‘Friends’ pursue protection of McIntyre Creek

A proposal to make the area around all of McIntyre Creek to Range Road a territorial park could be in the Yukon government's hands by September after 25 "Friends of McIntyre Creek" met Wednesday night at Porter Creek Secondary School.

A proposal to make the area around all of McIntyre Creek to Range Road a territorial park could be in the Yukon government’s hands by September after 25 “Friends of McIntyre Creek” met Wednesday night at Porter Creek Secondary School.

Dorothy Bradley organized the session in the hopes of getting a group together with the aim of having the creek protected.

Watching the number of meetings happening over developments that have been proposed in places like McLean Lake, Bradley decided to work on trying to get McIntyre Creek protected.

“It’s very intriguing for me to work with the Renewable Resource Council in Pelly - the Selkirk Renewable Resource Council - and find out that there is a way that we can do this so that the government has to sit down and look hard at this and we can tell them what we actually want,“ Bradley said in an interview following the two-hour meeting.

With proposals like the Porter Creek D residential development, issues around the possible Yukon College endowment lands, plans for six country residential lots on Fish Lake Road and other plans around sections of the creek, the proposal will need to be done thoroughly but as quickly as possible too, many agreed at the meeting.

“It’s not on (the government’s) agenda for September so we do have a few months to get something together,“ Bradley said.

Throughout the meeting, she and others pointed to the many uses of McIntyre Creek, from serving as a home to wildlife to a popular recreational area for hikers, skiers, cyclists, snowmobilers and many others among a slew of other uses.

An official proposal for a park backed up with information, studies and documents on the creek’s uses and who uses it would force the government powers to decide about the future of the watershed which flows into the Yukon River.

“They can’t put it on the back burner and wait until nobody’s looking,“ she told the crowd gathered in the cafeteria.

It was also stressed by many that protection of the creek needs to be an initiative that will benefit the city for future generations rather than as a Not In My Backyard (NIMBY) reaction to development planned for the area.

“If it looks like you’re trying to build something for all of Whitehorse, and perhaps even all of Yukon, that’s going to be used in perpetuity for sports, for economic purposes as it brings people to Yukon to do mountain biking (for example) ... then I think you’ll have a good chance of getting political support,“ said Al Von Finster.

He grew up playing along the creek and later came back to the territory to work with the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans.

It’s important to look at making alliances with others who use and/or recognize the importance of McIntyre Creek, he added.

That alliance is especially important with the Kwanlin Dun First Nation and Ta’an Kwachan Council, whose traditional territory is on the creek, Bradley and others stressed.

One KDFN member noted the importance of the input of elders with the initiative to bring attention to the issue with the first nation.

About a month away from being an elder himself, John Edzerza, the McIntyre-Takhini NDP MLA, told the meeting he’s 100 per cent behind protecting the creek.

In addition to groups like the Klondike Snowmobile Association, Yukon Conservation Society, Yukon Fish and Game Association and other organizations at the meeting, there was also talk of involving Ducks Unlimited, other community associations with neighbourhoods near the creek like Takhini and the local cross-country ski club, orienteers and other groups in the park proposal.

One person volunteered to compile a list of groups that may be involved.

“Then we can work together to use it for everybody,“ Bradley said.

She also continued to insist the goal of the park would indeed be the long-term protection of McIntyre Creek to be available for the public, and not a NIMBY approach.

Though the group would likely operate on paperwork as a subcommittee of the Porter Creek Community Association, its work would focus entirely on McIntyre Creek as the “Friends of McIntyre Creek”.

As Bradley pointed out, working as a subcommittee to an existing organization would make the paperwork easier until it can hopefully become a separate

“Friends of McIntyre Creek Park” society.

That said, the initiative would be for all of Whitehorse, which includes many residents not directly in the Porter Creek or Takhini subdivisions on the creek who use the land.

“We’re getting something for the city,“ she said.

At a community visioning session for the city, many residents said they value the natural beauty, wildlife and trail system Whitehorse offers, said Karen Baltgailis, the conservation society’s executive director.

In general, areas with green space have been found to be a benefit to hospital patients, attention deficit disorder symptoms are reduced, obesity rates go down and crime rates drop, in addition to the environmental benefits, Baltgailis added.

She pointed out every time there’s new development in Whitehorse, there’s a public outcry. It shows planning has to happen and include green space protection.

“We need that network of protected areas,“ she said, adding she thinks there will be a “tremendous” amount of support for protection around McIntyre Creek.

Many residents have been willing to sign a petition to protect McLean Lake and noted the need for green space throughout Whitehorse to have that protection, she pointed out.

While some residents question why the park not go beyond Range Road, it was noted that it’s difficult to get a park established at former dump sites such as near the Yukon River beyond Range Road.

Areas can always be added on later, it was noted.

As discussions continued through the meeting, members learned that while the land is owned by the territory, it is up to the city to propose land use in Whitehorse boundaries.

An agreement between the city and territory outlines the role each level of government plays, said Porter Creek South MLA Don Inverarity.

That means while the park would likely go to the territory for approval, the city would have to go to the territory to suggest the use as well, it was noted by several people last night.

By the end of the session, close to about a half-dozen people, representing a various groups and individuals, had signed up to assist Bradley in getting things started, beginning with coming up with an exact boundary for the proposed park.