Riverdale home explosion kills 1, injures another
A home explosion in Whitehorse’s Riverdale area that killed one man and gravely injured another captured headlines in November.
The blast occurred at 17 Bates Cr. on the morning of Nov. 14 and could be heard throughout the neighbourhood. The Whitehorse fire department received a call about the explosion at around 5:30 a.m. and responded alongside the RCMP and emergency medical personnel.
The explosion almost completely levelled one home and caused extensive damage to adjacent properties.
Two days after the disaster, the Yukon Coroner’s Service identified the deceased man as 77-year-old David Gould. Following the announcement of Gould’s death, tributes poured in from family, community members and politicians.
On the floor of the legislature, John Streicker, MLA for Mount Lorne-Southern Lakes, described Gould as “a true Yukoner who spent his life helping others” and a “well-known member of the Yukon’s placer mining community.”
On Nov. 17, Yukon RCMP announced that its major crimes unit’s investigation into the fatal home explosion had expanded into a criminal inquiry.
When contacted in mid-December for an update, a Yukon RCMP spokesperson said via email that the investigation is ongoing and no additional information could be provided.
A representative of the Fire Marshal’s Office told the News that a joint investigation involving members of their office and the RCMP was conducted at 17 Bates Cr. from Nov. 24 to 27.
(Matthew Bossons)
Object shot down over Yukon
A high-altitude object shot down by NORAD over the Yukon on Feb. 11 drew international attention and media coverage.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau proclaimed that he ordered the takedown of an unidentified object that violated Canadian airspace. He said he spoke with U.S. President Joe Biden that afternoon.
Premier Ranj Pillai assured Yukoners that their safety wasn’t at risk.
While in the territory for other reasons, Trudeau told reporters at the Whitehorse airport that authorities are searching a large area between Dawson City and Mayo for the object.
Questions remained about the object and its origins.
At the time, Trudeau suggested there was a pattern between four recent events involving aerial objects being ordered down over Canadian and U.S. airspace. Canadian officials were looking into whether that pattern is correlated.
RCMP led the search to recover the object with the help of the Canadian Armed Forces. More than 135 military members were mobilized as part of the search, with more assisting remotely.
Former Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in First Nation chief Roberta Joseph indicated the militarized hunt was legitimate.
RCMP announced it was suspending the search on Feb. 17 given, the likelihood of finding the object. Police told the News the investigation will remain open until the location of the debris has been determined, and the purpose of the object has been assessed.
(Dana Hatherly)
Two sports stars see success on ice
Two Yukon hockey players – Gavin Mckenna and Dylan Cozens — had a terrific sporting year.
In February, Cozens signed a contract extension with the Buffalo Sabres, agreeing to a seven-year, $49.7-million contract extension.
Cozens, 22, who is from Whitehorse, was the NHL team’s seventh overall pick in 2019.
He became the first player from Yukon selected in the first round of the NHL draft when the Buffalo Sabres made him the No. 7 pick in 2019. The team said he has “developed into a big part of the future in Buffalo.”
On Feb. 23 at the Canada Winter Games in Prince Edward Island, McKenna broke the tournament’s record for most points in men’s hockey. In total, he banked 29 points in six tournament games, including four games over two days. The previous record was 27, recorded by Francois Methot in 1997 and tied by Kelsey Tessier in 2007.
McKenna, 15, described it as an “amazing feeling” and hoped the feat inspired people from the Yukon and other small regions to “just kind of work towards your goal. Dream big.”
In November, McKenna made the U-17 World Hockey Challenge six-player all-star team following the tournament in Prince Edward Island. McKenna played on the Canada Red team, which ended the tournament in fifth place. He was the youngest player on Canada Red, scoring five goals and adding three assists throughout the tournament.
The other Canadian team — Canada White — won the gold medal 2-1 in overtime against the United States at the tournament, which ran from Nov. 2 to 11. McKenna was one of the 44 players who competed for the two Team Canada teams at the U-17 Worlds.
McKenna is a forward for the Medicine Hat Tigers in the Western Hockey League, leading the team with 17 points (five goals and 12 assists) in all 12 games played thus far in the 2023/2024 season.
(Patrick Egwu)
Fires prompt evacuations
As a hot and dry spring and early summer across much of Canada heralded a potentially monstrous wildfire season, Yukon Wildland Fire crews were deployed to Alberta this May to help the response to fires there.
With the conditions as arid as they were, fires in the Yukon were likely inevitable. The first major blaze near a populated area was the Takhini Bridge fire just a few kilometres from Whitehorse, which ignited on July 8. A fire marshal investigation would go on to conclude the blaze was started by the use of an exploding rifle target for practice. The blaze was not brought under control until weeks later.
Through the rest of July, fire crews monitored or worked on fires across the territory. August saw two short-term evacuations of Victoria Gold’s Eagle mine site as the East McQuesten fire threatened its access road. Later that month, Mayo and Old Crow were both evacuated, with many residents going to Whitehorse, where resources were made available through the city, the territorial government and the Kwanlin Dün First Nation.
While the fire situation was undoubtedly serious in the Yukon, the territory got off easy compared to other jurisdictions. Canada saw a record-breaking fire season, with more than 18 million hectares of land burned nationwide. One of the areas hit hardest by the fires was the Northwest Territories, which saw multiple communities — including the capital, Yellowknife — evacuated and significant destruction of property.
(Jim Elliot)
Floods, landslides
The effects of rising water and sliding landscapes made themselves known in the Yukon this spring near both of the territory’s largest population centres.
As the Yukon Klondike Rivers thawed and broke up amid spring streamflow that was heavier than normal, there were concerns about flooding in the Dawson City area. Floods would eventually prompt evacuations in the Rock Creek neighbourhood and threaten the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in farm and Henderson Corner.
In Whitehorse, the escarpment overlooking Robert Service Way slid down over the road for the second year in a row. The slide, which happened in the early morning hours of April 8, left the major Whitehorse thoroughfare closed to traffic for weeks.
The City of Whitehorse took steps to reopen the road, including redirecting traffic, placing concrete barricades and having a contractor remove material from the top of the slope with an excavator.
A plan for a permanent fix is in the works. The city has applied to the federal government’s Disaster Mitigation Adaptation Fund to pay for the work. Mayor Laura Cabott noted there are many communities across Canada seeking funding through that program. She took a trip to Ottawa in December to meet with federal ministers about disaster mitigation funding and other topics.
(Jim Elliot)
‘Million March 4 Children’ protesters outnumbered
Dozens of protesters participating in the “Million March 4 Children” were met by a considerably larger group of counter-protesters on Sept. 20 outside the Yukon legislature in downtown Whitehorse.
The “Million March 4 Children” was a nationwide protest promoted online as a demonstration against pronouns, gender ideology, mixed bathrooms and the sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) curriculum in schools.
Participants in the protest marched from Shipyards Park along Second Avenue to the legislature shortly after noon.
They held signs adorned with slogans such as “Stop confusing our grandkids” and “Nobody is born in the wrong body.” Some waved the Canadian flag, and at least one Gadsden flag — a flag of the American Revolution adorned with a rattlesnake and the words “Don’t tread on me” — was observed by News reporters.
Across from the legislature, hundreds of counter-protesters waved rainbow flags and other symbols and signs supporting the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.
Several Yukon Liberal ministers and NDP MLAs participated in the counter-protest, which stretched from Hanson Street past Hawkins Street.
Speaking to the News on the day of the duelling demonstrations, Porter Creek Secondary School teacher Astrid Sidaway-Wolf, who was on maternity leave at the time, said that education that expands people’s perspectives is important.
“We’re not attempting to brainwash anyone,” she said.
Following the day of demonstrations, police in Whitehorse reported that they were investigating a small number of traffic-related complaints and an assault.
In an email to the News in mid-December, the RCMP said they were still unable to comment on the alleged assault to “protect the identity of the victim.” However, they were able to confirm that the file is “closed and concluded.”
(Matthew Bossons)
Yukon sports return to pre-COVID times
After disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, sports activities fully returned in the Yukon, with athletes participating in territorial and national competitions Outside.
From Jan. 29 to Feb. 4, Yukon athletes competed in the Arctic Winter Games (AWG) in Wood Buffalo, Alberta. Team Yukon won a record 169 medals. Team Alaska and Team Alberta placed second and third, respectively, with 145 and 144 medals.
The territory had been scheduled to host the 2020 AWG, which was cancelled due to the pandemic. However, the territory is set to host the 2026 games. On July 10, the City of Whitehorse voted in favour of the hosting opportunity for the games, with the territory announcing its support of the games later in the month.
The 2026 games were initially planned to be hosted in Yamal, Russia. But following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the Arctic Winter Games International Committee (AWGIC) suspended Yamal’s participation, resulting in the absence of a host.
Sport Yukon executive director Tracey Bilsky was appointed as the host society president for the 2026 games.
Team Yukon followed up the 2023 Arctics by heading to Prince Edward Island for the Canada Winter Games from Feb. 18 to March 5. More than 170 Yukon athletes, coaches and mission staff participated in the national event, with Team Yukon bringing home three medals – one gold in Special Olympics figure skating and two bronze in Judo and biathlon.
Special Olympics figure skater Michael Sumner was named the Week 2 recipient of the Pat Lechelt award.
Athletes from the territory also competed in the North American Indigenous Games (NAIG) in Halifax, Nova Scotia, from July 15 to 23. Team Yukon finished with 39 medals — 20 gold, 10 silver and nine bronze. The team represented the territory in 11 sports.
(Patrick Egwu)
State of emergency in Mayo
The First Nation of Nacho Nyak Dun (FNNND) declared a state of emergency in March of 2023. The declaration came after Ben Symington, 35, and Michael Bennett, 22, were shot and killed in a double homicide on March 11.
Nearby residents heard the gunshots shortly after 5 a.m. on a Saturday morning. Police responded to calls received around 9 a.m.
In the weeks following, the FNNND released a statement saying it was dealing with an opioid emergency that was connected to an increase in violence, crime, overdoses and deaths.
The First Nation proposed an action plan that included non-First Nations citizens having to register before entering settlement land, and to vacate that land between 8 p.m. and 7 a.m. The plan also supported evicting tenants from FNNND housing units if tenants were “engaged in illegal activities or supporting such activities or persons involved in opioid distribution.”
To date, no one has been charged in the double homicide.
(Amy Kenny)
Connective
The emergency shelter in downtown Whitehorse was in the news on and off over the course of the year.
In January, it was because staff at the shelter (run by Vancouver-based social service organization Connective) had unionized.
In February and March, however, the news was more focused on the number of calls downtown residents were making to the RCMP about drug use and violence in the area around the shelter.
By summer, businesses in the area had signed a letter to Premier Ranj Pillai, calling the alleged criminal activity at the shelter “totally unacceptable and out of control.”
In September, the owners of Alpine Bakery, a couple of doors down from the shelter, announced they were closing due to shelter-related issues. These included noise, trespassing and the discovery of needle and drug paraphernalia on bakery property.
Also that month, a Whitehorse man named Victor Omale (whom court documents identified as working at Connective) was charged with sexual assault in relation to his work.
In October, Pillai said he was taking control of the Connective file from Health and Social Services Minister Tracy-Anne McPhee.
In November, the Yukon’s chief coroner, Heather Jones, announced an inquest into four deaths that took place at the shelter in the last two years. That inquest is set for spring 2024.
In December, the government announced a plan to address safety issues in the core. The plan came out of meetings that began in October about the emergency shelter issues.
(Amy Kenny)