Many individuals and organizations throughout Whitehorse have supported our efforts to have McIntyre Creek and its surrounding area made into a park.
As a longtime Yukon resident, I have seen numerous changes within Whitehorse. None of these changes have included preserving substantial areas of natural greenspace for a park for residents.
What can be developed has been developed and, at a glance, we look like any other growing city in Canada. We are missing a nature park.
We are different, though, than those southern cities, in that we have been given a unique opportunity to plan and develop around our wilderness rather than cutting it down first and then spending huge amounts of money to “put it back.”
There are countless examples of this having happened in other cities and I know they would trade places with us in an instant.
McIntyre Creek and the land surrounding it are owned by the Yukon government and, as such, the Yukon government will have to determine the value of this area to Whitehorse and Yukon people.
It is time to encourage our politicians to be forward-thinking and work towards preserving the McIntyre Creek wildlife corridor so that, regardless of whatever development occurs within Whitehorse, this piece of magnificent wilderness will remain the heart of our “Wilderness City.”
This will be our legacy to future generations.
Please let your local political candidates know how you feel about this very important issue.
Dorothy Bradley, president
Friends of McIntyre Creek
Whitehorse