The outside of front door at Whitehorse City Hall. Photo Courtesy of Macklen Linke/CKRW.
Whitehorse, YT – The City of Whitehorse estimated that the total cost of the long-term project to address landslides on Robert Service Way is over $61 but earlier this month the federal government announced they would provide $45 million leaving the city with a $16 million question – how to bridge the gap.
During the Whitehorse city council on May 13th, Councillor Ted Laking asked whether the application to access funding through the federal Disaster Adaption and Mitigation Fund (DMAF) included the $61 million price tag. City staff confirmed, “The total estimate of approximately $61 million hasn’t changed and we are working to identify where the difference will come from.”
The federal money will go towards moving Robert Service Way and the Millennium Trail away from the base of the escarpment regrading the slope and planting vegetation to limit erosion.
The Yukon Party weighed in yesterday with a press release calling for the Yukon Government to clarify its role in potentially helping address the funding issue.
Community Services Critic Patti McLeod called on Minister of Community Services Richard Mostyn, who attended the funding announcement, to disclose any potential government contribution publicly to ensure transparency and feasibility of the project.
The Yukon Government says the City of Whitehorse has not sent a request for additional funding to date. They reject the notion that because Minister Mostyn was present at the announcement the government is responsible for covering the funding gap.
According to an email exchange between the City of Whitehorse and the territorial government, officials advocated for the importance of the project with their federal counterparts through meetings and phone calls in June and August of 2023. The Government also provided $50,000 to help the city with their DMAF application.
The City of Whitehorse says they are actively seeking ways to bridge the gap with possible solutions including using City reserves, securing the funding from other levels of government, borrowing the funds, or any combination of each funding stream.
This story was corrected to identify borrowing as a distinct third option the City is considering to bridge the funding gap.
