Whitehorse Daily Star

Liberals to spend $309.4 million on capital works

The first Liberal government budget in 15 years is another record spending plan – $1.44 billion.

By Chuck Tobin on April 27, 2017

The first Liberal government budget in 15 years is another record spending plan – $1.44 billion.

The budget for operations and maintenance for the 2017-2018 fiscal year accounts for $1.13 billion, or $45 million more than what the Yukon Party identified in its last budget delivered in April 2016.

This year’s estimate of $309.4 million for capital works is $3 million more than the estimate delivered last year by former premier Darrell Pasloski.

Anticipated spending of $69 million on the Whistle Bend continuing care facility is again the largest capital project.

Capital expenditures on the project are expected to fall to $15 million in the 2018-19 budget as the facility nears completion.

The final $17.8 million is budgeted to finish off the $72-million expansion to the Whitehorse General Hospital.

Another $6.7 million is budgeted for the Shakwak project as part of $11.2-million budget for all Alaska Highway work.

Of the $9.7 million budgeted for work on the Klondike Highway, $3.5 million has been identified to begin the replacement of the Nares River Bridge in Carcross.

The Liberals have put up $8 million this year to start the planning for the planned new francophone high school.

Another $12 million is identified for the next fiscal budget, though a final cost has not been finalized.

With the two major capital projects falling under the Department of Health and Social Services, capital spending by that department accounts for 30 per cent of the entire capital budget.

Highways and Public Works is also right up there, as it usually is, accounting for 27 per cent of all capital spending.

Spending by the Department of Community Services accounts for 23 per cent of the capital budget.

The department, for instance, has budgeted $70.2 million for capital works.

That’s planned for everything from $4 million for protective services to $19.8 million for the clean water/wastewater fund, including the initial $3.3 million of the $4.4 million needed to replace the water treatment plant in Burwash Landing.

Community Services has budgeted $24 million for residential land development in Whitehorse.

As well, it has earmarked $2.1 million to complete the $4.5-million stabilization of the Ross River suspension bridge.

Under the capital works budget for 2017-18, estimates for the largest department budgets and how they compare to last year’s estimates are as follows:

• Health and Social Services – $93.3 million, down from last year’s $112 million;

• Highways and Public Works – $86.7 million, up from last year’s $78.7 million;

• Community Services – $70.2 million, up from last year’s $51.7 million;

• Yukon Housing Corp. – $22.3 million, down from last year’s $26.5 million;

• Education – $22.1 million, up from last year’s $13.4 million;

• Tourism and Culture – $4.78 million, down from last year’s $7.9 million;

• Energy, Mines and Resources – $4.5 million, down from last year’s $5 million;

• Justice – $2.7 million, up from last year’s $1.8 million;

• Environment Yukon – $1.5 million, up from last year’s $1.2 million.

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