That high-pitch whistle you hear downtown? The one that's coming from Centre Square Mall? It's now a thing of the past.
SA国际影视传媒淲eSA国际影视传媒檒l be getting rid of it,SA国际影视传媒� said Ben Cox, chief operating officer of Nunastar Properties Inc.
Nunastar, a real estate developer based in Edmonton and owner of the Explorer Hotel, announced it purchased the lower mall area and office tower in a news release on Thursday.
When SA国际影视传媒 called Cox to ask about the whistle, he said the high-pitch noise would play its last note sometime next week.
One text message an hour or so later, he said the buzzing noise was no more. Cox said the decision to cut the whistle out was made fairly soon based on feedback from various parties.
That high-pitched noise has been blaring on for years and is by no means popular with some Yellowknife residents living downtown. Its goal was to act as a deterrent to loitering, though predominantly targeted towards homeless people who frequently stay in the mall's parking entrances.
Coun. Garett Cochrane explained that without any trespassing legislation from the GNWT, or hyper-specific noise bylaws from the city, that mall - a private business - has been free to do as it pleases, including playing that noise.
Prior to the whistle, in the mid-2000s, Cochrane said the mall would also play classical music.
As for the news of Nunastar's purchase, the release states that Nunastar plans to revitalize the mall to spark more development in the downtown core.
"We should be celebrating the positivity of Nunastar purchasing this property and the future plans that will come with it and already they are demonstrating acts of good faith towards the community as a whole," said Cochrane.
Mayor Ben Hendriksen is also quoted in the release saying the city looks forward to working with Nunastar. Mark Henry, president of the Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce, added the chamber will continue to work with stakeholders to address downtown challenges.
Whether the gate inside the mall that separates its two levels will also be removed has yet to be confirmed.
