Parks Canada will be restoring the hull of the Atlin barge on the grounds of the SS Klondike National Historic Site. Work begins soon and is expected to last through the fall.

“Visitor and worker safety is a top priority for Parks Canada,” the Yukon Field Unit of Parks Canada said Monday.

“A work perimeter will be established around the barge with construction fencing, and visitor access to the barge will not be permitted for the duration of the work.

“Access to the SS Klondike, the site parking lot, and the nearby Millennium Trail will not be affected.”

As part of a regular conditions assessment of the Atlin barge in 2018, Parks Canada found the hull to be deteriorating. That was caused by environmental factors, such as rain, snow and fluctuating humidity levels.

“The restoration of the Atlin barge hull will help protect this important part of our heritage for the future,” Parks Canada said.

The SS Klondike National Historic Site commemorates inland water transportation in the Yukon. The Atlin barge represents the important role that barges played within the water transportation system between 1898 and 1950.

Parks Canada’s asset team will be offering public information sessions about heritage protection and the Atlin barge project periodically throughout the summer at the site.

Members of the public can also learn about the SS Klondike National Historic Site and the important role that barges played in the Yukon’s water transportation system by taking a guided tour this summer at the site with a Parks Canada interpreter.

This work is part of a $3-billion investment over five years to support Parks Canada’s infrastructure work to heritage, tourism, waterway, and highway assets located within national historic sites, national parks, and national marine conservation areas across Canada.