People can expect more slides and activity along the escarpment, says Mayor Laura Cabott.

The mayor, Whitehorse Fire Chief Jason Everitt and Tracy Allen, the city’s director of operations, held a briefing Monday afternoon to update the situation.

There were two more mudslides in the downtown area last Friday and Saturday, near Wood and Jeckell streets.

“What we are seeing now is what we had predicted after the initial slide,” the mayor told reporters. She was referring to the Apr. 30 event that has seen part of Robert Service Way closed ever since.

She reiterated the need for people to stay outside the fencing that has been placed all along the bottom of the escarpment.

People who ignore the fencing would not only be putting themselves in danger but also those who would need to go in an assist should somebody be caught in a slide, Cabott said.

She has ordered the evacuations of three homes near the escarpment, two of which were unoccupied anyway. They are deemed at risk.

It’s estimated the slides that came down last Friday and Saturday contained between 3,000 and 4,000 cubic metres of dirt each, or slightly larger than the Robert Service Way event.

Officials are hoping it will be open to controlled traffic within a couple of weeks.

Ground water seeping out of the escarpment caused the slides, and officials expect the threat will remain well into June until the ground dries up.

Residents are being encouraged to contact the city if they see any slides or sloughing.

Chief Everitt noted the one family forced to leave their home has been put in touch with emergency social services.

The city is continuing to monitor the escarpment with visual inspections and drones.

The city’s emergency operations centre was activated last Saturday.

Cabott said staff have gone door-to-door at homes close to the escarpment to provide information and encourage people to be prepared should they have to leave.

“I think people appreciated us being there,” she told Monday’s briefing.

The mayor said residents should ensure they are prepared to leave their homes or have enough supplies to stay in their homes for 72 hours, she said.

“At this point, no buildings or homes are in danger,” Cabott said.

There has been a lot of activity on the escarpment since last Friday, she said.

The mayor praised the work of city staff in responding to the situation. She also thanked the Yukon Geological Survey for being out there looking at the slides and the escarpment.

She said they appreciate the advice they have been getting from experts and their own in-house engineers.

The city, said the mayor, is continuing to liaise with the Yukon government over the situation.

Cliffside Park has been closed, as it was last year, because of a slide. The intent is to relocate the park, but there is still the Jim Light Park in the neighbourhood.

Cabott estimated the city will be spending in excess of $500,000 dealing with the escarpment emergency, but that a long-term fix will cost substantially more.

Allen said options to implement a long-term fix include ground water management, an intercepter berm and revegetation.

“There are a variety of options we are looking at and considering,” Allen said.

She said light rains are not likely to worsen the current situation, but a torrential downpour would not be helpful.

The forecast for the balance of the week – while the Robert Service Way retaining wall is being installed – does not include rain.

The city does have an alert system – Whitehorse alert.

The mayor encourages people to sign up, as it’s a good way to be notified of emergencies such as wildfires.