Yukon Receives $45 Million for Whitehorse-Area Landslide Prevention, Additional Funds for Flood Recovery
The federal government is dedicating $45 million to prevent landslides along the Whitehorse Escarpment to safeguard the land beneath Whitehorse International Airport and its access road to Yukon’s capital.
In recent years, the escarpment has been prone to landslides, leading to the construction of a protective barrier along the access road.
Infrastructure Canada announced a plan to relocate the access route farther from the base of the escarpment to minimize slide risks.
The department’s mitigation efforts will involve re-grading the slope, planting vegetation, and expanding the existing barrier.
In addition to the $45 million, Emergency Preparedness Minister Harjit Sajjan revealed over $8.7 million in disaster financial assistance to aid Yukon in recovering from springtime floods over the past three years.
According to a statement from Natural Resources Canada, Ottawa has allocated an extra $3.5 million over four years to support flood-hazard mapping in the Yukon.
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The statement also mentions that draft flood hazard maps have been finalized for the communities of Carmacks, Carcross, Tagish, Marsh Lake, and Lake Laberge, with the final maps set to be included in the territory’s flood atlas this summer. Mapping projects for Old Crow, Dawson City, and the Klondike Valley are scheduled for this year and 2025.
