Carmacks residents have compiled a 265-name petition reminding Premier Dennis Fentie of their opposition to a proposed industrial transportation corridor through the community.

Carmacks Mayor Elaine Wyatt said in an interview Friday she signed the petition circulated by concerned Carmacks residents because it mirrors the opposition the village council has already raised with the government.

Under the proposal for the Carmacks copper mine, ore trucks and other vehicle traffic to support the project would be routed through town, and along the residential River Drive.

Wyatt has raised the issue in the past with government officials. She has been dissatisfied with the government's unwillingness to sit down and discuss the possibility of a building a bypass already mapped out.

"The only thing we can do is continue to say, 'this is not right,'" the mayor said.

During the premier's tour of the communities earlier this fall, she said, Fentie would only say the issue is not off the table for discussion, though he would not go any further.

The mayor said she understands why the premier can't make any commitments for a $10-million road project, particularly now with the global market crash and the possible impacts it may have on the mining industry.

Nonetheless, without any dialogue with the government about the possibility of rerouting traffic if Western Copper Corp. proceeds with the Carmacks copper project, the community is left with an uncomfortable uncertainty, Wyatt indicated.

The petition reads: "We the undersigned residents of Carmacks, refuse to accept mine truck traffic down River Drive in our residential area.

"Therefore, we respectfully petition the Government of Yukon to complete construction of the Casino Trail Bypass, which was planned and undertaken by YTG in the early 1990s to accommodate mine activity in this region."

The petition was delivered Friday morning.

Fentie is in Ottawa at a first ministers' meeting. There was no response to the Star's request for comment from another member of the cabinet.

Wyatt said she's not sure what percentage of the adult population is represented by the 265 signatures, though it is undoubtedly quite high.

It may be as high as the 90 per cent of residents who registered their opposition to the proposed downtown transport corridor in a telephone survey conducted by the village, she said.

The Carmacks copper proposal was reviewed by the Yukon Environmental and Socio-economic Assessment Board (YESAB), and recommended for approval. The Yukon government has accepted the recommendation.

In its finding, the assessment board suggested the parties get together to find ways to minimize the impact of the truck traffic through the community.

Western Copper had indicated earlier this fall it would like to be in production in 2011.

In its YESAB application, the company indicated there would be an average of 30 vehicle round trips per day, including an average of six to nine large loads.