Waking the neighbours: S.S. Klondike alarm goes off 'surprisingly often'

A sensitive alarm system at Whitehorse's S.S. Klondike National Historic Site has been sounding off quite a bit over the last year, sometimes waking up nearby residents.

Parks Canada confirms the alarm system has gone off 119 times since last year, but only about half of those alarms were triggered by actual intruders.

Other times, as much as 20 per cent of alarms were set off by animals. Weather has also caused the security system to sound off, and Parks Canada says sometimes the alarm trigger is undetermined. 

It's sounded "surprisingly often," said nearby resident Lyla Tauzer. 

Tauzer says last winter she heard the alarm several times a week — sometimes waking her up at night — but lately, it hasn't happened as often. 

Security system upgrades

The historic paddlewheeler, which once plied the Yukon River, has been restored as a major tourist attraction in Whitehorse. 

While there has been an alarm system on the historic paddlewheeler since 1994, acting site manager Kate Alexander says there have been upgrades over the years.

"The paddlewheel is quite attractive for people to climb. Usually it's youngsters, just for a lark. When they hear the siren, they run away," Alexander said.

"Those type of calls are triggered by quite a complex system including motion sensors, beam detectors and little magnetic sensors on doorways. So, last year we added the motion sensor on the back of the paddle wheel which is backed up by a beam detector too," she said.

Parks Canada says over the summer the number of alarms has decreased, but the reason is unclear.

"A couple of years ago, we had someone who looked as though they were a little bit more serious about trying to break in because they didn't run away when they heard the siren go. They were climbing onto the bow," Alexander said.

Last year, someone attempted to set fire to the ship, but fire fighters responded before any major damage was done. Other historic Yukon riverboats have been famously lost to fire over the years — the Casca and Whitehorse, in 1974, and the Tutshi in Carcross, in 1990.  

Alexander says the improved security cameras at the S.S. Klondike will help identify the "more serious intrusions" at the site. She says last year's upgrades, that cost about $50,000, also included a new fire panel.

"I think that there's always more we can do, but I think that we're on an improving trend for sure."

Meanwhile, Parks Canada says it is working to minimize the number of false alarms at the S.S. Klondike.