Community hall, more RVs possible for city campground in Whitehorse

Whitehorse city staff are giving more details about how they could renovate the Robert Service Campground, with a new events building, a watercraft "hub" on the Yukon River, and more room for RVs. 

Parks supervisor Marc Boulerice said the current office at the downtown campground is basically a small box with a computer inside.

City staff want to replace it with a much larger, all-season building with a community hall and concession that could host public events and private functions such as weddings.

Boulerice said in terms of space, it would fit neatly between the 50-person capacity of the Frank Slim building at Shipyards Park, and the Mount McIntyre Recreational Centre room that can host more than 200 people. 

"As far as booking spaces are, we know that we have a bit of a void with the medium-sized room, in about the 100 [person] capacity," he said.

Making room for motor homes

There are other ideas up for consideration, including allowing motor homes in the campground, said Boulerice. Currently, almost all the sites are designed for tent campers.

"There has been a large demand for motorized vehicles also, and so we're looking at how, if it's possible, to accommodate that," he said.

Other plans are for upgrading the washroom building, and finding ways to reduce bear attractants.

Boulerice said staff are also looking at creating a "hub" for watercraft activities on the Yukon River which runs along one side of the campground.

He said the upgrades will need to be approved by city council. If they go ahead, planning would be done next year with construction in 2020.

The city took over daily operations of the campground this summer. It had been run by a private company for the past 25 years.

Boulerice said business was slow in May and early June this year, perhaps because of unseasonably cold temperatures. He said business picked up as the weather warmed, and the campground was at about 70 per cent capacity through late June and July.