A massive and expensive project to upgrade the Selkirk Water Treatment Plant is moving forward.

The City of Whitehorse announced Monday it has “awarded a contract to Wildstone Construction Ltd., partnered with Stantec, for the first phase of a two phase Design-Build project to expand the existing Selkirk Water Treatment Plant in Riverdale.”

The city said the project will provide additional treatment barriers to support the mounting water demands of the city’s growing population and ensure year-round access to potable water. 

“The city intends to draw and treat water from Schwatka Lake in addition to drawing from the Selkirk Aquifer.” For decades, the lake served as the city’s main water source.

This will be one of the most expensive projects in Whitehorse history, at a price tag of $55 million.

“That’s a big price tag,” Coun. Kirk Cameron said during Monday evening’s standing committees meeting. “We’re going to have to figure out how we’re going to afford all this stuff.

“Any thoughts on that?” he asked city staff members.

They told Cameron the city is still working on securing all the funding. The tender is for the design-build portion of the project. There is money available to get that process going, Cameron heard.

The funding for the project is currently penciled in for the 2025 capital budget.

The upgrade and expansion has been on council’s plate for the last few years.

“The project will ensure long-term, reliable service delivery for residents in a fiscally responsible way,” the city said.