Industrial development near Whitehorse's Ice Lake should go ahead, board says

Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
Date: 2026-09-03 23:14:10.0
Tags: [National, Municipal, Industry, Infrastructure, Environment]

The Yukon Environmental and Socio-economic Assessment Board (YESAB) has recommended that a contentious industrial development project near Ice Lake in Whitehorse proceed, concluding it will not cause significant adverse environmental or socio-economic effects. Proposed by the territorial government, the project involves building a subdivision of approximately 15 industrial-commercial lots across a 25-hectare forested parcel off the Alaska Highway, which includes the Whitehorse weigh scales and 526 metres of new roadway. While the Yukon Contractors Association strongly supports the development due to an acute shortage of commercial and industrial land in the city, local residents and trail users have raised public backlash over the loss of popular green space used for hiking, biking, and snowmobiling. The YESAB recommendation has now been submitted to the Yukon government for a final decision.