Housing Development being Pushed by City Planners

If you care about McIntyre Creek and other wildlife and outdoor recreation areas in Whitehorse you may want to attend the City council meeting on Monday evening.

City planners will be presenting their recommendations for the OCP revisions at that meeting and Council will be discussing them. We fear City planners may recommend that Porter Creek D be zoned for housing development. This would block the wildlife corridor between the Alaska Highway and Mountain View Drive. We have tried to reach a compromise by asking for this area to be zoned for planning so that a scientifically justified, effective wildlife corridor can be designed and THEN some housing can be planned where appropriate. Most City Councillors seem much more interested in developing Porter Creek D regardless of wildlife, recreation, and the opposition of local residents.

Please come show your opposition to developing PC-D by attending Monday’s Council meeting, writing letters to the editor, and calling and emailing city counsellors. To email all City Counsellors and the mayor send to mayorcouncil@whitehorse.ca.

To write letters to the editor use the following email addresses: rmostyn@yukon-news.com and letters@whitehorsestar.com.

Thank you!

Karen Baltgailis,

Director, Friends of McIntyre Creek &

Executive Director, Yukon Conservation Society

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Flowers Along McIntyre Creek Hiking Trails

Except for the purple crocus (center top), which is the first flower we see in spring, this is a composite of the June flowers currently in bloom along the hiking trails surrounding McIntyre Creek. The Wild Roses should be the next flowers to blossom, and will enhance the hiking experience with their wonderful fragrance. There are carpets of tiny mauve flowers that almost appear as ground cover, growing in and around rocks, and in the clay soil. I don't need to know the names of these flowers to enjoy them on my hikes. Now is a great time to experience the McIntyre Creek trails and enjoy our wilderness City.

Photos by Gerry Steers
Gerry's Computer Magic

Greenspace Referendum

Hi everyone - at the last Friends of McIntyre Creek board meeting we
discussed the fact that the City of Whitehorse as part of their Official
Community Plan review is asking whether the Greenspace Referendum Bylaw
should be done away with. Evidently Planner Mike Gau has said that it would
be impossible to make changes that are recommended in the review with this
bylaw in place. I disagree - the only changes that would not be possible
without a referendum would be ones that change park reserves, environmental
protection or greenbelt into development zones. I'm attaching the bylaw for
your info.

http://www.city.whitehorse.yk.ca/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC=%7BADA6C371-38A7-4376-A020-33C43181D3B3%7D&DE=%7B46AEBD4F-E2CB-4014-819F-80AF2B121B5A%7D

Mayor Buckway was quoted in the paper as saying it was the Chamber of Commerce that wants the bylaw axed.

Another thing that was raised at the FOMC meeting was that maybe we couldn't
get McIntyre Creek made into a park because of the OCP referendum
requirement. The way I read it is that there might have to be a referendum
before the park was created, but I don't think that would be a bad thing.

I think it is important to let the City know that the referendum bylaw is
valued by residents as a way to ensure a democratic process for zoning and
to protect greenspace from being eroded a little at a time by City Council
in response to rezoning applications.

- Karen

Karen Baltgailis
Executive Director
Yukon Conservation Society
302 Hawkins Street
Whitehorse, Yukon
Canada Y1A 1X6
Tel: (867) 668-5678
Fax: (867) 668-6637
ycsed@ycs.yk.ca
www.yukonconservation.org