Yukon gets $45M to prevent Whitehorse-area landslides, more money for flood recovery

WHITEHORSE — The federal government is contributing $45 million to help prevent landslides along the Whitehorse Escarpment with the aim to protect the land under Whitehorse International Airport and its access road to the Yukon’s capital.

The escarpment has been plagued by landslides in the last several years, prompting the construction of a protective barrier along the access route. 

A statement from Infrastructure Canada says there’s a plan to move the route farther away from the base of the escarpment to reduce the risks posed by slides.

The department says the mitigation work will also include re-grading the slope, adding vegetation and expanding the existing barrier.

In addition to $45 million, Emergency Preparedness Minister Harjit Sajjan announced just over $8.7 million in disaster financial assistance to help Yukon recover from springtime flooding over the last three years.

A statement from Natural Resources Canada says Ottawa has set aside a further $3.5 million over the next four years to support flood-hazard mapping in the Yukon.

It says draft flood hazard maps have been completed for the communities of Carmacks, Carcross, Tagish, Marsh Lake and Lake Laberge, with the final maps to be published in the territory’s flood atlas this summer. Mapping is planned for Old Crow, Dawson City and the Klondike Valley this year and in 2025.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 6, 2024.

The Canadian Press