The Yukon government is purchasing two motorized sandbag-filling stations, each with the capacity to fill at least 1,600 sandbags per hour.
“That’s a lot of sandbags in a day and it opens up additional potential for supporting communities, should flooding occur in the future,” said Kat Hallett, communications analyst in the protective services division, in an email on April 21.
With two machines, communities could see more than 3,200 sandbags filled per hour.
The territory doesn’t currently own any motorized stations. Last year, the territory borrowed machines from Public Safety Canada and the Saskatchewan government. Non-motorized units were also used.
The machines were operated by the Canadian Armed Forces, Yukon government staff and trained responders to fill sandbags in high-risk areas.
Nine manual sandbag-filling stations, complete with sand piles, shovels, funnels, empty sandbags and instructions, were also set up for the residents and volunteers to fill sandbags.
“[Hundreds] of residents and community members volunteered thousands of hours of their time to fill sandbags for their neighbours and Yukoners in need – it was incredible to see Yukoners come together like that,” Hallett said in the email about last year’s flood.
Only trained personnel will run the machines, which have the capacity to produce a higher quantity of filled sandbags, in a much shorter time frame, that can be delivered to communities if required.
The tender posted on the government’s website states the machines will be delivered to Whitehorse on or before May 31.
Contact Dana Hatherly at dana.hatherly@yukon-news.com