An unexpected announcement Wednesday in Ottawa about a new bridge for Dawson City turned out to be a case of mistaken identity.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told MPs during question period that “through the National Trade Corridors Fund alone, we are building projects like a new bridge over the Yukon River in Dawson City …. ”

This prompted the Yukon Party caucus to launch a salvo Thursday morning accusing the territorial Liberal government of blindsiding the public about its plans, given that a new bridge isn’t in the territorial Liberals’ five-year capital plan.

“With an aging ferry and annual challenges with building an ice bridge, Dawson needs a long-term plan for a river crossing,” said Geraldine Van Bibber, the Yukon Party’s economic development critic.

“However, public consultation on a bridge was concluded just a few weeks ago, and I wonder if that input was considered.”

Hours later, the Liberals fired back: “There are no plans at this time to build a bridge … in Dawson. We believe this may be a reference to the Nisutlin Bay bridge project …. ”

And a few hours after that, the Prime Minister’s Office had this clarification for the Star: “In 2022, the Government of Yukon requested that the money earmarked for Dawson City’s bridge be used to rebuild the existing Nisutlin Bridge, as it was in urgent need of replacement.”

It would seem that the PM had been reading from old notes when he said the $135 million in federal funding for strategic upgrades for the North Klondike Highway Corridor would include a new bridge over the Yukon River in Dawson.

“This funding included the reconstruction of 110 km of highway between Carmacks and Stewart Crossing and the construction of a new bridge over the Yukon River in Dawson City,” the PMO told the Star.

The Yukon Liberals’ cabinet communications staff noted in an emailed statement that a recently released What We Heard report found that most respondents (68 per cent) said they are satisfied with the current options for crossing the river.

“Unlike the Yukon Party, we’re not in the business of breaking promises or unilaterally making decisions for Yukon municipalities, and we will continue to listen to Dawson City residents when it comes to potential new infrastructure projects in their community,” the statement said.

For several months, the territorial government has been trying to get the federal government to remove the Dawson City bridge reference from its website.

The Yukon Party caucus did not fail to point out what it called the Liberals’ dismal track record on big projects.

“The Nisutlin Bay bridge project is tens of millions of dollars over-budget, and the Big Creek bridge project west of Watson Lake sits partially completed. Both are years behind schedule.”

In the early 2000s, the late premier Dennis Fentie’s Yukon Party government explored the cost of building a fixed link in Dawson, but found it prohibitive.

In the 1960s, the territorial council of the day declined an offer by the owners of an asbestos mine at Clinton Creek, across the Yukon River from Dawson, to cost-share a bridge project.

Ted Laking, the president of the Association of Yukon Communities, said Thursday many association members and Dawson residents began contacting him after news of Trudeau’s statement broke.

“Earlier (Thursday), I met with the Government of Yukon where I asked for clarification on the recent announcement by the prime minister for a proposed Dawson City bridge,” Laking told the Star.

“From that conversation, it was made clear that there are currently no plans for a bridge, and apparently the prime minister mistook the communities of Dawson and Teslin – which are over 700 kilometres apart.”

As someone who grew up in Dawson, Laking said, “I know first-hand how important this piece of infrastructure would be to the people of Dawson.

“Having spoken to a number of residents throughout the day, I know how disappointed they are to find out that this whole debacle was a gaffe.”