The Yukon Party wants the Liberal government to pony up some money to help support the construction of new water treatment facilities in Whitehorse.

“We’re asking the government to prioritize new infrastructure funding to address water treatment issues  faced by the City of Whitehorse,” the party said last Thursday.

In an Oct. 10, 2023, letter to the City of Whitehorse, Richard Mostyn, the minister of Community Services, explained that the government was unwilling to provide any financial support for the $55-million project, the official Opposition noted.

“The letter from minister Richard Mostyn to the mayor also scolded city council for ‘second-guessing the experts’ and pushing the project off,” the Yukon Party said.

“He pointed out that water treatment facilities are the responsibility of the City of  Whitehorse and not the Yukon government. The Mmnister suggested in that letter the city had sufficient reserve funds to pay for this project.”  

Patti Mcleod, the Community Services critic for the Yukon Party, said that “unlike the territorial government, municipalities cannot deficit-finance its operations or  infrastructure, so raising funds to cover the cost of critical infrastructure like a new water treatment plant can only be done by either cutting services or raising taxes.

“Whitehorse taxpayers cannot afford a  massive tax hike at this time. We encourage the minister of Community Services to  improve his relationship with the territory’s largest city and work with them to ensure tax hikes are not needed for this project.”

McLeod pointed to the recent temporary closure of a city well as a warning to the city about the importance of water quality.

“Now that citizens of Whitehorse have seen at least one well shut down temporarily due to giardia contamination, we hope that the minister of Community Services will  reconsider his position and help the City of Whitehorse find funding for the development of a new water treatment plant,” added McLeod. 

“This is not the time to play politics with infrastructure funding. The expansion of such an important water treatment plant in the Yukon’s capital city is now a health issue and should not be brushed off by this Mmnister and the Liberal government.” 

Jordan Owen, the communications director for the Yukon cabinet, said she did not have any response to the Yukon Party’s statements.

She said the minister’s comments in the letter “speak for themselves.”