the planned Larga building, as shown in city documents.
Larga currently has a 58-bed medical boarding home in Yellowknife at the corner of 50 Avenue and Matonabee Street.
The existing boarding home mainly hosts residents of Nunavut’s Kitikmeot region – which encompasses the communities of Cambridge Bay, Gjoa Haven, Kugaaruk, Kugluktuk and Taloyoak – when they travel to Yellowknife for medical treatment.
Larga described that facility as “a home away from home” and said it provides “accommodations in a culturally appropriate manner for Inuit.”
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In a letter to the city in February, Larga said the number of medical travel referrals had “grown to exceed” the capacity of the existing facility, “causing us to rely on local hotels to accommodate overflow for the past several years.”
“Larga Kitikmeot will sometimes provide services for 140 guests a night,” the letter stated, “so we will need a new facility large enough to ensure all Kitikmeot guests are under one roof and receiving the support and care they require while away from their home community.”
The city received 13 written responses from residents opposing the project, many containing similar or identical wording.
Those residents expressed concern about traffic, parking and “the view and feel of the neighbourhood.”
Some also expressed potential issues with crime and safety.
“While it may be difficult to quantify, the arrival of individuals unfamiliar to the area – many of whom may be in vulnerable states – can raise concerns among residents about safety and crime, especially in a community that has historically enjoyed a low crime rate,” two letters stated.
City staff said the lodge is compatible with the character of the Old Airport Road commercial corridor and would have less of an impact than other permitted uses, such as a conventional hotel.
The city said it believes many concerns expressed by residents can be addressed.
A city planning report stated, for example, that the traffic and parking impacts from the facility are expected to be low as guests will use a shuttle service.
The facility will have a quiet policy from 10pm to 7am, the report added, and will be buffered by a 30-metre wide cliff with trees and vegetation to mitigate potential smoke or noise.
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