YELLOWKNIFE, Northwest Territories, Dec. 30 (UPI) -- Some residents of Yellowknife, in the Canadian Northwest Territories, are worried about the future of 20 shacks that once housed the town's pioneers.

More than 50 shacks are gone, The Toronto Globe and Mail reported, victims of time and Yellowknife's growth. Most of the remaining ones are in a neighborhood known as the Woodyard, where residents accept life without running water or indoor plumbing in return for low rent.

"I know there are concerns about sanitation and stuff like that, but there are a lot of people who want to live in places that are kind of substandard," said Ryan McCord, who has lived in the neighborhood for four years. "Life is simple and your neighbors are great. I'm in the city, but I'm still close to the land."

Mike Bryant, a columnist for the Yellowknifer and former shack dweller, wants the city to impose some safety and sanitation regulations on the shacks. His reasoning is that if "something horrible" happens the remaining shacks will be razed and part of Yellowknife's history will disappear.