After receiving a Yukon Government Community Development Fund grant worth almost $69,000, Biathlon Yukon is ready to begin addressing safety concerns and upgrading its facilities on Grey Mountain Road.

The fund and money contributed by Biathlon Yukon total about $86,000 for four projects, which Biathlon Yukon president Bill Curtis said should be finished before the first snow this fall.

The first project involves upgrading the steep slopes on the new bridge that was installed two years ago. Curtis is concerned that banks coming off the bridge are too steep and the dirt is “sloughing off.”

In the winter snow fencing is put up to address the safety concerns, but the work forecast for the bridge, with a budget just shy of $20,000, will offer a more permanent solution.

Biathlon Yukon is also looking to replace the retaining wall that divides the shooting range from the rest of the stadium.

The cost for the project is estimated at $24,000.

They are also planning to expand the penalty loop, which, depending on who flags it out in the winter, can be anywhere from 120 to 130 metres. The competition norm, said Curtis, is 150 metres.

To expand the penalty loop area, they will have to clear brush and trees about five metres outside the current cleared area.

In addition to the penalty loop, Biathlon Yukon will be looking to replace their current lean-to used for storage. A weather-resistant storage shed will be built in a clearing near the penalty loop for around $31,000.

With the expansion of the penalty loop, the Whitehorse Archery Club’s storage facility will also be moved back into the woods. They have also received a Community Development Fund grant worth $35,584 for the work.

Curtis said that with more user groups like Contagious Mountain Bike Club, the archery club, and the Company of the White Wolf taking advantage of the Grey Mountain range, it’s becoming a popular area.

“It’s pretty exciting,” he said. “The facility is coming along [and] it’s becoming quite a nice spot.”