Mayor is delighted with Liberals’ victory
The mayor of Whitehorse is excited about working with a new, Liberal government in the Yukon.
The mayor of Whitehorse is excited about working with a new, Liberal government in the Yukon.
“I feel great,” Mayor Dan Curtis told the Star this morning.
“The City of Whitehorse has had a really good working relationship with the current Yukon territorial government, and we look forward to that relationship to continuing.”
The Liberals earned 11 seats in Monday’s election, ousting the Yukon Party, which took six seats, from power. The New Democrats won two seats.
The mayor hopes Whitehorse can have a relationship with the new government comparable to the one it has with First Nations governments in Whitehorse, which he described as “really wonderful.”
With a population of a little over 29,000, Whitehorse does not have a large enough tax base to support municipal infrastructure projects.
Consequently, a productive working relationship with the territorial government is essential, said Curtis, who ran unsuccessfully as a Yukon Liberal Party candidate in the 2011 election.
“We have such tremendous needs when it comes to our infrastructure: underground and above-ground and transit, the list goes on and on.”
Not only is infrastructure in Whitehorse aging, but there are a number of buildings downtown that don’t conform to their respective neighbourhoods and which are being used for “antiquated” purposes, he added.
The Municipal Services Building on Fourth Avenue, for example, has aged out, is inefficient and not located where it should be, said Curtis.
The city is planning to move those offices to a new operations building that would be located at the top of Two Mile Hill, off of Range Road.
This move, said Curtis, would open up “premium land right in the downtown core for developers to make something that’s more conforming to the neighborhood of the downtown, be it affordable housing or some other partnership or opportunity for all of us to enjoy.”
City council has yet to approve the plan, but Curtis is hopeful it will.
The vast majority of funding for Whitehorse infrastructure comes from the federal government, but often, projects must get the green light, and additional resources, from the territorial government before they can break ground, said Curtis.
“Our O & M (operations and maintenance) budget is approximately $74 million; half of that is for labour and half of that is our tax base,” said Curtis.
“Basically, 100 per cent of our infrastructure has to come from assistance and help from the other levels of government.”
Curtis said he’s excited by the current federal government’s emphasis on infrastructure spending in Canada’s small and northern communities.
He commended Yukon MP Larry Bagnell for securing infrastructure dollars for the Yukon.
He noted premier-designate Sandy Silver’s commitment to make capital spending predictable through the development of a five-year inventory of projects, and by tendering contracts before the beginning of each construction season.
There are capacity issues in the Yukon right now, said Curtis.
It would be helpful for local businesses to know ahead of time what kinds of staff and equipment they will need to participate in future infrastructure projects.
During the campaign, the Yukon Party had promised to invest $100,000 in planning for a second bridge across the Yukon River in Whitehorse.
Curtis is glad to see that plan scrapped now that the Liberals will form the new government later this month.
He said a second bridge wouldn’t make financial sense until the city’s population hits 50,000.
The current Robert Campbell Bridge, which connects Riverdale to downtown Whitehorse, is where it is because the river is narrow there, said Curtis. If you go up or down river, he noted, it gets much wider.
City engineers have estimated that a second bridge would cost about $40 million. That doesn’t include the price of maintaining it once it’s built, he noted.
As for having a second access road to and from Riverdale, Curtis said many communities in Canada have just one road in and out, giving Teslin as an example.
Sure, he added, it may be inconvenient going to and from Riverdale during the short rush hours, “but for the vast majority of the time, and in the summertime, when the schools are out, there really is no concern.”
He said the city has more than 100 priorities – and a second bridge is not one of them.
See more reaction to the election in Thursday’s edition.
Comments (10)
Up 6 Down 1
Funny on Nov 15, 2016 at 10:56 am
The local sentiment among contractors is that you are uncooperative with any initiative by the Yukon Party in Whistle Bend. I take it you'll now just approve all of the same things that you previously fought against.
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Josey Wales on Nov 14, 2016 at 11:10 pm
Umm Stu.....thanks for the patronizing spiel on "the charter"' unfortunately I already knew about Justine's papa's document so you were not able this time to teach me...not now but soon.
You seem Purdy protective of ol' king Dan Stu, you are aware that document you bleat of...allows me the right to be critical and freely express myself...right?
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Stu Winter on Nov 12, 2016 at 4:46 pm
Heh Josey
So what if the mayor is an absolute flaming liberal, For your information this right is covered under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (French: La Charte canadienne des droits et libertés), in Canada often simply the Charter, is a bill of rights entrenched in the Constitution of Canada. It forms the first part of the Constitution Act, 1982. The Charter guarantees certain political rights to Canadian citizens and civil rights of everyone in Canada from the policies and actions of all areas and levels of the government. It is designed to unify Canadians around a set of principles that embody those rights. The Charter was signed into law by Queen Elizabeth II of Canada on April 17, 1982 along with the rest of the Act.
Also, Mayor Curtis would welcome any new government on behalf of the city. I do think that the City could improve their relationships with our first nations though. No signing onto a park plan suggests there are significant underlying issues.
So, keep it up and I do wish you were an absolute flaming something rather than what seems to be a nihilist. In philosophy, nihilism is the complete rejection of moral values and religious beliefs. It is such a negative outlook that it denies any meaning or purpose in life. In political theory, nihilism is carried to an even greater extreme, arguing for the destruction of all existing political and social institutions.
Hope to see your response.
Up 12 Down 7
Josey Wales on Nov 12, 2016 at 6:27 am
Humunguos....lefty, actually I stated the clearly FLAMING obvious.
I made no claim to a bonanza discovery, your noodle processed that one all on its own.
Re read my post and if you still feel that way?
Then clearly you took a shorter bus home than the rest of the kids.
Up 30 Down 6
MSB is a complete waste of taxpayers dollars on Nov 9, 2016 at 7:03 pm
Curtis's comments about how the current MS building has run it's course of useful life. This is patently false as the I-beam construction is not going anywhere because of erosion. The asbestos in place there is fine as long as it's not disturbed.
He goes on to say the location is inconvenient. Another falsehood as 4th avenue is 10 times more accessible than a turn onto Range Road after coming through an already congested intersection and then hunting for a little sign that directs you to the hide-away resort where amenities will outnumber staff.
This is the most egregious decision that the good mayor will have concerning the prudence of spending tax payers money including the surplus fund that was supposed to be for emergency situations not pie in the sky capital projects.
Rave on Bill this is a huge mistake and leaves me with little comfort as to the decision making ability of our elected council.
Up 23 Down 5
jc on Nov 9, 2016 at 5:37 pm
Yeah, lets get rid of all the old historical sites and build a concrete jungle like the cities down south. Lucky we still have Skagway to remind us of the historic Klondike gold rush days. And wouldn't the city just love to have their tourist trade.
Up 22 Down 15
Hugh Mungus on Nov 9, 2016 at 5:14 pm
Wow Josey. You should be a PI or something. Curtis makes no bones about his ties to the Libs you act like you unearthed the Arc of the Conevant.
Further, the YP refused to deal with any other levels of government (municipal or FN) and that is why they are out on their ear.
Up 31 Down 4
ProScience Greenie on Nov 9, 2016 at 4:14 pm
Dear Sandy, please slow down the taxpayer funded gravy train to Whitehorse as they'll just spend it like drunken sailors. Other better ways to spread those tax dollars around the Yukon. Thanks, PSG.
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Josey Wales on Nov 9, 2016 at 3:19 pm
Of course king dan is happy, he is an absolute flaming liberal.
Flaming as in uber uber blindly liberal, not I repeat, not a disparaging remark to anything else...clear?
Up 37 Down 11
Francis Pillman on Nov 9, 2016 at 2:56 pm
Of course he is.