City Facilities Strategic Use Study

Fast‑forward to the future, how should City facilities support the way you live, work, and connect in Yellowknife?

The City of Yellowknife is undertaking the City Facilities Strategic Use Study, a review of how six key municipal facilities (City Hall, Visitor Centre, Public Library, Mining Training Centre, The Wildcat Café and the former Ruth Inch Memorial pool) are used and how they can better serve the community moving forward. This study will help guide future decisions about how City spaces support programs, services, and community needs.

Through Engagement Round 1, we’re asking City Staff, residents, and facility user groups to share their experiences and ideas. What’s working well? What challenges exist? What opportunities should be explored to improve how facilities are used now and into the future?

Your input will help shape future facility‑use scenarios and recommendations that reflect community needs, values, and priorities.

This is your City. Let’s shape the future of our facilities—together.

What is the City Facilities Strategic Use Study?

Think of the City Facilities Strategic Use Study as a shared conversation and a practical roadmap for how City‑owned facilities can better support community life, now and in the future. It helps us explore important questions like:

• How are City facilities being used today?
• Where are there challenges or barriers for users and programs?
• Which services could work better together or be co‑located?
• How can facilities be more accessible, efficient, and sustainable?
• How can City spaces better reflect community needs and priorities?

A strong facilities strategy means planning ahead, not just reacting as buildings age or needs change. In Yellowknife, this study will help guide future decisions about:

Get Involved

Engagement Round 1 of the Facilities Strategic Use Study is now complete.

The City gathered input from residents, community organizations, facility users, interested and impacted parties, and City staff through a public survey, open house, tradeshow engagement, and stakeholder meetings. A summary of what we heard will be available in the Engagement Round 1 What We Heard Report, to be released in mid-June 2026.

There will be more opportunities to participate as the study progresses. In Summer 2026, the City expects to share draft future-use concepts for the six facilities and seek public input to help refine potential options. Check this page for project updates and upcoming engagement opportunities.
 

What have we done so far?

As part of the Facilities Strategic Use Study, the City has:

•    Completed background reviews, building condition assessments, and site visits for six municipal facilities;
•    Conducted Engagement Round 1 with residents, stakeholders, facility users, and City staff to gather input on how facilities are used today, what is working well, and what opportunities and challenges should be considered for the future.
 

What's next?

The project team is now developing draft future-use concepts for the six facilities, informed by community input and technical assessments completed as part of the study.

These concepts will explore options for how facilities could be adapted, shared, consolidated, or repurposed to better meet community needs.

A second round of engagement is anticipated in Summer 2026. During this phase, draft concepts will be shared with residents, community organizations, stakeholders, and City staff for review and feedback before recommendations are developed for City Council.

Project Timeline