Time runs out for Yukon's rural dumps

It's been a day that some residents living in rural Yukonhave been trying to avoid, but has finally come.

On Oct. 1, the remaining solid waste transfer stations in Silver City, Braeburn, and Johnson's Crossing were shut down by the Yukon government.

A transfer station in Keno City was already closed.

The territorialgovernment says it's part of a planto modernizeand centralizewaste management facilities across the Yukon.

Sukie Sidhu lives between Johnson's Crossing and Teslin. Shesaid the closuresconflictwith the government's own reasoning for the decision.

"We're all centralizing our garbage at [Johnson's Crossing]which reduces our carbon footprint, which is what [the Yukon government is]trying to do," Sidhu said. "Now you have people driving every which direction. They're concerned about climate change and ... they're encouraging us to travel an hour each in totality to deposit our waste."

Sidhu saidarea residents were eager to offer alternative options to the government so that the waste transfer station could remain open. But she said the government seemed to havehad already made its decision.

"The government made the decision using the Association of Yukon Communities, their information and data to close the dumps without actually having a discussion with the residents," she said. "We were informed that the dump was closing."

CBC News requested an interview with the Association of Yukon Communities but did not receive a reply.

Yukon Party Leader Currie Dixon also believes the territory had made the decision long before consulting the public.

"I sat in the meeting in Destruction Bay back in 2021 and the minister of community services came in and told the people at that meeting that it didn't matter what they said," Dixon said. "He had decided they were closing these transfer stations no matter what."

Dixon said the decision to close the sites after hearing concerns, and possible alternatives from residents shows the government doesn't care about rural Yukon.

"All of the reasons they've provided are nonsense," Dixon said. "All of the consultation, all of the feedback provided by Yukonerswas all for naught."

'Alterations to the plan"

During question period on Wednesday, community services minister Richard Mostyn said the governmentdid listen to residents and from the feedback gathered made some changes to the plan.

In June, the government released a report summarizing feedback officialsheard during meetings with residents living infour affected communities.

"We're not just closing the transfer stations. We're actually putting bear-proof bins in all those communities," Mostyn said. "There's 70 bear proof bins we've now circulated to deal with the residents concerns about garbage in bear country."

Mostyn said the government would provide bins each year for "seasonal disposal" which he said will make it easier for people living in the communities to get rid of their trash. He said the idea isto save municipalities money spent on handling garbage.

But NDPLeader Kate Whitecalls the government's decision to close the sites "wrong."

"I don't think it makes sense," White said. "I think we have an example of a minister who has made the decision despite all of the conversations, and all of the suggestions, and all of the arrows pointing in an opposite direction."

"What became very obvious is that the minister was checking a box to go back out and say we met with folks and despite folks from each of those communities had made suggestions about how the transfer station could be kept open."

Now that the transfer stations have closed, residents living in the areas of Braeburn, Johnson's Crossing, and Silver City will have to take their garbage toregional facilities in Deep Creek, Carmacks, Marsh Lake, Teslin, Destruction Bay,BurwashLanding orHaines Junction.