Photo by Photo Submitted
TRAILS FOR THE TAKING – The map shows the various types of trails available to users in Whitehorse North. Map courtesy CITY OF WHITEHORSE
Whitehorse North Trail Plan adopted
City council adopted the Whitehorse North Trail Plan at a council meeting late last month.
City council adopted the Whitehorse North Trail Plan at a council meeting late last month.
Council has now adopted five trail plans for the various Whitehorse neighbourhoods.
“Whitehorse North is the final area of the community to receive a Neighbourhood Trail Plan,” says the administrative report prepared for council.
“The Whitehorse North Trail Plan builds on the vision and guiding principles laid out in the 2020 Whitehorse Trail Plan.
“Consistent with other neighbourhood trail plans, the trail plan for Whitehorse North consists of a map that identifies existing trails, proposes trail use designations in accordance with the City of Whitehorse Trail Maintenance Policy, and identifies growth opportunities for new trail development.”
The final plan was developed through a six-phase process. It included a background data review and the preparation of two draft maps prior to adoption of the final plan.
The report notes there was extensive engagement with residents. stakeholders, rights holders and the public.
Resident input into the first draft was gathered through a mail-out and on online survey that was distributed to 185 households in Whitehorse North.
The report notes First Nations and trail stewards were invited to provide feedback into the draft plan.
The online survey received a high level of participation with approximately one in 10 Whitehorse North property owners completing the survey, says the report.
The map identifies motorized multi-use trails, non-motorized multi-use trails and the Trans Canada Trail.
It also identifies city parks and environmentally sensitive areas, along with land owned by the Kwanlin Dun First Nation and the Ta’an Kwach’an Council.
The Whitehorse North plan encompasses the area from Forest View and the Cousin’s Airstrip to the Takhini River in the north and to past the Steven’s Quarry to the west.
Following the community charrette, the map was refined into a final Whitehorse North Trail Plan based on the engagement results, principles outlined in the 2020 City of Whitehorse Trail Plan, and staff ground-truthing of potential trail designation and development options.
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Comments (9)
Up 8 Down 4
Dave on Nov 10, 2022 at 1:23 pm
I love walking on snow machine groomed trails. I ride on non motorized trails, so that kids with short legs and seniors can still play too.
Up 3 Down 3
John on Nov 10, 2022 at 7:54 am
This will also make it easier for all the critters to access our trash bins. Bon appetite!
Up 4 Down 2
John on Nov 10, 2022 at 7:54 am
This will also make it easier for all the critters to access our trash bins. Bon appetite!
Up 8 Down 3
Dave on Nov 9, 2022 at 2:58 pm
I hope they call it Cabot trail.
Like Cabot’s sheet piling wall.
Up 13 Down 6
Groucho d'North on Nov 9, 2022 at 8:53 am
Expect an increase of litter and dog waste along these trails. Did the COW consider trash cans in any of their planning? Yes I agree, dealing with littering should be the responsibility of those using the trails, but history has demonstrated many just don't care.
Up 14 Down 7
KC on Nov 9, 2022 at 7:51 am
I get some of the restrictions and flashpoints around trails that are close to residential areas but quite frankly once you get about five minutes from those areas there is pretty well no one out there except maybe in the Riverdale area. Any disruption caused by motorized to non-motorized users will be transitory. The general rule should be that existing double track trails in non-sensitive area should be motorized. Even more so in the winter when the number of non-motorized users is even smaller.
Up 8 Down 17
Nathan Living on Nov 8, 2022 at 9:33 pm
Amazing participation or is it wishful thinking by city trail planners.
Based on license plates and safety equipment my estimate is that about 98 percent of the people using motorized vehicles ignore the city of Whitehorse requirements. Is there a plan by the city to ignore what is taking place until there is an accident or event that galvanizes council?
And if you read letters to the editor non motorized trails are open to snow machines in the winter with almost no exceptions.
Council seems to be pandering to one trail user group. Thanks council for doing suce a poor job.
Up 7 Down 8
@thomqsbrewer on Nov 8, 2022 at 5:21 pm
It may seem low, but %10 is actually a respectable response rate for a survey. Whether the city could/should have used other methods of engagement is another question.
Up 46 Down 6
Thomas Brewer on Nov 8, 2022 at 3:01 pm
In what world do the report authors live in where 10% is "a high level of participation". This seems more like an abject failure to engage the local residents to me.