DIFFERENT RULES FOR YUKON GOVERNMENT

I'm raising a serious concern regarding the Yukon Department of Highways’ water license application submitted to the Yukon Water Board for the two‑bridge replacement project on Highway 6 (South Canol Road).

On the application, Question #10 – “Other persons affected by this undertaking” was answered with:

“No other persons are known to be affected by this undertaking.”

This statement is demonstrably false.

There are year‑round residents living directly beside the bridge, and the Department made no effort to consult them or even acknowledge the potential impacts on their daily lives. These impacts include:

• Disruption to hunting activities

• Changes to access

• Increased dust, noise, and traffic

• Loss of quiet enjoyment of their property

No one is arguing against the need for a bridge replacement. The issue is the lack of basic courtesy and transparency, and more importantly, the accuracy of information provided on a government application.

Public meetings were scheduled at times when affected landowners had no physical ability to attend, and no direct outreach was made. If a private miner or business owner submitted a water license application containing misleading or incomplete information, it is widely understood that their application would likely be denied. Yet it appears that when a government department does the same, it is overlooked.

This double standard is unacceptable.

The Department of Highways must be held to the same standard of honesty, consultation, and accountability as every other applicant. As Minister of Highways, it is your responsibility to ensure your department operates with integrity, respects affected residents, and stops wasting public resources. When people ask why I am critical of Highways, the answer is simple: because the department consistently wastes money, grants favors where they are not warranted, and retaliates when concerns are raised.

It is time for this to change.

Article by

Norm Boisvert