Whitehorse Sustainability Plan

A moderately more dense and livable city, especially downtown, with all neighbourhoods having access to low-impact transportation, diverse services and varied housing options.

We are working towards:

• Livable neighbourhoods
• More people living downtown and close to downtown

A vibrant, mixed-use downtown encourages active transportation, local businesses, civic pride, and tourism. Livable neighbourhoods attract residents and businesses. They have housing to suit different ages, abilities, and incomes, and amenities to meet daily needs.

Our Progress:

So far, the City of Whitehorse has completed several plans that will guide development in the downtown and Marwell areas, including the Robert Service Way Planning Study, the Downtown Plan, and the Marwell Plan. The Downtown Parking Management Plan is also undergoing an update. Participation in these processes were good, indicating a high level of investment by residents in the downtown. 

More information:

Read more about the City of Whitehorse's Planning and Sustainability Services Department and Community Economic Development Strategy.

Efficient movement of people via transit, cycling, walking, and multi- and single-occupant vehicles. Shifting to transit and active transportation improves physical health and community connectivity. It also reduces greenhouse gases, City infrastructure costs, and household transportation costs.

We are working towards:

• People choosing active transportation, transit, and carpooling over single occupant vehicles
• Maintaining the current density of vehicles on roads 

Our Progress:

The City continues to promote active transportation through programs and upgrades to roads and sidewalks. A Bicycle Network Plan was completed in 2018, which identifies priorities and opportunities that can be implemented in the coming years. A Transit Master Plan was also completed, which will guide improvements to the transit system.

More Information:

Read about transportation at the City of Whitehorse, including the Transportation Demand Management Plan, Bicycle Network Plan, and Whitehorse Transit.

Clean air, water, and soil; healthy habitat; and a sense of wilderness.

We are working towards:

• Better air quality
• Using less water
• Keeping a high quality of drinking water
• Maintaining or increasing wilderness areas and regional parks area
• Fewer conflicts between humans and wildlife

Protecting and enhancing the environment has intrinsic value and is important to a high quality of life for residents. A healthy environment provides ecological services (e.g. clean water, air, soil, and a stable climate) and economic benefits (e.g. recreational activities, tourism).

More Information:

Read more about work at the City of Whitehorse pertaining to this goal:

Official Community Plan

Regional Parks

Water and waste water treatment and delivery

Parks and Trails

Reduce environmental impacts of private and City-owned buildings and infrastructure by improving the performance of buildings and infrastructure in Whitehorse to reduce energy use, greenhouse gas emissions, operating costs, and environmental risks.

We are working towards:

• Better energy efficiency of new and retrofitted City buildings• Higher efficiency standards for all buildings
• Managing infrastructure, buildings, and natural assets in an asset management system

Our Progress:

The City has made good progress in making energy efficiency a priority in its new Operations building and Fire Hall. Opportunities exist for proposed renovations to City Hall and the Transit Building. The City continues to make progress on its asset management program. Upgrades to the transportation system to improve active transportation use are contemplated when surface and subsurface improvements are required. Leaks in the water distribution system are routinely detected and repaired.

More information:

Read more about the Building and Plumbing Bylaw , energy efficiency requirements, and our water system.

Increased renewable energy, reduce GHG production and operational cost savings. Reducing GHGs is part of Whitehorse’s commitment to global sustainability. Decreasing non-renewable energy use and increasing renewable energy production lowers community risks associated with fossil fuel dependence and climate change, and lowers operating costs.

We are working towards:

• Producing renewable energy by the City of Whitehorse
• Reducing GHG emissions by the City of Whitehorse
• Fewer per capita and total GHG emissions in Whitehorse

Our Progress:

The City will improve its corporate emissions through several new buildings and building envelope upgrades over the next few years. The City has made efforts to reduce community emissions through transit investments, stricter efficiency requirements for buildings, encouraging active transportation, and launching a rideshare app. 

Rich and diverse visual arts, built heritage, cultural landscapes, and community activities. Diverse and inclusive culture and heritage encourages a rich community life that is constantly changing. A strong arts community increases civic pride and quality of life, and attracts new residents, businesses, and visitors to Whitehorse.

We are working towards:

• Higher participation in local arts, culture, heritage, and First Nation initiatives

Our Progress:

The City recently signed a Declaration of Commitment with Ta'an Kwäch’än Council and Kwanlin Dün First Nation, which commits to working together and strengthening partnerships on issues of mutual interest and benefit.

The City continues to support arts and culture in the community. The Arts Policy was updated in 2018, maintaining a public art dedication from all new building budgets. The City also funds numerous special events, and provides significant in-kind support to various cultural initiatives. 

Programs and initiatives to equitably provide for basic needs of the entire community.

We are working towards:

• Fewer households spending more than 30% of their income on shelter
• Narrowing the income gap between the richest and poorest citizens
• More programs and projects that address low-income citizens

Safe, secure, decent housing is a basic need. Along with meeting that need, poverty reduction helps individuals and families reduce the potential for repeated crises, enabling them to resume their accustomed roles as workers, business people, and family members in the community.

Our Progress:

The City of Whitehorse has been making progress towards the goal of social equity. The City collaborated on the 2017 project Safe at Home: A Community-based Action Plan to End and Prevent Homelessness. The plan identifies actions to reduce homelessness through expanded housing options, access to programs, community support, and improved data. The Downtown Plan builds on this theme and recommends a collaborative working group to foster social wellness and inclusion.

Citizens are involved in decisions that affect them; act as stewards of the environment; and are connected and responsible to each other, the environment, and their government.

We are working towards:

• More active and engaged community associations
• Increasing City partnerships
• Increasing volunteerism
• More opportunities for public participation
• Greater engagement with hard-to-reach audiences

Engaging the community is part of the City’s democratic responsibility; fosters a greater sense of community and pride; and leads to better and more strongly supported civic decisions. A connected, active community strengthens the social safety net and makes people happier.

Our Progress:

The City collaborated with Government to examine how it engages with the public in decision-making. The City will use feedback obtained in this process to make changes to how it communicates and interacts with the public. Read the Yukon government report for more information.

Physical and mental health and safety from hazards such as fire, crime, and traffic.

We are working towards:

• Decreasing the population with chronic illnesses
• Greater use of trails, pathways, and commuter routes
• Fewer traffic accidents
• Less graffiti and vandalism
• Decreasing fire department callouts

Safety and security is a basic need and an important determinant of quality of life. Perceived and actual sense of security is important for individuals to function and for communities to be healthy. Pedestrians, cyclists and transit users are more likely to use cars if they don’t feel safe.

Our Progress:

Whitehorse has abundant recreation programs and outdoor recreation opportunities. There is a framework of paths separated from roads, which are undergoing incremental improvement. Quality fire protection services are in place.

A stable, diverse economy that is resilient to global change and features a strong labour force, a healthy municipal corporation, and a supportive environment for entrepreneurs and local businesses. A diverse, inclusive and healthy economy creates jobs and income that will allow all residents to meet their basic needs.

We are working towards:

• Implementing the Local Economic Development Strategy
• Maintaining a long term financial plan for the City of Whitehorse
• Raising the Northern Economic Diversity Index score
• More businesses in Whitehorse

Our Progress:

The Economic Development Coordinator position was created and the Community Economic Development Strategy was completed in 2015, with an update to the strategy to be started in 2022. Partnerships have been strengthened between the City, the business community, and other governments.

Minimize waste generation and maximize resource recovery through reducing, reusing, recycling, and composting. Reducing waste saves money, benefits the environment, and fosters responsible consumption and production.

We are working towards:

• Diverting more waste through strategies outlined in the Solid Waste Action Plan

Our Progress:

An ambitious Solid Waste Action Plan (SWAP) was completed in 2013, with goals of 50% diversion by 2015 and zero waste by 2040. A significant motivating factor is the landfill closure and liability. While diversion increased between 2013 and 2016, the diversion rate decreased in 2017 due to the large amount of waste resulting from the demolition of FH Collins school. The SWAP is to be updated in 2022.

More information:

Read more about Waste Diversion at the City of Whitehorse.

Production, processing, distribution, and sales of local, healthy food to all residents. Increasing local food production, processing, and consumption makes Whitehorse less vulnerable to weather-related supply interruptions; creates more local, green jobs; and reduces food insecurity.

We are working towards:

• Increasing consumption of local food
• More community garden plots
• More finished compost produced by the City

Our Progress:

The City has completed a Local Food and Urban Agriculture Study. For more information on this work, visit the project page.