Whitehorse, YT – In an otherwise serene corner of Whitehorse, a years-long saga of environmental hazards, derelict structures, and piles of trash left a neighbour locked in a long-standing battle with the City of Whitehorse as he aims to get the property next door cleaned and remediated.
“I was under the understanding that it was only a matter of years or months, and things were gonna get cleaned up,” said Kimpton Gagnon, reflecting on his initial optimism of getting the property cleaned up since his arrival next door in 2019.
Among the first things Gagnon noticed on the Lodgepole Lane property were piles of garbage and abandoned vehicles strewn across the yard however his pushes to get the property cleaned up took on a new form when he began noticing some environmental hazards coming from the property.
“There have been numerous oil spills, there have been articles demonstrating the sludge pouring off the property,” said Gagnon. “I have observed slicks of diesel, I witnessed a large diesel spill all down the driveway and contaminating the roadway.”
Barrels on the property where signs of hazardous contamination were noticed. Photo Courtesy of Kimpton Gagnon.
In 2020, soil samples were collected on the property that showed petroleum hydrocarbon concentrations exceeding applicable standards. Water samples were also taken nearby that indicated the presence of contamination.
A slate of orders followed including a Yukon Government declaration stating the building on site wasn’t fit for habitation.
On March 14th, 2022, the City of Whitehorse issued an order to correct immediate hazards on the property following a previous order to correct an immediate hazard that determined that the property had posed an “imminent danger of fire risk or risk of accident.”
Deadlines were outlined in the orders for the property to be cleaned up however many of those deadlines passed without being followed. Gagnon says that he wasn’t the only neighbour living near the property to reach out to the city in hopes of getting the area cleaned up.
“My neighbour has emailed the mayor and bylaw services numerous times trying to get some traction,” said Gagnon. “There’s nothing else they can do.”
Beyond environmental concerns, Gagnon points out that the Yukon RCMP had searched the property in July 2020 after responding to a complaint about a stolen vehicle. RCMP found an amount of controlled substance, illegally modified rifle magazines, and a semi-automatic rifle and subsequently charged one of the property owners with several offenses.
Gagnon continues to communicate with city officials and says that he plans to continue to document further evidence of contamination and neglect of the property in hopes it can help lead to a future cleanup.
“At minimum just remediate and shut it down,” said Gagnon. “If it’s not going to be livable, because of contamination over the years just make it a vacant lot and provide us residents with a good living environment.”
City officials have previously stated that they are working with the property owner to get the site cleaned up. After previously voicing their commitment to cleaning up the site, the property owner is now facing a court date for failing to comply with the deadlines set out in the hazardous condition order.
