The venerable Macaulay Lodge, the first continuing care facility in Whitehorse, is coming down, it was reconfirmed Wednesday.

“Macaulay Lodge opened in Riverdale in 1969 and was the only continuing care facility in Whitehorse for many years,” Ranj Pillai, the minister responsible for the Yukon Housing Corp., noted in a ministerial statement in the legislature.

“It provided a place for senior residents to call home. It was a vibrant and well-loved key area of our community for many decades.”

In 2019, half a century after it opened, Macaulay Lodge closed its doors for the last time.

All of the residents were moved to other long-term care homes, including Copper Ridge Place and Whistle Bend Place.

“The building itself has come to the end of its life and is slated for demolition this year,” Pillai said, confirming what was originally announced in November 2021.

“The demolition contract has been awarded to a Yukon First Nation business, United North Construction Group (for more than $800,000), and the demolition is expected to begin next month with completion slated for this upcoming fall.”

That’s not to say the lodge won’t leave behind a legacy, Pillai said.

“The Macaulay Lodge site holds exciting opportunities for redevelopment and, in particular, new housing for Yukoners. Despite historic levels of new housing construction over the past year, as the Yukon’s population continues to grow, there is still a need in our territory to build more homes for Yukoners,” the minister said.

“I am proud to rise today to announce that the Macaulay Lodge site will indeed be redeveloped to build homes.

“Located at the intersection of Lewes Boulevard and Klondike Road, it spans a total of five lots within the established residential neighbourhood of Riverdale.

“The Macaulay Lodge site is within walking distance of services, is on major bus routes, is close to a neighbourhood park, and is near the bustling part of Riverdale.”

Pillai said the government will soon release the paperwork for an expression of interest for the development of housing on the property.

“The development for the Macaulay Lodge site aligns with the goals laid out in the housing action plan for Yukon — in the Yukon Housing Corporation’s strategic plan — by providing a rare opportunity to develop higher-density housing in central Whitehorse,” Pillai said.

“We need to keep the housing development momentum going in the territory, and we must now plan for the needs of tomorrow. Redeveloping the Macaulay Lodge site for housing is part of that vision.a”

Yukon Party MLA Yvonne Clarke had several questions for Pillai.

“I am also wondering about the value of the land. The most recent publicly available assessment of the value for each of these lots is just over $2 million each,” Clarke said.

“Does the minister know if that is still current? Also, is the plan to sell the land at market value to the potential developer?

“Finally, I have a question for the sixth lot that is adjacent to Macaulay Lodge,” Clarke said.

“Currently, this lot is made up of greenspace and runs adjacent to the backyards of several Teslin Road homes. Does the government have any plans for that lot? Or is it planned to remain as greenspace?”

Emily Tredger, an NDP MLA, also had questions for the minister.

“Since 2019, people have been asking about what comes next for Macaulay Lodge — and with good reason.

“When the last resident was moved out, Yukon was already in a housing crisis,” Tredger recalled.

“There were calls from my colleagues to use it as temporary housing, but they were told that the building was too old, too run-down, and too toxic. When my colleagues asked when it would be demolished, there was never a clear timeline given.

“Despite the new lots and projects that we have seen opening, and that are opening soon, the Yukon is still a long way from having enough housing for everyone who needs it — but we look forward to seeing folks being able to call this convenient location home once again.”

Concerning the five lots, Pillai responded, “the reason that we’re going through an expression of interest versus an RFP (request for proposals) is because it actually gives us that ability to have very innovative submissions.

“At this point, we’re not putting hard lines on what can possibly be there; we’re looking for a plethora of different opportunities for housing in that spot.”

The government will work with the City of Whitehorse, which determines zoning matters, he added.

“We have committed directly to the mayor and the city manager that we would make sure that we’re sharing the ideas that come in and the work that can be done together.”

Pillai said the site might require some remediation before further development.

“Before we can talk about valuation on the five lots, one of the major concerns — and partially why we didn’t look at demolition and then potentially have the same company or joint venture look to build to make it more efficient — is that there is a potential of contamination from some hydrocarbons.

“I think, at this point, we’ll wait and see what the potential contamination is and if there has to be remediation before we look at a current valuation.”

In a statement, Highways and Public Works Minister Nils Clarke said it’s “encouraging to see United North Construction Group be awarded the contract to demolish the Macaulay Lodge and the first steps to develop the site begin.

“The contract is being awarded under the Yukon First Nations Procurement Policy and is an important milestone in increasing Yukon First Nations participation in our economy.

“I am looking forward to the future opportunity for development at the site that will create homes for Yukoners in Whitehorse,” Clarke said.