Photo by Whitehorse Star
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Campaign begins to save trolley
A local woman has started a GoFundMe campaign in an attempt to save the Whitehorse waterfront trolley.
A local woman has started a GoFundMe campaign in an attempt to save the Whitehorse waterfront trolley.
Emilie Dory began the campaign to raise $100,000 on Friday after reading that the Yukon government has decided not to fund the attraction any longer.
“I think the rail is such an important part of the territory,” Dory told the Star this morning. “The rail and the riverboats made the territory 100 years ago.”
If every Yukoner were to donate $3, Dory said, they could raise the money needed to see the trolley return to the tracks.
She said if it works, it works, and if not, at least they can say they tried.
Dory said her three-year-old daughter loves the trolley, and she has told her they will ride it again.
Highways and Public Works Minister Richard Mostyn said last week the government cannot in good consciousness continue funding the trolley because it’s just not financially viable.
The government has put $5.4 million into the annual operation and maintenance of the trolley and capital investments required to maintain the track and the Roundhouse along Front Street, he noted.
He pointed out the annual operating cost itself has been $107,000 per season for the last several years, including last year, when it only operated half-time and ran from the Roundhouse to Rotary Peace Park.
When the trolley began running in 2000 from the park to the Spook Creek Station behind Earls Restaurant, the original intent was that it would eventually pay itself through ridership fees but never has, the minister said.
Mostyn said the government informed the MacBride Museum early last year that it would not be funding the trolley beyond the summer of 2018.
The museum did submit an application for continuing funding last fall, but the government informed the non-profit in February it would not be receiving any money.
After the Miles Canyon Railway Society indicated in 2016 it could no longer handle the trolley operation because of rising challenges with maintenance, the museum stepped in to assist in 2017.
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Comments (20)
Up 3 Down 1
Groucho d'North on May 12, 2019 at 9:28 am
To better understand the Trolley issue I Googled it hoping to read the promo & hype that was made when it was first introduced. I'm not there yet, but there is plenty on-line to demonstrate how it has become a legitimate attraction for Whitehorse visitors and residents alike. I especially like the Beaverton spoof article claiming the trolley is to be replaced by a high-speed bullet train.
Up 7 Down 5
Lynx on May 10, 2019 at 10:15 pm
Wow Jean, you really drank the Yukon Party kool aid huh? The increase to the political staff budget was to reflect reality. The truth is that the Yukon Party had it budgeted for less but always blew past its budget and spent just as much if not more than the Libs, only difference is they were misleading people by not putting it in the budget in the beginning of the fiscal year.
The $500,000 was mostly spent on developing a new website, which for the size of government is not a bad price, plus you can now access the website properly on mobile devices. Oh the horror of spending money to bring the government into the digital age. You say trying to build an icebridge to West Dawson wasn't worth it? I bet you aren't one of the people living over there huh. This was not just "spraying water into the air" as low info people like to say. This has been proven to work in many jurisdictions across the country who rely on ice bridges, that is why Cobalt Construction decided to employ the same method. You really think a professional construction company like Cobalt was just "spraying water into the air"? I guess that's what Yukon Party MLAs think without having an engineer among them.
As for the other stuff, I would be interested to hear from government, as such things are never done for no reason as you like to say. I don't think 3 million spent on the cannabis corp is completely accurate and I would be interested to hear how much government made from their sales, it might have more than paid for itself for all we know.
Up 3 Down 5
EJ on May 10, 2019 at 9:56 pm
@Jean - You are repeating the exact talking points that the Yukon Party put out. I guess you are a "sycophant" as Ol Josey likes to say. I support the territorial libs and follow the legislature proceedings. Let me just say that the demands of the Yukon Party for the Liberals to spend money on anything and everything is astronomical and every time the Liberals make a cut to get our financial house in order, the Yukon Party opposes it! The Yukon Party even voted to add another politician to the Legislature (except for Brad Cathers, the only real conservative among them) even though we have the most politicians in the country for the size of our territory. Let that sink in.
Up 9 Down 2
Josey Wales on May 10, 2019 at 2:07 pm
Jean...Jean the fact spewing MAAchine, thank you for your participation.
A fitting pop culture reference, for the “gong show” that is our Yukon
these days.
Up 18 Down 2
Al on May 10, 2019 at 7:45 am
The trolley is running at a cost to the taxpayers. It isn't breaking even and worse not making a profit. I would say it was never intended to. It was meant to bring visitors, as a lure, to the center of town and provide a fun memorable experience.
Let's use the current philosophy put out there by the government. Now that we have established the new NEW let us extend this approach to other attractions that are likely not paying their way. So there is the Beringia Center, the Transportation Museum, oh and let us not forget the SS Klondike (even though it is part of Parks Canada). Sometimes you take a hit with a loss leader to gain a benefit somewhere else - sales 101.
I would agree that what we are viewing is a sellout so that other interests may continue to develop stuff that is less attractive for a few at the expense of an attraction that many a visitor enjoyed and spoke fondly of. I would bet a farthing that the wolves are just waiting for the moment to strike to garner property along the river front for development - that really no-one wants (well that is the citizens at least).
Up 18 Down 3
Karl on May 9, 2019 at 11:40 pm
This is a tourist attraction, not public transit. Charge $2 per ride instead of $1, now your gross revenue is double. The people who would ride this would pay $2 anyway for the experience. As others have said, there must be another agenda around the property that the tracks run across.
Up 15 Down 3
jean on May 9, 2019 at 10:07 pm
The Yukon Liberal government has decided that funding the Whitehorse Trolley is not a priority for them, and as a result it will not run this summer.
While defending these cuts in the Legislature, the Liberals often referenced other financial priorities. Along with giving the Premier a raise, here’s a list of financial priorities the Yukon Liberals have considered to be more important for their government:
Spending $255,000 to increase the budget for Liberal political staff
Spending $500,000 on a logo and website to “rebrand” the government
Spending $120,000 to spray water in the air in Dawson City
Spending $200,000 on a second failed attempt to create an ice bridge
Spending $3 million on creating their government-run cannabis corporation
Spending $150,000 to study connecting to the BC Grid when an earlier study already said it was infeasible
Still voting LIB?
Up 9 Down 2
Reality check on May 9, 2019 at 4:05 pm
If some people had at least a little bit of common sense then they would look for integration into the transit system and expanding the line further in both directions towards the Marwell area and also Macrae (with a possible bus connection to Mt. Sima).
But that means spending money usefully and also thinking outside the box, which is obviously not possible...
Sad!
Up 12 Down 3
Josey Wales on May 9, 2019 at 2:16 pm
Hey yeah right.....
Bravo
India
November
Gulf
Oscar
Glad to see there are still some critical thinkers and skeptics out here.
...gotta say I am starting to wonder in this land of liberal sycophants just
how many there are left? Perhaps we should be listed on the UNs endangered species list? ...kiddin’ as they put the U in useless and the N in no-minds.
Up 26 Down 3
Yeah right on May 9, 2019 at 8:10 am
This is not about funding. This is about setting the narrative that the trolley does not sustain itself so as to pave the way for future development on the riverfront by the old boys club. Aren't you guys rich enough yet?
The next story will be about how it costs YG so much to maintain the roundhouse, the tracks, etc. for an asset that is not in operation spinning the story so a tender to remove the tracks (and maybe even the historical roundhouse) will be the only reasonable response.
Note that there is no talk about putting it out to private business; there is no talk about reduced hours/service so the bare service can be maintained at least through the height of tourist season; there is no talk about an on-going future for this tourist (and local) attraction. And we hear nothing from the Dept of Tourism on this. Isn't that interesting? (Interesting is one word for it.)
And the final story will include a picture of some worker dismantling the tracks alongside an announcement that a certain company has procured the land and will build (insert something) which will create jobs, enhance the waterfront and in teeny tiny letters right at the bottom....make the old boys even richer yet.
Up 11 Down 1
Frank Michigan on May 8, 2019 at 11:15 pm
The city has been talking to the new Whitepass owners about using the railway right of way for other purposes.
Why are there these conspiracy theories that involve both gy and the city? Let's hear more.
Up 14 Down 1
CJ on May 8, 2019 at 11:10 pm
The trolley is just a fun, quirky little thing and if I'd been aware that you could hop on for $1 and get across town I would have done that a lot more. It does have a lovely, old time feel to it.
But you just can't have fun things in Whitehorse any more, not without some kind of blessing from one of the levels of government. Kind of a corporate mentality that's reigning. The reason given, that it costs too much, is pretty lame. Those guys who started it -- their hearts must be breaking. They probably thought putting it in the museum's hands was a safe harbour.
Speaking of which, what's with the unseemly campaign against the museum? Is there a lesson here, not to take money for big capital projects because it spells doom for your non-profit? It's kind of disturbing.
Up 12 Down 3
Always Questions on May 7, 2019 at 8:26 pm
I do miss the view that used to be along 4th Ave. , progress I guess? IDK it just kinda hit me the other day. I think it was the new hotel/condo building. Yay! for Shipyards Park tho, time for more investment CoW! Make any river front developments incorporate the Trolley, put it in the contract.
Up 8 Down 9
jean on May 7, 2019 at 7:18 pm
With all the talk about renewable energy, low emissions electric vehicles and sustainability why hasn't the government seized this opportunity to run the trolley on our surplus hydro power in the summer during tourist season? Instead of the trolley towing a fossil-fuel powered generator to provide power for it's efficient electric motor, why not tow a battery that can be charged with renewable hydroelectric energy from the river that flows beside the trolley?
Up 47 Down 4
Joe on May 6, 2019 at 10:43 pm
Read between the rail lines- some groups along the river don't want the trolley as it impedes their development plans, hotel maybe?
Up 36 Down 4
My Opinion on May 6, 2019 at 8:55 pm
Government spent a Ton to redo the tracks, rebuild the Trolly and rebuild the Round House. Why on earth would they stop now that it is all done? It is not supposed to, nor will it, make money. It is just something for tourists to do.
Quit wasting money on it and run it like a business would. It can be done. Government is unable to run anything.
Up 17 Down 10
Josey Wales on May 6, 2019 at 6:48 pm
Hmmm...a go fund me eh? Even crusty Josey can get onboard with that, as it infers a volunteer situation Vs tax hemorrhage it is.
Hopefully those holding the public purse strings will not “donate” with our money for virtue points.
Good luck with the Go Fund Me, but I think you may be up against salivating land hawks that certainly have a few “shovel ready” projects in their nest. What happens to monies raised if unfortunately unsuccessful?
I did not see that addressed in this article.
Near 6 million spent, that is insane for a interactive ride through bingeville.
“Folks if you look to your left, and your right you will see folks donate their
livers. If you look down to the waters edge...never mind OH look an airplane”
Up 27 Down 5
Frank Michigan on May 6, 2019 at 5:55 pm
Talk to the mayor, funding the trolley is a perfect fit for gas tax funding.
Up 27 Down 6
Grayce Rogers on May 6, 2019 at 5:07 pm
Cancelling the trolley??!! What a regressive decision! My husband and I rode the trolley several times during our visit to Whitehorse several years ago. It was a charming piece of history and a delightful way to get a real feeling for Whitehorse. We met great people on our 'excursions', both locals and other tourists. This is a unique attraction, something most cities would jump through hoops to create. Raise the fares, try GoFund Me, shame the Government - whatever it takes, but keep your waterfront trolley. Grayce Rogers, Glen Margaret, Nova Scotia
Up 35 Down 3
Boyd Campbell on May 6, 2019 at 4:54 pm
One can appreciate the concern and passion over saving the trolley and I would be the first to applaud the efforts. However, this is not a money issue this is a political issue and it's going to be so fun.