DAWSON CITY Parks Canada has come out in opposition to the territorial government's plans to build a bridge across the Yukon River at Dawson City.

Anne Morin, superintendent for Parks in the Yukon, says a report's intention isn't to torpedo the building of a bridge, but merely to encourage the government to reconsider its location.

Parks' report is titled An Assessment of the Potential Impact of the Proposed Bridge at Dawson On the Heritage Values of the Dawson Historical Complex National Historic Site of Canada and the S.S. Keno National Historic Site of Canada. It leaves no doubt as to what its subject might be.

Nor does the first page of the report leave any doubt as to its conclusions.

'The proposal in question represents a serious compromise to the heritage values of two National Historic Sites. This threat to the heritage values, therefore, warrants formal comment.'

The perceived threat comes from changing the viewscape related to the Dawson Historical Complex and S.S. Keno Historic Site.

Territorial government analysis has already indicated the George Street site chosen, as well as four of the remaining five sites investigated, would alter the historic street grid of Front Street and the view heading north.

Parks expressed its reservations in June 2004, but continued to be part of the government-selected bridge committee studying the issue.

Morin says this report, dated March 23, 2005, was presented to the government as part of this ongoing consultation. She also says Parks Canada was a little surprised by Premier Dennis Fentie's injunction, as reported on CBC North radio last Friday, that Parks is meddling and should mind its own business.

She pointed to the concluding section of the report, in which it is noted that 'Parks Canada has invested over $75 million over 30 years in an extensive restoration and commemoration program for the National Historic Sites in the Klondike.'

Investments by the Yukon government are noted as well as those by the Heritage Canada Foundation, private individuals and non-profit groups.

Morin believes Parks Canada has a mandate to comment on matters related to heritage in the Klondike. The report makes its recommendation on three grounds:

1. That a bridge in the location preferred by YTG will have negative impacts on the two heritage sites already mentioned, 'based on the ... values described in the Commemorative Integrity Statements for the two sites.' These CIS's were developed in the mid- to late 1990s, well after the construction of the flood dike along Front Street.

2. The bridge contravenes the spirit and letter of a federal policy document called Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places.

3. The government has not made a sufficient attempt to look at bridge sites which would fall in line with the 'minimal intervention: approach' recommended in the guidelines.

One of the six options for bridge construction was upstream from Dawson City and would have had no impact on the townsite itself.

While no technical work has been done there, government engineers have continually dismissed that site as being too expensive, likely to cost twice whatever the price tag of the north end options (which began at $25 million and is currently estimated at around $35 million) might be at the time the question has been asked.

The Parks report states there 'is no evidence proposed solutions were given adequate consideration. Alternate solutions could result in much less impact on heritage values.'

Much of the report is a discussion of the nature of the heritage values in question, a detailed analysis of the significance of the 12 buildings in downtown Dawson owned and managed by Parks and their relation ship to eight other privately-owned buildings, as well as 'physical setting of the Klondike and Yukon rivers and surrounding hills.'

The S.S. Keno is likewise described within its current physical context. It will be considered as safeguarded when 'the viewscapes of the vessel and the river are maintained.'

If changes are to be made, Parks recommends that 'sympathetic development of the landscape as viewed from the town is encouraged to ensure the maintenance of the original visual relationship between town, river and surrounding hills.'

Fentie has stated it's the government's commitment to 'building a bridge that is in keeping with the historical theme of Dawson City....' (last Friday's CBC interview), the Parks report is saying that 'the proposed bridge ... involves alteration and additions to the historic place.'

It elaborates.

'The scale of the bridge and ramps leading up to the bridge will dominate the immediate area and environs ....'

The sloped approach to the bridge will change the shape of the street grid in the north end of town.

Being 13 metres above the normal summer river levels, the bridge 'will dominate the view as visitors drive up Front Street.'

Referring to the federal guidelines, the report says:

'The guidelines state the design of new projects in heritage areas should not obscure, damage or destroy the land patterns, spatial organization, viewscapes and circulation systems. In this case, the viewscapes, street grid, street levels and surfaces ... and the overall setting of the town would be significantly disturbed.'

The reports authors feel that 'the issue of appropriate design has not been resolved, and given the size of the bridge, may not be able to be resolved in the context of this historic place.'

In light of all this, Morin says the Parks request is that the Yukon government reconsider its options and find a way to build a bridge (to which Morin says Parks has no opposition) in a less sensitive location.

'In planning the bridge and all other developments, it should be understood that once the authentic resources have been obscured, damaged or destroyed, they cannot be recovered.'