The White River Development Corporation has gathered up donations of essential items to send them to the community of Beaver Creek.
Development Corp. General manager Chris Cowx spoke with the News last week about this endeavour. He said, in an email response on March 31, that the delivery went as planned and the supplies arrived in the community on March 28.
“It’s been working out quite well,” Cowx said.
This idea came up at a board meeting last week. The decision to help was made on the spot.
He aimed to put together $1,000 worth of items to bring to Beaver Creek. He described these items as “staples”. These were items like coffee, butter, flour, toilet paper and other such items people may be running short of.
He purchased $1,000 worth of items at Whitehorse’s Wykes Your Independent Grocer. He said the store added several additional items to the load. He estimated the additional items to be valued at “several hundred dollars”.
Cowx explained that a lot of his board members are from, or grew up in, Beaver Creek. They are White River First Nation citizens. Some have friends and families in the community. He added that Beaver Creek is situated at the tail-end of supply chains.
“They need some staples up there,” he said, explaining there are vulnerable people, elders and families with young children in that community.
“They need all the help they can get right now.”
As he understood it, the community was in need of items like milk, juices, flour, butter and coffee. He said he was not trying to send anything fancy. The idea was to send items that have a decent shelf life and could be used as raw ingredients to make other things.
He gave the example of sending flour rather than a loaf of bread.
He also delivered some items like hand sanitizer in this load. This item is in short supply and Independent helped make sure some could be sent.
Cowx said there has already been some distribution of supplies set up through Beaver Creek’s community centre.
In the email, he said the trip largely went without a hitch.
He doesn’t know, at this point, if he will make another supply run to Beaver Creek. He knows there is a current need for the items and wanted to help. He said further action will ultimately depend on how much longer the COVID-19 pandemic and supply issues last.
If the need arises again, he may consider doing another supply run.
“We’ll revisit it as time goes on,” Cowx said.
He said if there is another run planned he will gladly take donations. He added that he would be happy to drop off supplies in other communities along the way.
This could be set up by calling his office a 633-5525. He would be looking at sending similar items on future runs. Soap and sanitizer would also be welcome.
Contact Gord Fortin at gord.fortin@yukon-news.com