Comments for X-Mayor's Blog ~ Dawson

Comment on Miners Reign Supreme by sylvia burkhard

sylvia burkhard — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 21:05:01 +0000

In my view participation and involvement are effective only when used in the PLANNING process which has been pretty much nonexistent in the last 30 or so years. When the dome subdivision was first roughed out I’m assuming the city council of the day had some say in what they were getting. If there were existing placer claims obviously they did the ostrich move, what rots my socks is if the average lot owner tried to develope their property in such a reactive manner they would be tarred and feathered, but it’s one level of gov. or another so the average pay thru the nose citizen gets a mine in their back yard. It’s not just the dome subdivision, its the whole town, huge ugly SOCIAL housing in our only large serviced public use lot, big unneccessary “hospital” in our park, deralict, decrepid buildings lining our main streets. We’re a model town alright, for what not to do! Bet your bottom dollar I’m pissed at the short-sighted leaders of our community and I don’t blame people for leaving. We’ve lost sight of what Dawson is, a gold rush town that had a fantastic history that we are turning into “small town anywhere”.

Comment on Miners Reign Supreme by Marieke Hiensch

Marieke Hiensch — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 02:58:07 +0000

Jon,

You are making a valuable point in your last posting; there are ways in which our dear Canada is not that different from the rest of the world, developing country or not. Freedom of speech doesn’t always exist without repercussions. Unfortunately so, that is reality.

You speak of traveling in developing countries, as well have I. Specific to this conversation, last year I was in Guatemala on a nursing practicum. I spent time in a region where the Canadian company Gold Corp. is currently mining and doing so even with literally 99% vote of the local population against it. We had many conversations with the locals regarding the negative health, environmental, social and economic consequences they are experiencing due to this mining. I could go on about this experience and would be glad to share more with you one day.

My purpose of sharing this is NOT to put down mining. The lessons we learned were about the necessity of community involvement, listening to voices, collaboration and as such the destruction that can happen within a community when participation is not allowed. Communities are healthy when the people can partake. Participation and involvement give people meaning and thus feel the need to care about their communities more. Dawson Activist is on the mark regarding conversation leading to a successful compromise. Mindset needs to change though for true community development to happen.

Anyways. I love dawson and miss it everyday. Hopefully I’ll be back in the not too distant future and can partake in positive ways!!

Marieke.

Comment on Miners Reign Supreme by Sebastian Jones

Sebastian Jones — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 23:32:11 +0000

Jon Wilkie:
You do not need to work for the government to lose one’s job by speaking truth to power in this territory!
Self censorship is a terrible thing, not least because it shows how we have become brainwashed and terrorised to the extent we dare not speak out. Our government, especialy this incarnation, is particularly prone to use this tactic: When I worked for the Yukon Fish and Wildlife Management Board, a non-government entity created under the Umbrella Final Agreement, I was commanded to be silent on the Yukon Queen issue after our Premier was embarrassed by my pointing out the effects the boat had on fish, despite my job being to serve the interests of fish. Had I continued to speak out, I would have lost my job. This would not have been for speaking out but for disobeying a direct order. At least ostensibly.

Comment on Creative Surge by Terry Cumming

Terry Cumming — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 15:50:48 +0000

John – The Lou Reed linocut is stunning – would also look great on a T-shirt!? If you haven’t explored much of Lou Reed’s music I would suggest the ‘New York’ album and also ‘Magic and Loss’ which is a very powerful and moving concept album about the loss of two of his friends (one was songwriter Doc Pomus) to cancer. In my opinion, this album would be of great comfort to those who have lost friends or family to the disease and to those suffering from it.

I also am impressed by Neko Case – what a clear voice, ‘a voice from the ages’. I have her ‘Middle Cyclone’ CD. Regret not seeing her the times she has been in Dawson City.

Keep up the good work, you are a Yukon treasure.

Comment on Miners Reign Supreme by Jon Wilkie

Jon Wilkie — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 14:22:00 +0000

Dear Dawson activist,
You must work for the government in some form don’t you?It’s a sad day in our democratic society when a public servant cannot put his or her name next to an opinion for fear of loss of employment.In Canada we shouldn’t have to fear for our livelihood by standing by our written words,only oppressed people in developing countries should have to worry about becoming jobless by signing their name on the internet.I very much believe in freedom of speech,but if you cant sign your name next to your words without fear of loss of employment then what kind of freedom of speech do our public servants actually have?Isn’t getting fired for voicing your opinion more of a third world policy than a Canadian one?Isn’t that oppressing our public servants?How Third world and undemocratic I think.Is that not unconstitutional?Does terminating employment of a public servant for signing his or her name next to his or her personal opinion violate our charter of rights?Do please tell Dawson activist,you are a very knowledgeable, well informed well written kind of person and I am interested in your thoughts on this matter,whoever who you may be.
Jon Wilkie

Comment on Miners Reign Supreme by Dawson Activist

Dawson Activist — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 06:19:05 +0000

Whoa there, relax. Glad to hear all of that and we agree on everything but for my belief that there is a compromise to be found in this circumstance.

As for names, it’s a small town and I’d lose my job if I put mine up here so maybe I am a little afraid. What does it matter who someone is anyway, can’t you just read the words on their merit and not need to attach a face? It is the very anonymity of the internet that has given the oppressed in many of the so-called ‘developing’ countries you referred to earlier the freedom to organize and fight for their rights.

Best wishes to you but this is obviously going nowhere. EOM.

Comment on Miners Reign Supreme by Jon Wilkie

Jon Wilkie — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 04:14:26 +0000

Mr Activist,
I apologize for coming across as having an “apparent distaste for tourism,”
I am fully pro-tourism for the Yukon,we need more of it,I will never object to people coming from other places to visit our world famous town.
I very much enjoy being a tourist when I travel,so when I meet travelers in the Yukon I often try to make them enjoy their stay here,and have been told that by many visitors who have come to the Yukon.
If I had an “apparent distaste for tourism”then I would not be such an avid tourist myself.
During my recent travels to Thailand and Cambodia (as a tourist of course)I was treated with such astounding warmth and hospitality by the local population that it only reinforced my belief to be kind and hospitable to the foreign visitor when they chose to travel long distances and spend large amounts of money to come here.I have also been treated with world class hospitality in the U.S.,Mexico,Honduras,El Salvador and New Zealand.
But tourism has never put food on my plate,never made my loan payment and never put clothes on my back.The Yukon mining industry has fed and clothed me since birth,which makes me an unconditional supporter of placer mining where ever there is gold to be mined.
I think that it is a naive belief that some Yukoner’s have when I hear them speak of tourism replacing mining the Yukon’s biggest private sector employer.
Our Yukon tourism industry has taken a big hit with the world economic downturn, but our mining industry certainly has not.
Mining jobs grew in the Yukon in the last year while tourism jobs shrank lets not forget.Tourism revenue plummeted, while mining revenue was way way up.
As long as I can still be a strip miner I still don’t want to be a tour guide.
And tourism will never replace government as the Yukon’s largest employer.
I am the first person to admit my opinionated stubbornness,it is a flaw that I freely admit to having,but I am always open to discussion,but unlike you Mr.(or is it Ms)Dawson Activist,I am not afraid to sign my name next to my written opinions.
Jon Wilkie,placer miner,tourist,proud Yukoner.

Comment on Miners Reign Supreme by Dawson Activist

Dawson Activist — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 21:11:40 +0000

Mr Wilkie,

Apologies, I stand corrected. You are of course right that most, if not all, of that support is for hard rock. Got ahead of myself.

And do please be assured that myself and nearly everybody in this town values placer mining highly. But despite your apparent distaste for tourism and any other form of living here, it is my belief that we all need each other to make living here pleasant. A little more cooperation and respect and a little less of the ‘us and them’ would go a long way.

Our leaders need to step in here and mediate a reasonable solution for all outside of the courts and outside of the taxpayer dollar so we can all go back to living in happy harmony instead of fighting. This town is not so big that people can’t talk and figure out their issues.

Comment on Miners Reign Supreme by Andre

Andre — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 20:00:18 +0000

Thanks for the OCP review and summary. The key to it all is the supremacy of the Placer Mining Act over the Municipal Act. That, and the non-conforming rule which applies to landuse issues across the country, are critical to the debate in question.
It may be that these two factors were presumed to be self-evident as the text quoted by Mark suggests (to me at any rate).
The non-conforming rule is ignored, omitted, or downplayed in many OCPs I have seen in my years, not only in small towns, but in big cities as well.
That rule, and the supremacy of the Placer Mining Act in communities where Placer Mining is a reality, require to be given prominance in an OCP for a community such as Dawson City. A policy to not proceed with residential subdivision and development until issues relating to placer mining are resolved, or dealt with in some fashion, could ensure that the difficult negotiations involved in such matters are not side-stepped, overlooked, or ignored by councils blinded by the lure and promise of expanding the community’s tax base with residential development.
Please do not take that as a criticism of the council(s) involved when the Dome Road properties were opened for residential development, may comments are intended only as a contribution to lessons to be learned from the experience.

Comment on Miners Reign Supreme by John Steins

John Steins — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 19:37:45 +0000

Mark, Thanks for that, it’s very helpful archival info.

Regretfully the issue of open pit mining next to a residential area still persists and as you point out there is not much for the affected residents to hang their hat on, especially in view of the provision for non-conforming use and the existing precedents.

Trying to remember who mayor and council were when this was adopted.

I get the feeling that the Yukon Human Rights Act is not taken very seriously by some, but it seems to me that a remedy might be found there based on the right to quite enjoyment of property.