Seniors housing project on hold because of site contamination, Yukon government says
'At this point in time, [it's] not a place we want to build on,' says minister responsible for housing
A proposed seniors housing project in Whitehorse can't go ahead yet because the downtown site is contaminated, says Yukon's housing minister.
But Minister Pauline Frost wouldn't say definitively what sort of contamination is on the site at Fifth Avenue and Rogers Street, or how it might be dealt with.
"At this point in time, [it's] not a place we want to build on," Frost said.
The site was chosen by the Vimy Heritage Housing Society, the non-profit group behind the supported living project. The previous Yukon Party government also voiced support for the project, and promised money for planning.
Frost refused to say whether her government is still firmly behind the project.
"I'm not suggesting that we're abandoning anything. I think that at this point in time, we're looking at all the potential options," she told reporters on Thursday.
"We want to make sure there's remediation in effect [on the site], and that will take a bit of time. Does that mean we will never build there? I won't say that."
Earlier Thursday in the legislature, Yukon Party MLA Wade Istchenko had asked Frost for an update on the Vimy Heritage project.
He also asked for up-to-date numbers on how many Yukoners are on waiting lists for seniors housing and social housing — something Frost said she'd have to look into.
"I'm looking forward to seeing those numbers," Istchenko said.