Nicole Hancock
Indigenous community hosts full moon ceremony ...

Kristen Villebrun and Wendy Bush hoped they wouldn't have to pray for Chedoke Creek, but four years after they first raised alarm about the water's condition, they were part of an Indigenous full moon ceremony to do just that. About 50 people showed up near Princess Point on the dark and frigid Monday evening for the monthly ceremony, which was particularly special as it focused on Chedoke Creek. The body of water that runs into Cootes Paradise had about 24 billion litres of sewage and storm water runoff leak into it due to a gate being left open.

Indigenous community hosts full moon ceremony to heal Chedoke Creek

Whitehorse

Design for a new water treatment system in Whitehorse delayed

Design for a new water treatment system in Whitehorse delayed

City councillors in Whitehorse say they want more information before moving ahead with designing a $39-million upgrade to the city's water treatment system. Councillors heard last week from city staff that the upgrade would add a new filtration system — needed because the city's groundwater quality has been changing. The design itself, which councillors voted Tuesday to delay, would cost about $2 million and be done by the end of 2025.

City of Whitehorse facing $39M upgrade to keep clean water flowing

City of Whitehorse facing $39M upgrade to keep clean water flowing

The City of Whitehorse is facing a pricey upgrade to its water treatment system, after officials noticed changes in the quality of the city's groundwater in recent years. The proposal is to add a new filtration system, at a price of about $39 million — and the city is not yet sure where that money will come from. There's also a timeline, as the work would need to be done before the city's water licence comes up for renewal in five years. "At no time is our water not safe to drink," said Mike Firlotte, the city's water and wastewater services manager.

YukonU aims to bring training videos to future water treatment operators across Canada

YukonU aims to bring training videos to future water treatment operators across Canada

Jon Widney can't help but smile as he talks about the way students studying to be water treatment operators are being taught today. "It would have been an easier learning process, that's for sure," said Widney. Widney is an instructor in the water and wastewater operator program at Yukon University in Whitehorse. That process he's referring to is a new learning tool the university is developing in partnership with the Calgary NGO Water Movement.

BQE Water Signs Multi-Year Operating Agreement for Mine Water Treatment Services at Minto Mine

BQE Water Signs Multi-Year Operating Agreement for Mine Water Treatment Services at Minto Mine

BQE Water Inc. (TSX-V: BQE), a leader in the treatment and management of mine impacted waters, has entered into an Operating Services Agreement with Minto Metals Corp to provide plant operations services for an existing water treatment plant at Minto Mine located approximately 240 km northwest of Whitehorse, Yukon through to 2024. Under the agreement, BQE Water will be responsible for clean water production at the mine where the final effluent must meet stringent requirements not only for metals but ammonia, nitrite and nitrate to protect the aquatic life in the receiving environment. Included in the operations services provided by BQE Water will be on-site technical supervision, coordination with Minto's environmental and metallurgical team to maximize the volume of water discharged into the environment, operator training, and on-site and off-site engineering support.

Environmental impacts unknown after Whitehorse sewage system repair

Environmental impacts unknown after Whitehorse sewage system repair

A major leak in Whitehorse's sewage system was repaired mid last week, but the extent of the procedure's environmental impacts are still unknown. The Marwell Lift Station, which acts as a conduit for the majority of the city's wastewater and sewage, was recently closed for a week to allow crews to investigate and fix the leaking pipe. During that time, the city opted to temporarily include bypass valves to dump a large volume of raw sewage into the Yukon River.

Wastewater entering Yukon River as sewer main repaired in Whitehorse

Wastewater entering Yukon River as sewer main repaired in Whitehorse

Whitehorse residents are being asked to limit their water use while crews work on repairing a damaged sewer main near the Yukon River. The city shut down the Marwell Lift Station and began to discharge wastewater into the river through bypass valves early Tuesday. While working to fix the leak, crews found additional damage.

Whitehorse residents asked to cut water usage during sewer line repair

Whitehorse residents asked to cut water usage during sewer line repair

The City of Whitehorse is asking residents to minimize water usage for the next couple of days as the city repairs a leak in the sewage line. Starting tonight at midnight, the Marwell Lift Station will be taken offline so crews can diagnose and repair the leaking pipe. Oshea Jephson, the city's communications manager, said in the meantime, bypass valves will discharge wastewater into the Yukon River.

Whitehorse city staff seek $2.3 million for landslides cleanup, repair and precautions

Whitehorse city staff seek $2.3 million for landslides cleanup, repair and precautions

Whitehorse city staff have asked council to approve $3.15 million in capital funding to pay for costs associated with the recent landslides in the city, and to start engineering designs to fix a water line and a sewer line. Staff asked for $2.3 million to cover the costs associated with the landslides. So far, the city has spent $1.6 million on building a protective berm on Robert Service Way, inspections, engineering and security, but more bills are expected for the cleanup, repair and precautions put in place.

Whitehorse one of the only cities in the world to measure airborne microplastics

Whitehorse one of the only cities in the world to measure airborne microplastics

Microplastic pollution is usually associated with the ocean where it's been widely studied, but new research shows those tiny particles can be found in the air as well, even in the Yukon. A team of researchers at Yukon University have been monitoring the amount of microplastics being deposited from the atmosphere into the air around Whitehorse over the past two years.

Check water management around Whitehorse bluffs, advises landslide expert

Check water management around Whitehorse bluffs, advises landslide expert

An expert who studies landslides says last Saturday's incident in Whitehorse wasn't the first and likely won't be the last. John Clague is a retired professor of earth sciences at Simon Fraser University who specializes in geological hazards such as earthquakes, tsunamis, landslides and floods. He saw pictures of the landslide and said he was surprised at the amount of water that was in the sliding material. He was also surprised by how far it went, crossing Robert Service Way, the Millennium Trail and spilling into the Yukon River.

Teetl'it Gwich'in woman named recipient of 2021 Canadian River Heritage Award

Teetl'it Gwich'in woman named recipient of 2021 Canadian River Heritage Award

A Teetl'it Gwich'in woman in Yukon, who has dedicated much of her life toward protecting and teaching others about the Peel River watershed, has been named the recipient of the 2021 Canadian River Heritage Award. Bobbi Rose Koe was recognized for preserving and promoting Teetl'it Gwich'in traditional ties to the watershed. Koe was given the award also for her "tireless and exemplary work as an organizer, community member, and advocate for youth engagement in river conservation and connection," it says in a news release issued Tuesday.

'It's overwhelming': Yukoners struggle to save homes from flood water

'It's overwhelming': Yukoners struggle to save homes from flood water

Yukoner Florian Lemphers has been watching the water creep ever closer to his home over the last two weeks. A five-foot tall fence on the outer edge of his Shallow Bay property is now peeking just a few inches above the waterline. "It's very, very sad. We've been here for 38 years and we've never seen anything like this," he said on Monday. "It has been a labour of love over the last 38 years, putting this place together, and it's very, very hard to see it be threatened this way. So we're doing the best we can."

Yukon sues construction company for $1.5M over Mayo water treatment plant upgrades

Yukon sues construction company for $1.5M over Mayo water treatment plant upgrades

The Yukon government is suing a construction company for $1.5 million over what it claims was a botched upgrade to the Mayo water treatment plant. The Department of Community Services, in a statement of claim filed in the Yukon Supreme Court on Nov. 16, alleges that the work done by Wildstone Construction and Engineering Ltd. had a number of "deficiencies," including tanks with "visible leaks and are not watertight." The government is also seeking more than $1 million from Intact Insurance, an insurance company that served as a surety for the construction contract.

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