The Yukon Party is questioning why the latest École Whitehorse Elementary School plans are “shrouded in secrecy.”

YG announced in June 2022 that Whitehorse Elementary will be replaced by a new school targeted for the Takhini Educational Land Reserve. That land contains the Takhini Elementary School and softball diamonds.

On Tuesday, Education Minister Jeanie McLean was questioned by the YP about a perceived lack of consultation with Takhini residents on the project.

“In August 2023, Kobayashi and Zedda Architects were awarded the prime consultant position in the École Whitehorse Elementary replacement project,” McLean said.

“They have done a site analysis, test fit assessment, and determined suitable locations on the Takhini educational reserve.

“We are now in possession of a report that we have presented at a meeting on March 27 with many partners and stakeholders to discuss the placement options on the educational reserve.”

McLean said the Takhini Community Association was involved in the meeting.

“Because these reports are embargoed at this time, just yesterday (Monday), we met with the École Whitehorse Elementary School Council to review the embargoed documents.”

McLean answered a question regarding a traffic study, increased traffic being a point of concern for Takhini residents.

“We’re working toward completing phase 1, where we will make some determinations as we consult with our partners and stakeholders,” she said.

“Phase 2 of the contractor’s work will entail a traffic study, which will be conducted to report on local impacts of the development, pedestrian safety, and traffic access, and egress from the site will also be assessed.”

Opposition House Leader Scott Kent said the minister “mentioned earlier today that, on March 27, there was a meeting held with a number of stakeholders to discuss three potential locations on the reserve for the new school.

“However, to the surprise of many, there were no handouts at the meeting and no media were allowed to attend. The minister told us on Thursday of last week — I’ll quote: ‘… when you are moving through a process such as this, you work with confidential documents that are considered embargoed, and that is what this is,’” Kent said.

“Why are these discussions that affect so many Yukoners considered confidential and the documents embargoed?”

McLean responded in part, “As you’re making decisions, when you are dealing with confidential documents, they are embargoed.”

She also mentioned that her staff had a meeting with the Whitehorse Elementary School Council on Monday night.

Kent countered, “The minister can choose to release these documents. That is her decision. We know that the new school could affect the softball diamonds that are used by so many Yukoners. The new school could also be built where the existing Takhini Elementary School is located – which would mean that school has to be torn down.

“However, many stakeholders and members of the school community are left to speculate because the minister had decided that this information is confidential.”

McLean advised that at the meeting on March 27, “The project advisory committee was present, Ta’an Kwäch’än Council, Whitehorse Elementary School Council, Sport Yukon, the Advisory Committee for Yukon Education — several members — Softball Yukon, just to name a few.”

Kent asked, “Will the government lift the embargo and schedule a technical briefing for the media on these three options so that they can inform interested Yukoners about what is being contemplated for the location of the new school on the Takhini educational reserve?”

McLean responded, “We are moving toward now considering the information, comments, and feedback that we have received.

“We are looking forward to phase 2, where we will get into more details and ensure that Yukoners are part of this discussion.”

Kent later told reporters, “Some of the individuals that attended that (March 27) meeting weren’t allowed to take pictures or to take any of the documents away with them.”

During the “grand reveal” in 2022, he added, there was secrecy around where the location was going to be and there’s still a number of stakeholders that have questions.”

Kent cited the hundreds of people who play softball in Takhini as interested stakeholders.

“We’ve heard from the Takhini Residents Association about concerns that they have. I’m just kind of curious what the minister has to hide.

“ ... The consultant’s report from last year included whether or not Takhini Elementary would have to be torn down as a result of a potential location.”

Kent recalled how the location for the new school was, in his opinion, “done without any consultation, and caught a lot of people by surprise.

“We hear residents in the downtown area wondering why they’re losing their school, of course. This whole process has been shrouded in secrecy,” he added.

The NDP has previously tabled a petition signed by downtown residents concerned about losing their school.

Kent said his party has heard that three location options are on the table.

“We’ve heard from some of the stakeholders that attended the meeting …. I’m not going to betray their confidence,” he said.

The organizations that will be impacted by the decision “have hundreds, if not thousands of members in some of them,” he said. “And they’re curious about what the plans are.”

NDP House Leader Lane Tredger advised, “I haven’t been told about these embargoed documents. None of that information has been shared with me or, as far as I know, with my constituents.

“I’m curious because I think it’ll probably make a big difference to the people who are living in Takhini .… There’s been a real lack of consultation with the people who live in Takhini.”

Yukoners have observed “a real pattern from this government, and particularly from the Department of Education, having really poor communications or consultation for sharing of information, and we’re seeing that repeated again here,” Tredger added.

McLean told reporters officials are willing to release the embargoed documents later, “once we’ve worked through all of the decision-making process, and happy also to provide at a later time a technical briefing with media around all of the work that’s gone into coming to a decision like this one.”

Asked why the information remains embargoed, McLean replied, “I think it’s part of that decision-making process.

“ .... We’ve shared information as soon as we could when a decision was made that we would be replacing École Whitehorse Elementary School, and that we’ve chosen to replace the school at the Takhini Education Reserve.

According to McLean, 18 people from various organizations attended the March 27 meeting, along with 12 Education Department and project staff.

She said they’ve also involved the Ta’an Kwäch’än Council and Kwanlin Dün First Nation in the process.

Of the three location options on the table, she added, one is more highly recommended.

“We’ll be releasing information at a later date, once we get through this stage of the process.”