Whitehorse construction company’s proposed lot expansion opposed by some local residents

A Whitehorse trucking and construction company is looking to expand its property in the Mount Sima industrial area, but some people who live nearby are opposed.

Sidhu Trucking wants to enlarge its equipment storage lot at 163 Collins Lane. That would require the city to rezone a 2.89-hectare parcel of Crown land adjacent to the company’s property for industrial use. It’s currently zoned as greenbelt.

Eirik Sharp, whose home is closest to the site, told a city council hearing earlier this week that he believes the change conflicts with the city’s official community plan. He said the greenbelt area was “intentionally designated as a buffer” from the industrial area. Sharp also raised concerns about cumulative impact, noting this would be the third time the lot was expanded in recent years. 

“Considered separately, each rezoning may appear modest, but considered together they represent a significant loss of public buffer, public green space, and an ecological corridor,” said Sharp.

Sharp said he has trail cameras that captured more than 40 wildlife movements over the course of four months in 2021, including wolf, coyotes, lynx, bears, and moose. 

Mary Sloan, another area resident who spoke at the hearing, said she appreciates Sidhu Trucking’s contributions to the local economy, but she also worries about industrial encroachment. 

“If we keep letting industries go farther and farther — where does it stop?” she asked. She said residents chose to live in the area “because we love the green space.”

Another resident, Leslie Van Tongeren, raised air and water quality concerns to council, saying her family’s well is close to the industrial lot. She wondered if there could be negative impacts on her water quality, saying that the financial burden to monitor would fall to her and her family. She also worried about how the lot expansion would affect her property value. 

Company says expansion needed for operations

Sidhu Trucking says the area is already broadly zoned for industrial use and that the lot expansion is needed to accommodate the business’s continued growth.

“When you’ve got 400 pieces of equipment, secure storage is very important,” company spokesperson Ian Robertson told council. 

He said the site is typically only busy at two times of year.

“Once in the spring, when they’re sending equipment and materials out at the start of construction season, and then when it comes back in late October, where it’s stored, and basically parked for the winter,” he said. 

Robertson said moving some equipment to other lots was considered but found to be “not economic.” He added that having a single consolidated location for all the company’s equipment reduces risk and improves efficiency.

The proposal has already gone through an environmental review process by the Yukon Environmental and Socioeconomic Assessment Board (YESAB). The Yukon government accepted YESAB’s recommendation earlier this year to approve the project, with one term and condition: that the company notify local First Nations and the territorial government if it discovers any heritage resources.

Mandeep Sidhu, who manages the lot, told council this week that the expansion would not move the storage lot any closer to residential areas. He also addressed residents’ concerns about light and noise, saying the company does not operate past 10 p.m. 

Sidhu also expressed frustration at what he feels is a lack of recognition for the company’s role in the local economy.

“We build your roads. We built Whistle Bend. We’re building the tank farm,” said Sidhu. “When you look at the investment with this property expansion, City of Whitehorse also gains more property taxes.”

The rezoning proposal will return to city council for further debate and a decision at a future meeting.