The City of Whitehorse has spent about $460,000 so far on placing small and large sandbags and on general preparation for flooding, senior officials explained at a briefing Thursday.
Mayor Dan Curtis emphasized the city is not currently in an emergency situation but is taking steps to prepare out of an abundance of caution.
Officials noted they have established five priority areas:
• The Robert Campbell Bridge;
• The low-lying areas in the Marwell area;
• Wickstrom Road, which runs along the river between the river and Whitehorse General Hospital;
• The Millennium Trail in general.
Sandbags have already been placed below the Robert Campbell Bridge to Riverdale.
City council has adopted its anticipated capital budget expenditures for 2021 through to the end of 2024.
The capital budget for 2021 includes $31 million in money already confirmed with an additional $21.4 million in projects requiring external funding that still has to be approved.
The bylaw required to adopt the three-year capital expenditure program received second and third readings at council’s meeting on Monday.
Of the $31 million in confirmed spending, $9.1 is coming from city reserves, and the rest is flowing from external sources such as federal gas tax funding.
The variety of projects identified for next year includes the replacement of the Robert Service Campground building at an estimated cost of $2.9 million.