Crew at work today paving aprons on to side streets.
The following is a YTG press release issued today regarding the paving of Front St. in Dawson City.
I have to take issue with some of the statements made in it and have commented at the appropriate places.
The point of this exercise is to keep everyone mindful of the fact that the Territorial Government isn’t always as respectful of the communities as they should be. It’s not about the paving or the lavishing of millions of dollars, it’s about being dictated to without complete consultation with a Municipal Government that was elected to represent all Dawsonites.
————
FOR RELEASE #09-206
September 3, 2009
Proven European Technology to be Used on Front Street in Dawson City
WHITEHORSE – The Department of Highways and Public Works is pleased that a new highway paving product called bituclair has been delivered and will be used in the Front Street paving project in Dawson.
Bituclair produces a lighter coloured pavement that will minimize solar absorption and help minimize melting of the underlying permafrost.
“We are eager to be the first ones in North America to utilize this product that can potentially assist the department in dealing with issues created by the effects of melting permafrost,”
Highways and Public Works Minister Archie Lang said. “The look of the lighter surface is also in keeping with Dawson City’s heritage theme.”
My comment: Although we can certainly offer an ‘A’ for effort, Dawson’s heritage theme calls for unpaved roads not light coloured asphalt. Our dirt roads have been identified as historically significant and an important part of the historic integrity of Dawson.
Klondike MLA Steve Nordick is also supportive of the project and is pleased with the progress and the combined efforts of the department and the City of Dawson.
My comment: Of course our MLA is supportive of the project, he is the one that came to council last spring and said this is what we are getting, ‘like it or not’. No development permit, no discussion or other permissions required because of an ‘Order in Council’ that trumps any municipal requirements that otherwise would be respected for a project of this magnitude.
“I am glad that we have undertaken this work in response to requests from Front Street
businesses for a better road surface that is more capable of withstanding the heavy traffic from buses and recreational vehicles,” Nordick said.
My comment: So, the paving of Front St. is in response to requests from Front St. businesses? In other words, these businesses are the only ones that have the ear of our MLA and are now solely directing development without regard to appropriate consultation and due process. What about the rest of us? What about respecting our due diligence and planning procedures for the whole community and not just a handful of businesses?
The Government of Yukon is the first to try the bituclair product in North America, although it is routinely and successfully used throughout Europe. Bituclair was manufactured in France, shipped in totes via the Panama Canal to Vancouver and transported by truck to Dawson City.
Skookum Asphalt began the preliminary paving of Front Street on August 28 with the usual darker asphalt as a base layer, followed by a surface layer of bituclair. The project is slated to be finished by September 9.
My comment: This project will have cost the taxpayer between $3.5 – $5 million. No one can argue against a driving surface that feels like you’re gliding on air, but at what cost?
-30-
Contact:
Roxanne Vallevand
Cabinet Communications
867-633-7949
roxanne.vallevand@gov.yk.ca
Doris Wurfbaum
Communications, Highways & Public Works
867-393-7193
doris.wurfbaum@gov.yk.ca
Like
[As one of your city's visitors, I guess I have comment rights on this.] Gee, will they be striping this new patch of road as well to ‘help’ us visitors? Wouldn’t think it would meet code without it!
Perhaps it’s revisionist history. You know, aspirational, it was planned but thwarted with the population bust!
I was greatly disappointed to see the change on Front Street. As a visitor to Dawson and a daily viewer of the webcam it came as such a surprise to see the historical aspect taken away with the new paving project.
I visited Dawson in early August and enjoyed my stay very much. For me, the dirt roads were in line with the historical “theme” of the city (easy to say, I don’t have to use them every day) and I am not pretty sure whether my purchase decision on front street businesses would have been influenced by some “light cloured asphalt”.
its about time!!! lets move into the 21st century!! the only place in the world with 100 yrs of history and no signs of progress……
Its my understanding that any colour can be attributed to the bitumen…why on earth did we not consider GOLD?
“The streets of Dawson are paved with GOLD”
All of a sudden…win-win. Heritage (in the newspaper reportings of 1897) AND progress. What a concept. But in order to come to this obvious and ingenious (in my humble opinion) conclusion…one would have needed CONSULTATION btw YG and the City of Dawson. Fancy that.