Council approves environment grant funding
Whitehorse city council approved a request March 11 for funds drawn from a city-funded environmental grant for two local organizations for a total of $4,130.
Raven Recycling requested $2,870 to be put towards a $3,600 project to replace waste collection bins for its event rental service. It received the full amount.
The Victoria Faulkner Women’s Centre (VFWC) asked for $1,560 for a $2,650 project for food growing and processing workshops. The amount granted was reduced by $300 to $1,260, as part of their request for funding was found to be redundant.
Staff had initially received three applications for funding, but the third was found to be incomplete.
The city annually allots $25,000 for projects that advances its sustainability goals, Melodie Simard, manager of development and sustainability said at the March 4 standing committees meeting.
Leftover money in the fund has been set aside for larger applications which might be received during October 2019, with grants up to $1,000 a month available year round.
(Lori Fox)
New condenser for Mount McIntyre Recreation Centre needed
Council vote in favour March 11 of waiving the bidding process on the replacement of a new condenser for the ice rink at Mt. McIntyre Recreation Centre, as there is only one company who actually supplies it.
The ammonia-based refrigeration system are “proprietary to Cimco,” a national company that visits the Yukon “no less than twice a year,” Richard Graham, operations manager for the city told council at the March 4 standing committees meeting.
Changing providers at this point would be both dangerous, as the systems are delicate, and somewhat moot, as some digital components can only be accessed by Cimco and any third-party company working on the system would have to go through them anyways, he said.
The budget already includes $259,000 for the replacement, funded by the gas tax program. The original condenser was installed in 2001 and has aged out.
(Lori Fox)
Free bus passes for participants of the 2020 Arctic Winter Games
Council voted March 11 to grant all participants of the 2020 Arctic Winter Games (AWG) free transit passes, a move that will cost the city around $25,000.
Whitehorse will host the games from March 15 to March 21, 2020 and are expecting approximately 5,000 athletes, coaches and volunteers from Alaska, Alberta, Greenland, the Northwest Territories, Nunavik-Quebec, Nunavut, Sampi, Yamal and our own territory, Jeff O’Farrell, director of community and recreation services told council at the Mar. 4 standing committees meeting.
In the past, the city has “contributed to the overall AWG success in many ways,” O’Farrell said, noting that in 2007 and 2012 the city also hosted the games, during which time participants did not pay for transit.
The free passes are solely for people actively involved in the games, not general Whitehorse residents during this time, Linda Rapp, city manager said, although she hopes many citizens will volunteer for the 2020 AWG, which would qualify them.
(Lori Fox)