Sign In Subscribe Now An alleged bear spray attack in downtown Whitehorse has changed a Watson Lake man’s view of safety in the Yukon capital for the worse — much worse.  Byron Holbein was in Whitehorse ahead of a medical appointment on April 14 when he says he was bear sprayed in the face and robbed by two men He described the men approaching him as he was walking back from a pharmacy to the motel he was staying at near the corner of Jarvis Street and 4th Avenue He says the men demanded he give them what he had and one said he was armed before promptly producing a can of bear spray and spraying Holbein in the face and they grabbed my gold chain and my gold bracelet from my wrist and I went across the street to try and get away but I couldn't see,” Holbein said.  He says one of the two men was affected by the bear spray and was still in the area when police arrived following a call by a bystander but was not arrested Paramedics gave Holbein baby shampoo and water to flush away the bear spray He was still in pain when speaking with the News the morning after the incident.  Holbein uses a cane and is undergoing treatment for heart trouble and cancer Along with what he says was stolen from him Holbein is dealing with the effects of having to reschedule the medical appointment he was in Whitehorse for.  “I just had heart surgery down in Vancouver and I was up there [in Whitehorse] for a follow up appointment at the hospital and I didn't even make it to my appointment,” he said.  The RCMP have confirmed they are investigating the April 14 incident but have shared few details Holbein says he was told police would be seeking his help identifying the perpetrators but he says he hadn’t been shown a promised photo lineup as of May 1.  Contact Jim Elliot at jim.elliot@yukon-news.com Dialogue and debate are integral to a free society and we welcome and encourage you to share your views on the issues of the day. We ask that you be respectful of others and their points of view, refrain from personal attacks and stay on topic. To learn about our commenting policies and how our community-based moderation works, please read our Community Guidelines Parking tickets are tucked under the windshield wipers of some unlucky drivers in downtown Whitehorse on April 30 that pesky parking ticket will cost you a whole lot more councillors adopted a raft of changes to parking and traffic fines This includes the fine for most meter-related fines hopping up to $40 per violation parking tickets were supposed to be raised to $50 given it’s been at least 18 years since city council touched ticket prices Paolo Gallina at April 14’s council meeting parking fees for parking more than one metre away from the parking meter parking for three hours at a 2-hour parking meter even if you’re plugging the metre throughout) and parking in the same block for longer than the prescribed period were set at $40 a pop Reduced fines for earlybird payers will still be available The new ticket prices will go into effect July 1 Parking fees are also set to rise across the city that very day With the passing of the operations budget earlier this year the cost to get 15 minutes at a meter was set at $0.50 instead of $0.25 The fee for using the parkade at 6th and Main was set at a dollar an hour Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account Access KelownaNow using your Facebook account Privacy Policy A team from Canada's Transportation Safety Board is in Whitehorse to investigate a helicopter crash Spokesman Liam MacDonald says the Airbus AS350B was on a training flight with two people onboard when it crashed around 3 p.m flew out of the Erik Nielsen Whitehorse International Airport and crashed about 10 kilometres east of the airport MacDonald would not say whether the two people onboard survived the crash and the company did not respond to a request for information Yukon RCMP said in a statement that search and rescue and emergency medical response officers were deployed but did not answer a question about whether anyone had died A statement from the safety board says its team will gather information and assess what happened If you get value from KelownaNow and believe local independent media is important to our community we ask that you please consider subscribing to our daily newsletter If you appreciate what we do, we ask that you consider supporting our local independent news platform ▲ Back to Top ▲ A Whitehorse RCMP officer who arrested a teen girl for a minor offence without taking the time to speak with her and commented “don’t fight with the police” didn’t help the situation and in fact may have perpetuated negative stereotypes about police officers according to the police watchdog for the Yukon.  The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) investigates when Yukon RCMP officers may have caused serious injuries or death and allegations of police misconduct It found that while there’s no reason to believe that Whitehorse RCMP officers committed a crime during the April 8 that doesn’t mean they dealt with the girl in a “respectful and professional manner,” according to the report signed April 30 by assistant executive director Matthew Block.  “A quick arrest of a youth for a minor offence that results in a broken bone does not serve the public trust in the same way that careful and thoughtful community policing does,” reads the report.  who isn’t named in the report but is identified as the affected person (AP) thus the officers didn’t commit an offence by making the arrest and were entitled to take “physical control” and transport her for arrest processing “The available evidence suggests that the subject officers were unaware that the AP’s leg was stuck and they did not intend to injure her There is therefore no criminal liability in relation to the AP’s leg being broken,” the report concludes.  ASIRT doesn’t deal with disciplinary matters which indicates discipline is left to RCMP On April 19, 2023, APTN reported that a 17-year-old Inuk-Dene girl’s mom said an altercation with Yukon RCMP on April 8 left her daughter in hospital and needing surgery.  The mother told APTN that her daughter was drinking with friends in downtown Whitehorse That left her alone and heavily intoxicated The mother suggested the bar was low for police becoming aggressive and detaining her.  you put trust in public servants and you trust them with your livelihood and I feel like it’s failed,” the mother said Video published by APTN shows a heavily bruised and swollen area around the girl's right knee.  ASIRT was directed to investigate the serious injury involving police on April 26 The ASIRT report cites that she “suffered a complete anterior dislocation of her right knee with a small bone fragment in the knee joint.”  ASIRT’s report indicates that during the arrest the girl’s right leg somehow ended up somewhere around the wheel well of the police vehicle as one or both of the officers it is not possible to determine if the AP’s leg slipped or was moved by external force Ow!’ The officers pushed her upper body down to the rear seat,” reads the report The altercation continued and the girl yelled in pain again.  “Her right leg appeared to be at an unnatural angle and she had lost that shoe,” the report goes on.  Blood-alcohol testing during hospital treatment confirmed she was intoxicated from alcohol The investigation involved interviewing the affected girl and paramedics who treated her that day as well as RCMP radio communications and video from the two officers’ police vehicle and the Whitehorse Correctional Centre The investigators were unsuccessful in contacting civilian witnesses who were with the girl before police got involved Contact Dana Hatherly at dana.hatherly@yukon-news.com  A taxi driver in Whitehorse was sentenced on a Motor Vehicle Act charge from a 2024 collision with a pedestrian that left the woman crossing a street grievously injured.  Judge John Phelps of the Yukon Territorial Court read the sentence for Abdella Kassim Jemallo The judge noted that the sentence on the Motor Vehicle Act charge of driving at unreasonable speed is regulatory rather than criminal in nature and must follow the sentencing structure for such offences.  Phelps acknowledged that the sentence would pale in comparison to the loss suffered by Virginie Bourque the woman who Jemallo hit with the taxi and her friends and family.  was sentenced to a two-month conditional sentence to be followed by six months of probation.  Prior to sentencing an agreed statement of facts was read in court The court heard that Jemallo was driving his taxi with a valid driver’s license but with a vehicle for hire permit that had expired a week prior He picked up a passenger in Riverdale shortly before 9 a.m Conditions at the time were described as “civil twilight” about 45 minutes before sunrise.  Jemallo was captured on the taxi’s in-car video system yawning blinking slowly and rolling his neck.  The statement of facts notes that she was between intersections was not on a crosswalk and her route across the road “angled slightly.” Jemallo’s vehicle was travelling between 67 and 71 km/h when it struck Bourque The taxi would not come to a stop until it rear-ended two vehicles at a stop light travelling 61 metres beyond the point of impact.  The statement of facts contains evidence from an accident reconstructionist The investigation found that had Bourque crossed the road perpendicularly she would’ve reached the opposite sidewalk before Jemallo’s car reached her It was also found that had Jemallo been driving the speed limit he would've been 86 metres from the site of the collision as Bourque crossed The toll the collision took on Bourque and on those around her is explained in the statement of facts and in a victim impact statement read in court and referred to by Phelps at sentencing.  The court heard that Bourque’s injuries are life-changing They include injuries to her spine and brain that have left her partially immobilized and unable to speak She is expected to remain in a care facility for life.  The victim-impact statement from Bourque’s partner refers to her as a “remarkable” friend to many who showed up when it mattered most It describes how the injuries from the collision “stole her voice The sentence Phelps delivered considered past cases with similar circumstances and other factors Phelps noted the Jemallo’s guilty plea is an expression of remorse and his 15 years of driving a taxi with no other infractions as mitigating factors the high speed and his status as a professional driver in charge of the safety of his passenger were considered as aggravating.  Jemallo’s sentence includes a range of conditions including house arrest except for employment and other necessities as well as a driving prohibition with exceptions for his employment and transportation of his children with written permission from a supervisor The probationary period following the sentence includes 80 hours of community service to be directed by a probation officer.  A second Motor Vehicle offence Jemallo had been charged with 2025 – Picture this: you’ve just received your property tax notice in the mail and you are wondering how the City of Whitehorse arrived at that number — be it higher or lower than what you think you should be paying Property taxes in the Yukon are calculated a little differently than they are down south city council recently approved a budget that would see a 4.62 per cent to the current property tax rate But there’s a lot hiding behind that number on your property tax notice Property taxes are decided by a relatively simple equation: the tax rate (like 1.123 per cent in Whitehorse) is leveraged on the assessed value of a property the director of property assessment and taxation with YG a house with the assessed value of $300,000 would be paying $3,369 annually in property taxes don’t just go to the services and infrastructure within the neighbourhood you are paying those taxes “The property taxation in general is a way for for the city to generate the revenue by taxing property owners based on the assessment values of their properties,” said Erickson She said the collected taxes go into the general revenue fund for the city — which pays for city-wide services and infrastructure Property assessment values — which are used to calculate how much property tax a given property is owing — come from the Yukon government Bradley Rowett is the director of property assessment and taxation with YG He told the News that the government assesses properties on two factors: the value of the land Properties in both municipalities and unincorporated communities get assessed every two years they’ll look at the value of land based on recent sales as of July 2 That informs their decision of whether or not the department will increase land values broadly within a municipality Base rates are used to help establish cost per square meter costs which are derived from studies done in the summer the department will also consider inflation looking at the cost of materials and labour it takes to build a house That consideration is applied to land values so people generally see an increase to the assessed value of their home just based on inflation The department also does site inspections: picking one of the larger neighbourhoods in a municipality and going door to door talking to property owners and taking measurements One sticky issue that tends to come up in conversations around property taxes in the Yukon is the difference in taxes paid between neighbourhoods: the inequality even came up during the public hearing for the City of Whitehorse’s operations budget earlier this year Land values will vary depending on where you are located in a particular neighbourhood said Rowett: land values in downtown Whitehorse tend to be higher The age of a given building also has significant influence on the assessed property value assigned to a home what we're actually doing is we're calculating the replacement cost as brand new as if it was built in Whitehorse,” said Rowett Even if a house is located elsewhere — Faro for example — the replacement cost is still based on the cost it would take to build that house completely in Whitehorse depreciation of any given building will lower that replacement cost which is where the discrepancy between neighbourhoods comes from “What ends up happening often is some of the older structures which you're going to find in some of the older neighborhoods are going to have a lower improvement value than those that you're going to find in Whistle Bend and that's because most of the houses you'll find in Whistle Bend are brand new construction,” said Rowett “So the replacement cost to replace a brand new structure is going to be significantly more than an older home to replace it to the same point of where it was at.” “So when it comes down to who pays more in taxes It would be true that someone in Whistle Bend likely would be paying some more than someone in Riverdale based on those assessed values because the house in Riverdale is so heavily depreciated because it is so much older,” said Rowett He added that the assessors use industry standards and depreciation schedules to guide decisions about replacement cost values Other jurisdictions in the country take a different method: according to BC Assessment which assesses properties in British Columbia they primarily use market value when determining property values Properties are categorized based on class (e.g. the assessors compare the change in your property value with the change in value across the property class in your municipality If a home has a change in property value that is out of step with the rest of the property class then it will have an impact on property taxes if your house was previously assessed at $450,000 that’s a 20 per cent increase in value If the property class on average saw a 30 per cent increase if your property value increased more than the average then you’d likely see an increase in property taxes The Yukon does not calculate property values in this way because we do use market data to help us determine land values but primarily when we're looking at improvements we do replacement costs,” said Rowett “And the reason why we do replacement costs which is similar to some of the other smaller jurisdictions is because we don't have enough sales data to necessarily support a market approach.” Once the Yukon government has determined how much a given property in Whitehorse would cost they send over preliminary assessments and final assessments to the City of Whitehorse told the News that once the city receives those numbers they use them to build the city’s budget for the upcoming year The assessed value of each property that comes from the territorial government is then used to calculate the municipal property tax based on the mill rate The mill rate is another term for property tax rates and comes from the Latin word for one thousand “We rely on property taxes because it's our major source of revenue to fund the essential services such as roads and those assessments help us to determine how much tax revenue will be collected,” said Erickson The municipal budget planning process looks out how much it will cost to provide those services and the tax rate that will generate the revenue needed to cover those costs “We're not in a for-profit business,” said Erickson “So we only tax taxpayers the amount needed to provide the service.” Property owners in the city are expected to pay their property taxes by July 2 Late payments are subject to a 10 per cent penalty Talar Stockton is a Local Journalism Initiative Reporter with the Yukon News in Whitehorse Title image by Martin Binais from Pixabay Provide your email address to receive a weekly list of all content posted in the past seven days Follow Canadian Accountant on our social media channels City council has unanimously awarded $20,000 to the current owners of Hulland House The money will be used to update the historic 1947 home which was the abode of territorial superintendent politician and schoolteacher Jack Hulland in the 1950s and 1960s Owners of heritage properties in the city are able to apply for money from the city’s heritage fund for maintaining or upgrading the properties The limit that someone can take from the fund is $20,000 or half of eligible costs The fund has been used in the past to do restoration or maintenance at the Old Log Church and the Telegraph Office on Wood Street across from the Pioneer Cemetery is all-encompassing: sealing the building to weather and a “complete interior renewal featuring new mechanical improved ventilation and energy efficiency upgrade,” as per the city report The city report also says a ramp and front landing would be added to make the home more accessible The city’s grant would go towards work done on the exterior and structure of the building The city report specified the money would be going towards the reroofing weather sealing and upgrades to the windows and exterior doors in particular Contact Talar Stockton at talar.stockton@yukon-news.com  City council has voted to phase in the transit fare increase set for July 1 Councillors unanimously adopted a measure which would stagger the hike in the price of a bus ticket The fare price was supposed to increase to $3.50 — a full dollar over the current fee of $2.50 — come Canada Day It had initially been presented as part of the city operating budget Now, thanks to an influx of of cash from the Yukon government via the Comprehensive Municipal Grant the bus fare increase will only increase 50 cents this summer and then another 50 cents next summer The phased-in approach was initially floated by Councillor Paolo Gallina during budget deliberations The proposal to change the Fees and Charges Bylaw to reflect the phase-in fare hike reached third reading on April 28’s city council meeting Third reading is the final vote before something becomes adopted by city council is one of the people who spoke to council when the increase to transit fare was first floated She asked city council to not increase bus fares “We think that it's good that the fare increase is happening incrementally but we really are encouraging the city and our community to think more broadly about how to make transit accessible for a whole community,” Clark told the News over the phone on April 30 Clark added that public transit should be people’s “first choice,” when it comes to getting around She listed the numerous benefits of increased usage of public transit: less wear and tear on the roads Clark said YAPC had sent a letter to council recently encouraging them to make transit free after 6 p.m She said YAPC would like to see council look at the big picture of transit for everyone in the community Editor's note: the sub-head of this article has been updated to reflect that the initial fare increase would raise bus fare to $3.50 Dialogue and debate are integral to a free society and we welcome and encourage you to share your views on the issues of the day. We ask that you be respectful of others and their points of view, refrain from personal attacks and stay on topic. To learn about our commenting policies and how our community-based moderation works, please read our Community Guidelines. 4 months agoDuration 3:00The Yukon recycling changes to come in 20254 months agoNewsDuration 3:00The Yukon government started work to implement the 'Extended Producer Responsibility'. When it came to people's day-to-day there were big changes in 2024, as Joseph Ho tells us there are many more to come. Trump film tariff threat is ‘very troubling,’ ACTRA national president saysCBC News |25 minutes agoTrending NowVideo2:17 Video evidence, NHLer testimony raise questions in world junior sexual assault trialThe National |May 2Video11:28 Trump repeats 51st state taunt as Carney prepares for White House visitThe National |9 hours agoVideo1:19 It is a priority for CBC to create products that are accessible to all in Canada including people with visual Closed Captioning and Described Video is available for many CBC shows offered on CBC Gem. 11 months agoDuration 0:55Yukon RCMP search Yukon government economic development office11 months agoNewsDuration 0:55Police in the Yukon are investigating a business apparently associated with the Yukon Nominee Program. And as Gabrielle Plonka reports, the investigation now involves the Yukon government. Closed Captioning and Described Video is available for many CBC shows offered on CBC Gem A helicopter crash near Whitehorse has left one crew member dead The incident is under investigation by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB).  The TSB issued a notice on May 3 that it was deploying investigators to Whitehorse in response to a helicopter crash that took place the previous day.  A TSB spokesperson told the News on May 5 that the crash involved an Airbus AS350B which departed on a training flight from the Erik Nielsen Whitehorse International Airport on May 2 with two pilots on board The crash took place about 10 kilometres east of the airport the helicopter was operated by Horizon Helicopters.  “It is with deep sorrow that we can confirm that one of our helicopters was involved in an accident during a routine training flight on May 2,” a May 4 post to the company’s Facebook page reads.  The post confirms that the incident resulted in one fatality.  “Our heartfelt condolences are extended to the family of the deceased Out of respect for their privacy and in support of our team we kindly ask for privacy during this difficult time,” it reads.  The TSB was unable to provide a timeline on when its investigation might be complete.  The Yukon RCMP was involved in the emergency response following the crash The communications department of the Yukon RCMP division told the News that officers specializing in search and rescue and emergency medical response supported rescue efforts and the RCMP will continue to assist the TSB in its investigation.  With just days until the 2025 PBR World Finals Keyshawn Whitehorse is making a statement after a commanding win at the final Unleash the Beast event of the season Whitehorse entered the short round in the top spot and took advantage of the opportunity by selecting Mike’s Motive where the pair went 89.5 points to secure the event win his highest position heading into the PBR World Finals Whitehorse is locking in mentally for the sport’s biggest stage “Just having that strong mental capacity to perform at a high level on a high stage on the best bulls in the world that’s what it’s going to take,” Whitehorse explained Don’t miss the PBR World Finals – Ride for Redemption airing Thursday May 15th exclusively on the Cowboy Channel at 9:00pm ET All content © copyright The Cowboy Channel Do Not Sell My Personal Information Sign In Register A team with Canada's Transportation Safety Board is in Whitehorse to investigate a helicopter crash and the company did not responded to a request for information This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 3 Businesses and residences within a two-block radius of Blood Ties Four Directions Centre were evacuated after staff reported to Whitehorse RCMP that an adult female entered the building with a gun that was pointed at people inside police posted a notice on social media asking the public to avoid the area around 6th Avenue and Cook Street until further notice as police responded to an “incident” there.  Blood Ties Four Directions Centre posted to Facebook that evening that the centre was responding to a “serious safety incident” at the facility “We know this is deeply upsetting and frightening for our neighbours We want to assure you that the safety of the entire community is our top priority,” reads the post “We are in close communication with authorities as they manage the situation and continue their response.”  An update from the centre indicates all staff clients and community members are "safe" and normal access has since returned to the area “We hope to be able to resume providing services and supports to the community as quickly as possible,” the centre said the centre is directing people to access harm reduction services through the Council of Yukon First Nations Moccasin Mobile unit the Whitehorse Emergency Shelter and Housing First.  The centre operates its office and drop-in centre an outreach van and a supervised consumption site 2 women with replica firearm found inside: police Whitehorse RCMP initially released limited details about the "situation" that they resolved overnight in downtown Whitehorse Police posted the original notice to Facebook at 7:58 p.m on May 1 by email notes the "situation" has ended No details about the nature of what’s going on were included in the post or the email update The News had sought more information from police who issued an update via a news release at around 4:30 p.m Whitehorse RCMP responded to a report of someone with a gun inside the 6th Avenue facility shortly after 7 p.m “Initial reports stated that an adult female entered the facility with a gun and remained inside the building,” RCMP said.  Staff decided to evacuate the building and officers who attended the scene worked to contain and secure the building and surrounding area The M Division RCMP Critical Incident Program was deployed and began trying to talk to the woman inside the building they eventually figured out that two people were inside the building with a gun The release states police got inside the centre and found two women who weren’t cooperating and were arrested with the help of the police dog services at around 11 p.m.  Police located a replica firearm there.  are facing charges including pointing a firearm carrying an imitation firearm for the purposes of committing an offence and uttering threats.  Both were set to appear in court on May 1.  “The RCMP can confirm that no shots were fired during the event and both females were medically assessed for minor injuries prior to being held at the Arrest Processing Unit at the Whitehorse Correctional Center.”  A statement to the media from Blood Ties Four Directions Centre on the afternoon of May 1 indicates unsubstantiated rumours are circulating around what happened which they said can lead to confusion and fear.  We understand there is confusion around loud noises heard — these were part of the safety response during the incident,” reads the statement “We are now focused on supporting the investigation and next steps and getting services back up and running to make sure those who need them are cared for.”  Sign up for free account today and start receiving our exclusive newsletters Around forty people from across the Yukon gathered in front of the shelter at 405 Alexander on April 30 to demand changes in light of recent drug overdose deaths that have happened on the premises sharing stories of grief and loss of loved ones to drug overdoses sewn by inmates at the Whitehorse Correctional Centre to remember those they were mourning: sisters One person held a sign that said “No more victims.” The shelter has been the site of multiple deaths in the past few years: as reported recently by the News, the coroner’s service in the Yukon has investigated 14 deaths at or in association with the emergency shelter since February 2020 A coroner’s inquest which took place last spring focused on the deaths of four Indigenous women at the shelter coming from Little Salmon Carmacks First Nation Chief Dawna Hope of Na-Cho Nyäk Dun First Nation was also in attendance Na-Cho Nyäk Dun called upon the Yukon government to fire Connective — a non-profit and the current operator of the shelter — due to the deaths that had happened at the shelter The government instead extended the contract with the non-profit - a move Karen Nicloux Nicloux had a cousin die at the shelter last year She said that the shelter was the most dangerous building in the Yukon “If Connective can’t clean it up they need to go,” she said at the protest Nicloux told reporters that drug consumption and dealing is happening within the walls of the shelter This is supposed to be a shelter where people go harbour Nicloux credited the work of Blood Ties Four Directions’ safe consumption site She said she supports what they are doing and that people feel safe at that site at a press conference following the Yukon Forum Pillai told reporters that shelter staff saved 17 people from overdosing between November 2024 and February 2025 This harm reduction approach is not working.” She said that the issue of deaths at the shelter is not unique to First Nations and she said three of the people who have died at the shelter were members of the LGBTQ community “The government doesn't seem to care about First Nations and what they're asking for,” said Nicloux There was no obvious representation from the Yukon government at the rally Nicloux said she wanted to see the shelter implement a no-drugs-and-alcohol approach and she wants to see First Nations staff hired instead of current staff “I want to see these two buildings safe for the clients I want the staff to be laid off and they rehire First Nations people referring to another person who spoke at the rally and the staff told her that they just checked on him Let's see what Tracy McPhee and Ranj have to say about that.” Tracy-Anne McPhee is the minister of health for the territory She said two of her grandchildren died at the shelter and talked about the roles that elders’ councils played in the communities in the 1990s “We used to have young generation come with us teaching them how to live a life the traditional way “Nobody even allows the elder in to talk.” Enter your email to connect to 30 more days worth of stories by journalists living & working in Yukon Thank you for supporting local journalism The City of Whitehorse gave its first briefing of the season regarding the Robert Servce way escarpment landslide risk an engineering firm contracted by the city he said that this is characteristic for this time of year and there is monitoring in place The current measures in place currently involved hourly photos taken by a slope scanner radar regular visual inspections from geotechnical engineers shifting traffic on the road away from the foot of the escarpment implementing additional block walls if necessary and initiating the trigger action response plan if necessary The trigger action response plan is a formalized emergency response plan should there be any slope instability which could impact infrastructure The escarpment stretches across Whitehorse with twelve zones from Takhini to Robert Service Way: each zone has its own individual trigger criteria based off of risks and historical data The response plan also considers the size of the landslides if there’s indications that a landslide of a similar size to the one that occurred in 2022 the response may look like closing down certain roads or even evacuations in populated areas in the trajectory of this hypothetical landslide but the current monitoring in place would give advance warning of any significant landslide When landslides occurred during the spring of 2024 they were able to detect signs of movements 10 days in advance Wallace said geotechnical engineers are monitoring the cliff from the top and bottom as well as on the face of the cliffs themselves where feasible Inspections are taking place on a weekly basis right now but the frequency will ramp up as the spring thaw continues They’re looking for signs of water seepage They also have groundwater monitoring wells near the airport that they are able to check remotely as well as the aforementioned slope scanner radar photos which are taken every hour They’ve also installed more monitoring points in Robert Service Way escarpment specifically areas that had a bit of material fall last year brought about by specific weather circumstances that year the areas most likely to see movement are the parts of the escarpment from the Black Street Stairs to Robert Service Way “That's where we've seen the recent movement happening in the last few years going back longer into history,” said Wallace Realigning the escarpment along Robert Service Way has been put forward as the permanent solution to landslides The federal government put up $45 million — three quarters of the project’s budget — but there’s still $15 million that the city is looking for Cameron told reporters that they’re turning to the territory for that money He said that he has spoken with both Premier Ranj Pillai and Community Services Minister Richard Mostyn regarding the need for that money in recent days “This is the largest project we've ever undertaken in the history of Whitehorse and so it would mean some very serious work to make sure that that alignment of federal territorial and municipal funding would be able to meet the overall requirements,” said Cameron He credited city staff as working diligently in terms of preparation to ensure that the project’s scope is as tight as possible Cameron did express that while the city is hoping the project can be completed for under $60 million he’d be glad to see it come in at $60 million on the dot Cameron did say that the city expects to contribute to the project budget but that the city would have to dig deep into reserves and look at the city budget to meet the needs of the project The mayor also confirmed the project will not go ahead until the budget is fully secured the city has been consistently working on responding to the risk of landslides along the Robert Service Way The Whitehorse Escarpment Slope Geohazard Study as well as the implementation of a sheet pile wall barrier The concept design for the slope restabilization was completed in 2024 2024 also saw the permanent realignment of the Takhini sanitary trunk and the installation of the concrete block wall and jersey barrier wall beside the escarpment along Robert Service Way with special focus towards Robert Service Way Sign up below for unlimited digital access for 30 days receive our daily news alerts & breaking news Trump film tariff threat is ‘very troubling,’ ACTRA national president saysCBC News |26 minutes agoTrending NowVideo2:17 Linda Fair, who biked across Canada with several dogs in the 1990s said her final farewells to her beloved husky The pair were separated following Fair’s hospitalization a year ago is near the end of her life and had to give up her dogs when she became ill helped arrange an opportunity for Kilo to reunite with Fair at Wind River Hospice House in Whitehorse as a final poignant goodbye she had to get rid of all her dogs and it broke her heart because they are the descendants of her original five dogs that she took across Canada,” Quilty told the News helped facilitate the visit by chaperoning Kilo to the hospice Chavanon adopted one of Fair’s dogs and brought Kilo for the visit because of his gentle and calm nature as Quilty noted that sled dogs can be quite rambunctious at times carefully climbed onto the bed with her and rested his chin on her chest A delightful smile spread across Fair’s face as the two reconnected after being apart following Fair's hospitalization “When I needed my dogs they were always there,” Fair said The reunion with Kilo sparked a nostalgic retelling of Fair's travels across Canada With only an hour's notice and a meagre budget following the breakdown of a relationship Fair and her five dogs embarked on an impromptu journey that spanned several provinces Fair and her team of dogs faced numerous challenges along the way from blizzards and injuries to flat tires and troubles with the law she recounted uplifting moments of generosity from Canadians as she made her way across the country Fair authored two volumes titled "Five Dog Night," chronicling her journey from Edmonton her story captures the close bond she formed with her canine companions who accompanied her on the adventure I need to give you an hour to get out of here I let them pull me on a wheel type of pedal bicycle,” Fair said "You are not supposed to be committing vagrancy You have to prove that you have the ability and means to travel I thought the rest of Canada’s a good place.' He seemed perturbed by that," Fair said Fair, a former Carcross librarian, began her journey across Canada fleeing domestic abuse with only 25 cents in her pocket coordinated with Chavanon to bring Kilo for a final visit Quilty was inspired by a similar experience with her sister where a horse was brought to her in a hospital parking lot Quilty told the News she aimed to bring joy to Linda in her final days by recreating a connection to her beloved dogs fulfilled my sister's last dying wish of riding a horse but because my sister couldn't get up and go to the horses Rita brought the horses to the parking lot of the hospital,” Quilty said “You wouldn't even know she was sick when you saw her that day Quilty told the News she shares a deep friendship with Fair with the two often supporting each other in times of need Quilty recalled organizing a team to deliver six cords of firewood to Fair highlighting their strong bond and dedication to helping one another The Whitehorse RCMP is investigating gunfire in the Yukon capital’s Riverdale neighbourhood that left one person injured on the evening of April 27 on April 28 describes the person's injuries as non-life threatening In an update by email to the News on April 29 police said the victim was a teenage boy The incident left a part of Selkirk Street behind crime scene tape as police investigated According to RCMP they are gathering evidence and speaking with witnesses.  RCMP vehicles could be seen in the vicinity of buildings at the corner or Nisutlin Drive and Selkirk Street at around 9:20 p.m “Police are seeking the public’s assistance Anyone who may have witnessed the incident or noticed any suspicious activity in the area is urged to come forward,” the RCMP notice reads.  or doorbell camera recordings from the vicinity around the time of the incident investigators would like to review that material.” Anyone with information or relevant video footage can contact the RCMP at 867-667-5555 or pass information anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.  Parking tickets in Whitehorse could increase to as much $50 per ticket if city council approves proposals set out by city staff At April 8’s city standing committee — where matters are presented and discussed but not voted upon — the city’s manager of bylaw services proposed increased traffic fines for a long list of traffic violations in the city Join thousands of other like-minded readers and sign up below to gain immediate & unlimited access to our news for the next 30 days – plus start receiving our newsletters Whitehorse city council unanimously voted to review its lease policy at April 14’s city council meeting City staff suggested at April 7’s standing committee meeting that the city’s lease encroachment and land use policy could use a review as to how leases are calculated for non-profit societies The suggestion was triggered when two $10-a-year leases were presented to the council: one for the Whitehorse Rifle and Pistol Club the other for the Humane Society of the Yukon Localized erosion due to the spring melt has prompted the City of Whitehorse to close portions of the airport area trails according to an April 10 notice from the city.  The city has temporarily closed parts of the East Airport Access Road Trail including small connector trails in the area The trail closure area runs along the escarpment according to a map attached to the notice.  resident Lewis Rifkind posted to Facebook photos of signs and barricades blocking off the trails Whitehorse RCMP have arrested two men after one man allegedly fired a handgun downtown The release notes the report for service came to the police at 3:04 a.m cash and an unspecified “considerable amount” of crack cocaine.  Yukon RCMP communications said the investigation took place on the sidewalk along 4th Avenue is facing charges related to two counts of assault with a weapon possessing drugs for trafficking purposes and several gun-related charges including shooting a prohibited firearm The Yukon Arts Centre (YAC) is organizing a series of free outdoor summer concerts in Whitehorse and Dawson City from June to August featuring popular Canadian musicians to celebrate Lotteries Yukon’s 50 years of investing in Yukon communities is set to perform on stage at Shipyards Park in Whitehorse on June 28 Join the conversation You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account WHITEHORSE — A team with Canada’s Transportation Safety Board is on its way to Whitehorse to investigate a helicopter crash Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience Don't have an account? Create Account We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentSpokesman Liam MacDonald says the Airbus AS350B was on a training flight with two people onboard when it crashed around 3 p.m. on Friday. MacDonald says the helicopter, operated by Horizon Helicopters, flew out of the Erik Nielsen Whitehorse International Airport and crashed about 10 kilometres east of the airport. MacDonald would not say whether the two people onboard survived the crash, and neither RCMP nor the company immediately responded to a request for information. A statement from the safety board says its team will gather information and assess what happened. It says it is not the function of the board to assign fault or determine civil or criminal liability. transmission or republication strictly prohibited This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy You can manage saved articles in your account Delegates spoke to Whiteorse's city council on April 7 about concerns regarding mineral exploration activities proposed to take place within the city’s municipal boundaries has recently submitted a proposal to the Yukon Environmental and Socio-economic Assessment Board (YESAB) to carry out mineral exploration activities on a strip of mining claims running north to south from near Crestview to near the Mary Lake Subdivision Whitehorse residents are concerned about increased congestion on Range Road due to the Yukon government's plan to relocate École Whitehorse Elementary School to Takhini North prompting a transportation impact assessment recommending traffic safety improvements The school’s relocation has raised concerns from residents and Yukon oppositional parties since the announced relocation in October The Yukon government hosted an open drop-in public open house hosted at Takhini Elementary School on April 10 to discuss various stages of the relocation project The City of Whitehorse’s only bowling alley may be closing its doors for the last time as the owners of Northern Lights Bowling announced rising costs could mean the business permanently shuts by April 27 the Whitehorse business has been around for over 100 years Initially opening as a 10-pin bowling alley with a women’s team in 1908 it moved around the city before settling in Riverdale as a five-pin alley in the 1970s A Yukon NDP MLA says the Liberal government must replace a non-profit agency responsible for operating a Whitehorse shelter and a halfway house and supportive housing program following the release of two independent reports into how they’re run “I do feel like Connective has to go,” NDP MLA Annie Blake told APTN News “They’ve shown over and over that they’re not able to keep our people safe and keep our people alive…I am sorry She tabled the review in the territorial legislative assembly on April 14 supportive housing program with locations at the Whitehorse emergency shelter and the corner of 5th Avenue and Wood Street The report for the SHARP programs found it provided an essential service filling a critical need for justice involved individuals by helping them reintegrate into the community and by ensuring supervision while they are within the community But it also found the men’s version of the program wasn’t suitable in providing psychological safety and created operational and security risks for the WCC It further noted there was a lack of supports for people leaving the program; some participants in the men’s program felt unsafe due to things like substance use in the space and theft and that its location at the WCC was not ideal for reintegration Its recommendations for improving the program include moving the men’s program to a different location and relaunching a variation of the program for women The review of the Housing First program noted its “well suited to provide low barrier and affordable housing as well as to help people maintain stable housing.” “Yet the programs reliance on tenancy legislation and challenges in delivering consistent services have hindered Housing First’s ability to meet all the goals of the government differences in the level of services offered at both building locations have created a need for more tailored and fair delivery,” the report said It also found the program faces resource challenges staffing shortages and insufficient funding preventing it from offering a full suite of services and that  both tenants and service providers faced safety concerns It recommended improving safety by strengthening guest management creating and implementing clear guidelines It also recommended redesigning the 5th Ave facility and providing a cultural programming room for facility within the shelter to allow for better wellbeing stress reduction and cultural connection; addressing resource challenges like improving access to case management and outreach supports; and such as adopting new standards for routine training in areas of harm reduction healing-informed practice and culturally sensitivity Blake said she wasn’t surprised by the reports’ findings She moved the motion for the review last spring and previously raised concerns about the programs along with Connective’s operation of the shelter She believes the reports’ findings show Connective isn’t the right service provider to deliver programming to vulnerable people “I actually feel a lot more concerned about people who are accessing these services,” she said “We should be ensuring that any services that are in place or any sort of service provider that they are connected to Blake said isn’t sure who should replace Connective at this point in time but feels there’s an “urgent need” to find another service provider “Maybe it’s an opportunity or a time where we’re at now for all levels of government to come together and have a conversation about these services that fall under Yukon government,” she said it’s everybody’s responsibility at this point to come together to figure out what the next steps are Blake also noted she was expecting the review to include an independent report on the shelter The motion urges the government to conduct a review of all programs operated in the territory by Connective the government only hired MNP to conduct a review of the SHARP programs and Housing First NDP leader Kate White pressed McPhee for answers on the issue in the legislature “The Minister of Health and Social Services not only promised to do a review of the White Horse emergency shelter she committed she would table it by the end of October 2024 the review is nowhere to be found … Where is the review of the Whitehorse emergency shelter?” she asked She said her commitment was to table a review of recommendations to improve the shelter which was conducted by the government and Connective following an inquest last spring that examined the deaths of four First Nations women who died while accessing the shelter had already been completed at the end of October and is publicly available The government said in the memo that the department of health and social services and the department of justice are analyzing the results of the reviews and working to determine next steps for the different programs vice-president of service delivery for northern B.C said in an email statement it welcomed the opportunity to learn from and act on the report’s findings “We appreciate the reports’ attention to both the need for these services and the structural and systemic challenges impacting them—such as the gap in second-stage housing and the complexity of the overdose crisis—and hope this will help drive broader action on underlying issues We are committed to working with the Yukon Government to enhance outcomes and supports for the residents of SHARP and Housing First,” he said the shelter has been an issue of contention between the opposition party and the government in the territorial legislature in recent weeks The Yukon Party has long called for the shelter meaning it allows people under the influence of alcohol and drugs to access the space to revert back to its previous high barrier model in order to curb criminal and inappropriate behavior Owners Silvia and Walter Streit said the Salvation Army ran it as a “dry facility with low to moderate impact on the neighborhood.” “After Yukon Government took over control of the shelter and transformed it in a low barrier facility “Alexander Street and surrounding area is not safe anymore… Everyday we are now collecting needles dealing with individuals blocking our doorways and even having to use side doors to access our building.” While Pillai has expressed interest in changing the Housing First program at the shelter to a high barrier model he said the government is sticking with the low barrier model for the shelter space on the bottom floor McPhee said in the legislature last week the shelter previously operated as an “extremely high-barrier location” and that vulnerable people were not receiving proper care or services under that model Pillai also pointed fingers at the Yukon Party “I am sure that when the Yukon Party built the shelter at 405 they took into consideration that we might have population growth and that the complexity of challenges would be greater and that we would have individuals as well who would come from outside of the territory into our downtown core but that is the reality of what we’re dealing with,” he said Signup to our newsletter and receive this week's top stories every Saturday morning The cost of living in two of Canada’s most northerly cities wages are also higher than the national average Let’s take a closer look at household earnings and expenses in these two cities under the northern lights Whitehorse and Yellowknife had higher average household income before tax and expenditures compared with the national average in 2021 The ratio of income before tax to expenditures was also positive in both cities providing households with more discretionary average income (income after paying taxes and living expenses) than average Canadian households The title of the chart is “Average household income and expenditures are high in Whitehorse The vertical axis shows the amounts of average household income and expenditures in dollars from $0 to $200,000 in increments of $50,000 The horizontal axis shows three groups of two bars The first bar represents average household income before tax while the second bar represents average expenditure per household the average household income before tax in 2021 was $106,366 and the average expenditure per household was $92,500 the average household income before tax in 2021 was $123,461 and the average expenditure per household was $107,066 the average household income before tax in 2021 was $191,137 and the average expenditure per household was $140,112 The title of the chart is “Top five categories for household consumption expenditures The vertical axis shows three groups of five bars household operations and food expenditures The horizontal axis shows the average household expenditures in dollars from $0 to $35,000 in increments of $5,000 the average household expenditures in 2021 were $10,099 on transportation $5,587 on household operations and $10,305 on food expenditures the average household expenditures in 2021 were $13,144 on transportation $6,887 on household operations and $11,835 on food expenditures the average household expenditures in 2021 were $13,048 on transportation $8,121 on household operations and $13,223 on food expenditures Sources: Tables 11-10-0222 and 11-10-0233 As the capital cities of Northwest Territories and Yukon public administration is at the forefront of economic development within the region Important roles include policy development The title of the chart is “Top eight industries The vertical axis shows three groups of eight bars represent construction; manufacturing; retail trade; transportation and warehousing; professional scientific and technical services; educational services; health care and social assistance; and public administration.  The horizontal axis shows the number of individuals who belong to different industries as a percent of the total of all industries the percentage of individuals who belonged to different industries in 2021 was 7.7% in construction; 8.0% in manufacturing; 11.6% in retail trade; 5.2% in transportation and warehousing; 8.2% in professional scientific and technical services; 7.6% in educational services; 12.8% in health care and social assistance; and 6.1% in public administration the percentage of individuals who belonged to different industries in 2021 was 9.0% in construction; 1.6% in manufacturing; 10.3% in retail trade; 3.9% in transportation and warehousing; 5.9% in professional scientific and technical services; 7.2% in educational services; 11.9% in health care and social assistance; and 23.8% in public administration the percentage of individuals who belonged to different industries in 2021 was 4.7% in construction; 1.2% in manufacturing; 9.2% in retail trade; 7.0% in transportation and warehousing; 5.8% in professional scientific and technical services; 6.8% in educational services; 10.1% in health care and social assistance; and 28.8% in public administration Source(s): Table 98-10-0595 median public administration wages ($81,790) also exceed overall median wages ($61,910) These stable incomes that circulate within the community attract skilled professionals from other regions to further contribute to the local economies While women in Whitehorse (-9.6%) and Yellowknife (-9.4%) reported a lower median income than men in 2021 the income gap was lower compared with Canada where men earn one-fifth (+20.1%) more than women First Nation pushes for stronger safeguards shorter licence as relicensing moves forward amid Chinook concerns A First Nation in Yukon says a decision giving the Whitehorse dam the greenlight to proceed to the next phase in the relicensing process doesn’t go far enough to protect Chinook salmon the dam is an important piece of infrastructure for the Yukon generating around 75 per cent of the territory’s energy needs in the summer and 40 per cent during the winter months Operated by Crown corporation Yukon Energy its 25-year licence for the dam is set to expire on May 31 “I wouldn’t say we’re happy with it (the decision),” said Catherine Ford-Lammers who is a lead on the file for the Carcross/Tagish First Nation (C/TFN) especially Chinook salmon which have been in decline for decades That includes concerns around the dam’s fish ladder being ineffective and issues surrounding entrainment when fish are inadvertently sucked into the dam’s turbines and unable to escape Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and Transport Canada – issued a decision document on the dam stating the facility should be relicensed The evaluation marked the first time the dam was assessed under YESAB The board didn’t exist during its last renewal back in 2000 YESAB’s report lists 44 recommendations including finding alternatives for fish passage such as refurbishment; reconstruction or replacement of the dam’s fish ladder; future operational changes to reduce effects to upstream passage; and developing an entrainment plan to reduce fish mortality But the decision document found some of YESAB’s recommendations didn’t go far enough “to ensure that measures to reduce impacts to Chinook Salmon would in fact be implemented The decision also found YESAB’s report didn’t provide clear objectives for plans nor did the report address some concerns regarding First Nation’s wellness The report modifies some of YESAB’s recommendations and provides additional terms and conditions including the requirement for a traditional knowledge framework; interim plans to ensure immediate action is taken to improve fish passage and reduce entrainment and mortality; and cultural awareness and sensitivity training for all staff that interact with salmon detailed in the Decision Document terms and conditions below Decision Bodies are satisfied that Project effects related to Chinook Salmon and First Nation wellness are sufficiently mitigated,” it states Carcross/Tagish First Nation unsatisfied with decision But Ford-Lammers said C/TFN still has unaddressed concerns but we do feel that YESAB’s evaluation and then subsequently the decision document are lacking serious mitigations for the facility She said C/TFN also doesn’t feel it was given an equal seat at the table compared to other First Nations involved in the relicensing process the territorial government and Yukon Energy signed agreements for a 20-year licence last year – something C/TFN declined to do Ford-Lammers said C/TFN doesn’t support a long-term water licence and is advocating for a ten-year licence instead She said C/TFN views a shorter licence as the only way to ensure accountability in regards to the decision’s terms and conditions “We have a lot of citizens who are still concerned about a long-term water use license especially given the changes in climate right now,” she said and to have another 25-year license is just too long.” Ford-Lammers also noted while the reliance on mitigations has fallen to an adaptive management plan which C/TFN “has high hopes for,” the plan also requires the First Nation “to trust (Yukon Energy) despite the fact that they failed to meet the requirements of their previous reviews and a plan where we remain unclear about C/TFN’s participation and collaboration,” she said Yukon energy doing its part to protect salmon He said the corporation is committed to working with First Nations to ensure its operation has minimal effects on migrating salmon Muller said that includes things like implementing changes to the dam’s operations based on First Nation’s feedback He also noted the corporation has operated a fish hatchery since 1984 to help build and maintain upstream salmon stocks “Part of that process is talking about what do (First Nations) care about What are the ways that we can improve and consistently look to minimize the environmental impacts and social impacts of the facility?” he said “We’ve heard loud and clear that for this facility…the priority is understanding and trying to minimize effects to Chinook salmon.” Muller said a longer licence is the right choice for the territory “If there’s a push for shorter licenses we spend a lot more time and effort on process And there’s real questions about is that the right way to operate an intergenerational asset that’s been here for 70 years in short chunks,” he said As the utility is not likely to be relicensed by the May 31 deadline it recently applied for a 60-day licence with the Yukon Water board the dam will continue operations from June 1 to July 30 The board will also oversee the corporation’s proposal for the 20-year water licence Ford-Lammers said C/TFN hopes to plead its case before the board for a shorter licence She also noted the dam still requires DFO authorization – something it needs to bring the facility into compliance under the Fisheries Act where we hope to see DFO support and enforce good mitigations up and downstream for those chinook,” she said instead of going through those turbines and significant death there to those fry hopefully we can find a solution to have safer passage downstream and then either significant improvements or a refurbishment of the fish ladder Ford-Lammers said C/TFN ultimately wants to see a way forward where the need for energy is balanced with protections for salmon we really would like to see those salmon numbers back up.” Rizwan Shareef is the City of Whitehorse volunteer of the year for 2025 Shareef was nominated by the Yukon Hospital Foundation and was selected as volunteer of the year out of a roster of 25 nominees who were recognized at the April 15 volunteer of the year ceremony “has been celebrating its dedicated volunteer community since 1987 Pati Jinich explores the sister cities of Alaska’s capital and the capital of Canada’s Yukon Territory Pati greets Juneau over the airwaves where she’s invited to take over a radio show and interview members of the city’s thriving Filipino community who are documenting their history they take her to try traditional foods at a Filipino community center who is bringing Indigenous art to the modern world who found his identity through Arctic Sports and dreams of getting them into the Olympics She shares a meal and an emotional conversation about Native adoptions with activist Jennifer Quinto who completed a legendary dogsledding feat nearly 100 years ago Pati gets her bearings at the local market with food writer Miche Genest before foraging in the Mt Then she connects with artist and fellow Mexico City native Anick Fernandez who finds inspiration in family roots and a connection to nature Pati meets a former police officer who found an alternative way to promote safety in indigenous communities and she ends in the hottest place in Whitehorse: the studio of glassblower Luann Baker-Johnson she finds a pioneering culture of artistry and entrepreneurship and small tight-knit communities producing big characters who forge unique lives adjacent to the unforgiving wilderness A community service of Arizona State University and an affiliate of ASU Media Enterprise, Arizona PBS is one of the nation’s leading public media organizations reaching viewers across five broadcast channels and an array of digital platforms Copyright © Arizona Board of Regents that pesky parking ticket will cost you a whole lot more The price of a parking ticket continues to be a hot topic within city council chambers city staff proposed raising the price of parking tickets and traffic fees a ticket for an expired meter would go from $25 to $50 The rationale behind the price increase is to reflect the recent increase in parking fees: as part of the changes to the fees and charges bylaw associated with the operations budget which passed earlier this year parking meter fees were doubled from $0.25 Gladiator Metals has proposed a five-year exploration project within Whitehorse's municipal boundaries to be considered by the Yukon Environmental and Socio-Economic Assessment Board (YESAB) The company says deposits in the area have the potential to transform the city into a world-class source of high-grade copper valued between $7 billion and $10 billion per annum.  Gladiator Metals has invested approximately $12 million into the project so far with 80 per cent of that expenditure going to Whitehorse businesses according to an email sent to the News by the company's president, Marcus Harden Five men were charged with kidnapping and firearms offences following April 14 arrests in Whitehorse.  The calls were tracked to the Kulan subdivision north of downtown Whitehorse.  “An investigator attended the area and quickly determined the need for additional resources The scene was contained and the Critical Incident Program Team was engaged including the Emergency Response Team,” the bulletin reads Seventy-nine-year-old David Eric Godfrey has been found dead according to an update from police on the evening of March 18.  RCMP and the family thanked Yukon Search and Rescue and volunteers that helped search for the Whitehorse senior who went missing on the evening of March 16 With 79-year-old David Eric Godfrey still missing after he was last seen early in the evening on March 16 Yukon Search and Rescue (YSAR) has set up a command post where those looking to help with the search can report the YSAR command post is located at the intersection of Sycamore and Beech Streets and additional volunteer searchers are welcome The RCMP is also "fully engaged and steadily searching" per the release.  The police reiterated the request that property owners across the Yukon capital search outbuildings vehicles and tarped structures such as boats in an effort to locate Godfrey The RCMP is continuing its search for David Eric Godfrey Yukon Search and Rescue is assisting in the effort The searchers have issued the specific request that Whitehorse residents check their properties for any footprints that may be out of place and to search outbuildings vehicles and campers on their properties.  A 79-year-old Whitehorse man has been missing since the early evening of Sunday David Eric Godfrey was last seen between 6 and 7 p.m according to an RCMP news release published in the early hours of March 17.  A Facebook post to the Yukon Helpers Network group that has been used to organize the search for Godfrey specifies he went missing from the area of Sycamore Street Godfrey was not wearing clothes suitable for the cold weather when he was last seen and may not have shoes on; they add that he may appear disoriented and that he walks slowly and normally uses a cane but he is not believed to have it with him.  Godfrey is described as 5'6" tall with an average build and a large white beard black and red toque and brown pants.  The RCMP expressed concern for Godfrey's well-being Anyone with information on his whereabouts is being asked to call the Whitehorse RCMP immediately at 867-667-5555 With Environment and Climate Change Canada forecasting a high of 4C in Whitehorse on Jan it is feeling decidedly springlike in the depths of the Yukon winter A winter warm-up is not uncommon for southern Yukon winters chief meteorologist at the Yukon Wildland Fire Management Branch we are so geographically close to the ocean that it doesn't take a lot to get some of that warm air pushing into us which is why seeing one or two good warm-ups every year in the winter is pretty usual,” said Smith Women and children fleeing violence can stay at the centre for up to 90 days temporary housing facility in Whitehorse geared at providing a safe space for Indigenous women and children is now open to the public The Council of Yukon First Nations (CYFN) held a grand opening ceremony for its Family Preservation Wellness Centre on Friday The 15,000-square-foot facility is located in Whitehorse’s Whistlebend neighborhood It includes 10 family-style apartments and has capacity for up to 32 beds The centre is the first Indigenous-led facility of its kind in the territory It is also the first building under CYFN ownership “(I’m) really excited and so honored to be part of this project and to see it being open to the public today,” said CYFN executive director Shadelle Chambers “We have tried very hard to do this work in a good way… so it’s really come to fruition in terms of where we are at today.” Chambers said CYFN was selected as one of 10 recipients for federal funding during the COVID-19 pandemic to build shelters in First Nations communities across Canada She said funding comes from Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) She noted the Yukon government provided the land minister responsible for the territory’s Women’s Directorate described the opening of the centre as “bittersweet” because there continues to be a need for more such facilities in the territory “I absolutely look to the day when that is not our reality that women and children do not have to leave their home to escape violence,” she said Chambers said the centre will provide services for women and children in need “With more work and more programming available we know that we can help address some of those high rates of overrepresentation of violence against Indigenous women,” she said Chambers said there are often negative implications attached to the word “shelter,” which is why CYFN opted to call the facility a “wellness centre” instead She also said it was important for the centre to be located outside of the city’s downtown core area with shelters in the downtown space right now and so we wanted to avoid that stigma and also have a home-like community setting in a residential subdivision,” she said Chambers said CYFN didn’t want the centre to feel institutional instead seeking a more home-like feel that’s representative of the territory’s First Nations culture The centre includes artwork from all of the territory’s 14 First Nations It also includes a wet workshop where traditional foods like salmon moose and caribou can be processed on-site CYFN will assist women and families in securing second-stage housing Chambers said CYFN hopes to eventually have second-stage housing and a day care centre on site She said there may also be an opportunity for men to take part in programming at the centre such as participating in children’s visits “We are open to having community discussions around what would be appropriate for men as part of the family to attend programming here,” she said According to 2020 statistics from the Yukon government more than 50 per cent of residents in the territories have experienced “violence since the age of 15.” Two-Spirit plus (2SLGBTQIA+) people; youth aged 15 to 24; and people with disabilities “Women are three times more likely than men to have been victims of sexualized assault,” said a release “Men are more likely to experience physical violence Indigenous women are three times more likely than non-Indigenous women to experience violence.” CYFN Grand Chief Peter Johnston said the centre is a positive first step towards hope and healing for women and children  in need of a safe space to call home “We look forward to not only the positivity of what this building brings Whitehorse’s transit fare increase may be a bit more gradual than initially planned Whitehorse city councillors heard that the city got around $2 million more than expected in this year’s comprehensive municipal grant which is a chunk of no-strings-attached money distributed from YG to Yukon municipalities annually they could change the operating budget and use that money to take a gradual approach to hiking transit fares The Whitehorse RCMP is investigating a public disturbance involving weapons among a large group of young adults and youths on Main Street in Whitehorse The incident occurred on March 15 at approximately 4:45 p.m. according to a police news release issued on March 17 Video footage of the disturbance from Facebook shows a group of individuals retreating from a larger group before driving off in a blue Dodge Caliber The principal of Jack Hulland Elementary School has issued a another letter to school families notifying them that he recently became aware of allegations of “inappropriate behaviour” towards a student by an employee working at the school Principal Jeff Hills said he became aware of the allegations at the kindergarten to Grade 7 school in Whitehorse's Porter Creek neighbourhood on April 4 As spring makes its way into Whitehorse and the snow melts the City of Whitehorse has eyes on the escarpment along Robert Service Way Traffic control measures regarding the landslide-prone escarpment are set to take place March 30 The escarpment in that area experienced landslides in 2022 and 2023 cutting off the important artery into downtown Whitehorse there is a continued risk of landslides similar to those seen in previous years