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Development corporation proposes new quarry in Whitehorse

Da Daghey Development Corporation wants to develop a quarry in Hillcrest
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The Da Daghey Development Corporation’s proposed quarry site is located just off the Alaska Highway, along the frontage between Sumanik Drive and Burns Road. (Google Maps)

Da Daghey Development Corporation (DDDC) plans to pursue a quarry in Hillcrest, but, even if approved, it won’t happen this year, said Ben Asquith, CEO of DDDC.

The proposed site is just off the Alaska Highway, along the frontage between Sumanik Drive and Burns Road. It runs back from the highway to a former tank farm.

Asquith said the details of operation are still being finalized by consultants, and things can be tweaked if necessary, but at this point, DDDC is proposing to operate one month out of the year, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

“We’re not going to crush anything until we have a contract in place,” said Asquith.

He said the quarry proposal will still have to go through up to a year of being looked at by the city for potential re-zoning, and of being assessed by the Yukon Environmental and Socio-economic Assessment Board (YESAB.)

In the meantime, Asquith said DDDC is open to speaking with residents of Hillcrest and Valleyview who might have concerns or suggestions about the quarry.

“If there’s any suggestions then we’re definitely open to looking at those,” he said. “We basically said, you know, look, this is happening, but let’s do it in a way that you guys would like to do.”

He said a meeting with residents the week of Aug. 13 ended positively.

Dan Bader, with the Hillcrest Community Association (HCA), said there was very little information available, even after the public meeting, and that the HCA would wait to comment until the process more formally begins.

Asquith said some of the concerns that came forward at that meeting included noise, buffer lines, and the fact that people walk their dogs on the land that’s slated to be used.

“We’ve got a plan in place for noise and for dust and hours of work,” said Asquith. “In terms of dogs, well, it’s private property.”

Right now, he said the land can’t be developed because it’s in the flight path of the airport. The zoning also needs to be changed from residential to industrial/commercial. It also requires a change in the city’s Official Community Plan.

If that all goes through, and the YESAB assessment is in favour, Asquith said the quarry could provide anywhere from five to 20 years worth of gravel, depending on the market.

Contact Amy Kenny at amy.kenny@yukon-news.com



Amy Kenny

About the Author: Amy Kenny

I moved from Hamilton, Ontario, to the Yukon in 2016 and joined the Yukon News as the Local Journalism Initaitive reporter in 2023.
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