Whitehorse Daily Star

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Photo by Whitehorse Star

Dexter Kotylak

Trail improvements planned

Those who use the trail snaking along the Yukon River downtown will notice some changes over the coming summer.

By Stephanie Waddell on May 24, 2018

Those who use the trail snaking along the Yukon River downtown will notice some changes over the coming summer.

At Tuesday’s meeting, city council approved changes to the budget to add $11,424 from the Canada Parks and Recreation Association along with two grants totalling $23,000 from the Trans Canada Trail.

The funding from the Trans Canada Trail will see $10,000 go to resurfacing the pavement along the trail.

The city is adding another $41,000 for that, while the remaining $13,000 from the Trans Canada Trail will go to putting in new signs.

The funding from the parks and rec association will assist the city with wages for two parks maintenance staffers for the city’s trail crew through the summer, with the city matching the $11,424 as well.

As Dexter Kotylak, the city’s trails co-ordinator, told council in an earlier report: “Parks and Community Development has secured Government of Canada funding in the amount of $11,424 via Employment and Social Development Canada and the CPRA to support a ‘green jobs’ program for youth.

“Officially titled the Summer Work Experience Green Jobs Initiative, the program will provide direct financial support – by means of wage subsidies – to the City of Whitehorse to offer new summer job positions that focus on green career-related activities.”

Council was unanimous in approving the budget changes for the trail work and hiring for the summer positions.

Comments (18)

Up 0 Down 1

Bandit on May 30, 2018 at 2:15 pm

First of all, I want to say that I fully support equal use/rights on our trail systems. This is the time of year the X-country ski club (mob) is dry land training and I am in full support of their sport. However, I would much rather meet an ATV on the Whistlebend trails than that crew. You can hear them coming from a half a mile away (noise, peace and quiet?) and I am not sure if a dog or a child ran out in front of them how it would play out.

Up 4 Down 0

Max Mack on May 29, 2018 at 5:05 pm

Paving wilderness so "nature-lovers" can enjoy "wilderness".

Irony?

Up 1 Down 4

Get outside on May 29, 2018 at 1:42 pm

@stan winter- thank you, I do believe that everyone should have equal opportunities to enjoy the outdoors. I am blessed that i am able to do most activities fairly well, while others are not. You are pretty bias towards equipment, especially when it has been around for a long time. It's not new and there are less machines than there were in the 90's when private sector was booming.

The Whitehorse region has also grown, and so have the trail networks which you probably use. Maybe you need to move further away to enjoy your quiet.

Up 5 Down 1

Ex Yukoner on May 29, 2018 at 8:03 am

Face it, in the ‘new’ Whitehorse that’s evolved over the last 20 years that you all live in, everyone is pissed off with everyone else. That’s painfully obvious from reading these comments as well as the way you see people acting, whether behind the wheel, on a bike, or on foot. I got so frustrated living there I left as it isn’t the town and type of people I had known and enjoyed since the 60’s.

Up 5 Down 2

Stan Winter on May 28, 2018 at 7:22 pm

@Get outside - We live in a unique and beautiful area in Canada where all people can use trails.

Please get off the egalitarian bandwagon. I have lived up here for decades and walk, run, bike and I ski. I am out there and live out where it should be quiet and peaceful. Use common sense get outside. Also, walkers/ hikers and runners are the salt of the earth and they deserve quiet and safe trails.

Up 4 Down 2

Get outside on May 27, 2018 at 9:21 pm

@stan winter - We live in a unique and beautiful area in Canada where all people can use trails together. Get off the non-motorized bandwagon. It is not that hard. You mention this in every comment, it is boring. I have lived up here my entire life and walk, run, bike, drive an ATV, snowmobile, dirt bike and I ski. I am out there every day winter and summer... Use common sense. Also, walkers/ hikers and runners are just as bad especially when they are not paying attention or have a beef to grind.

Up 6 Down 0

Groucho d'North on May 27, 2018 at 3:02 pm

Cyclist, I know your frustration with biking in the Whitehorse area. I share it too but my concern is more about cyclists who do not obey the law of riding single file as the law requires. They are often witnessed two or even three and four abreast on the highways yammering to each other. When they get hit it will be the motor vehicle driver who gets taken to task. Governments, both territorial and municipal, could spend a little on some signage to remind bikers of the single-file law so we can all Share the Road safely.

Up 1 Down 5

BnR on May 27, 2018 at 1:21 pm

Well Josey, thanks for confirming my suspicions. You are indeed one of the guys driving around with an infowars sticker on your bumper.
Soy? Going to start throwing around cuck and alpha too?
Good grief old man, times are a changing, get out of the way.

Up 6 Down 5

Stan Winter on May 26, 2018 at 8:02 pm

I would like to see some trail monitoring by bylaw.
What's with people on non-motorized trails late at night with motorized vehicles, safety is a major concern which is ignored.

Have never seen a dirt bike with a license plate and I know they in all probability have no insurance. Ohh, it's the same for ATV's and snow machines. I bet bylaw was told not to look for infractions but just respond if there is an accident or someone complains.

Motorized Skidoos can use almost all non-motorized trails in the city. If there is a serious accident council will then wake up, see the foolishness, and change something that is foolish and dangerous.

I know people who will not use some city trails because it's not that safe and it's not enjoyable. If you want a quiet walk go to the Wolf Creek territorial campground, it's way ahead of the curve, scenic and quiet.

Up 8 Down 0

Tnk on May 26, 2018 at 4:46 pm

Boring waste of money. That is a ton of money that they could allocate to different parks or areas. They love spending huge amounts of cash on unnecessary ''improvements''. Instead of one trail that really has nothing wrong with it expect maybe a few signs telling bikers to slow down on curves as there are a ton of bikers that use it and go really fast. If you're not paying attention I would not be surprised if someone gets hit by one. Good use of some money - they could actually put some into the dog park, increase its size, put lighting in for when its dark during 1/2 of the year or how about put some money into more garbage cans around park trails and areas around town to prevent littering. Repaint the cross walks in the town you can't even see them. So many things you could do that would actually be useful.

Up 3 Down 0

Josey Wales on May 26, 2018 at 9:10 am

Hey drum...would do nothing, as we have stop signs everywhere, white and yellow lines on the roads and?
Still given the epic volume of entitled morons and ZERO enforcement we have chaos.
Funny that, folks give me heaps of personal space and seldom do I get crowded on our trails.
Expect drum things to get far, far worse in regards to polarizing of our citizens and encroachment of the engineered invasion via said morons.
If you think for a millisecond that our civic overlords care for “taxpayers” and their concerns, drum you are setting yourself up for a big biiiiig, BIIIIGGGG...disappointment.
Mind you I send a clear message I yield not to morons in how I carry myself.
More folks should...in my mere “opinion”

Up 7 Down 0

ProScience Greenie on May 25, 2018 at 10:07 pm

While we may have a growing have and have-not divide issue leading to more homelessness and poverty, we do have some pretty sweet trails in CoW. That's something special.

Maybe Yukon College could apply for more funding to develop a Trail Coordinator Technologist Program as it is obviously a growing and lucrative career path.

Up 4 Down 0

Josey Wales on May 25, 2018 at 4:33 pm

Clearly we have a serious crisis here we need addressed.
Apparently too much soy being consumed in our administration.

Up 3 Down 2

cyclist on May 25, 2018 at 2:12 pm

drum. The Millennium trail is a multi use trail. As such, one should be aware at all times that other users are on it and act appropriately. Imagine you are on a highway; stay to the right side, don't wander all over the place, don't walk two abreast.
As a cyclist, I deal with people walking all over the place on it, walkers taking up the whole width, dogs off leash. I've been yelled at for not using a bell, I've been yelled at for using a bell, too loud a bell, too loud a horn, too soft a horn....
Yeah, I pay taxes too.

Up 0 Down 3

Chaz D on May 25, 2018 at 2:09 pm

I hope they use the money to build a slick jump! I know if I got enough speed blasting down grey mountain I could prolly jump Riverdale!

Up 2 Down 3

Patty Grosman on May 25, 2018 at 2:06 pm

They should set up trail tollbooths and use the money they collect to deal with the trails - NOT MY TAX DOLLARS.

Up 6 Down 0

Joe on May 25, 2018 at 8:10 am

" trails coordinator" ? Are you for real? Is this part of the tax burden sustainability dept? Can I apply for the air monitoring position? Or the grass growth monitor? Or maybe we should add a moonlight analyst position...manager of course.

Up 6 Down 3

drum on May 24, 2018 at 6:22 pm

We need a white line / one side for walkers and the other side for bikes. I am a senior and stopped using the lovely trail because of bike riders who did not let us know they were coming behind us and I was nearly hurt several times. I am a taxpayer and should be able to use these trails safely. I have been in many cities who draw a white line showing where walkers should be and where bikers should be for each others safety.

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