Feds to spend almost $10M on parks and historic sites in Yukon

The federal government is pouring $9.9 million into several Parks Canada projects in the Yukon,MP Larry Bagnell announcedover the weekendin Dawson City.

Almost half the money ($4.8 million) will be used to stabilize and renovate the Former Territorial CourthouseNational Historic Site.The building, in Dawson City, was originally constructed in 1901 and has been empty since 2010 when the Yukon government and Yukon College moved out.

Other projects receiving fundsinclude:

• $429,000to rehabilitate the Dawson Daily News building
• $547,000to rehabilitate the Ruby's Place building in Dawson
• $395,000to stabilize St. Andrews Church in Dawson
• $449,000to stabilize the ThirdAvenue Complex in Dawson
• $670,000to rehabilitate the Kathleen Lake campground day use areas, in Kluane National Park
• $289,000to renovate the Tachl Dhl Visitor Reception Centre, north of Haines Junction
• $2.5 millionto stabilize Dredge 4 National Historic Site, near Dawson

Work has already begun on two of the projects, and all are scheduled to be completeby the end of 2018.

Money for projects, not positions

The new funding is explicitly earmarked for projects, not for hiring new Parks Canadastaff.Yukon lost 30Parks Canada positions in 2012, aspart of nationwide cuts by Stephen Harper's Conservative government.

Larry Bagnell said the Liberals have committed to reinstate the money that was cut.

"WhatI've been trying to make the case very strenuously is that we want to get some positions refilled, particularly the curatorial of our valuable, irreplaceable historical resources," Bagnell said.

"We want some people set up so those can be taken care."