Whitehorse residents weigh in on former Macaulay Lodge site

Whitehorse residents are weighing in on the fate of vacant land in Riverdale that was once the site of seniors' housing.

The Macaulay Lodge was demolished last year. Now, the Yukon government has requested a zoning amendment to the site so it can sell the vacant land through tender in the summer.

If the zoning amendment is approved, the site would be rezoned as comprehensive neighbourhood commercial, with commercial businesses on the ground floor and housing above. A special modification to the zoning would leave the door open for supportive housing as a secondary use.

The Yukon government has said the territory is in need of housing, and the land is well-positioned for a housing development. Still, some want the territorial government to hold onto the property and use it for social housing.

Ian Robertson, a planner and senior citizen in Whitehorse, asked the city to deny the rezoning application during a presentation to Whitehorse city council Monday night.

Robertson said he'd like to see the site remain public. He said he'd prefer another seniors' complex on the lots, or at least assurance that they would be used for affordable housing.

"We are short affordable housing and that applies to seniors as well," Robertson said in an interview. "I'm concerned about people with low incomes, very little savings. Where do they live? And how do they live a reasonable lifestyle?"

Robertson said not all seniors can afford to live in private care facilities, like the recently developed Normandy Living Complex. He also noted Whistle Bend Place, a continuing care facility in Whitehorse, isn't as suitable for seniors who are looking for more independent, apartment-style living.

"People who lived [at Macaulay Lodge], they said it was more like a home than an institution," Robertson said. "There is no rationale being provided by the Yukon government to explain why they want to dispose of the valuable site."

Frank Bachmier, speaking on behalf of the Yukon Council on Aging, shared his thoughts with council during two public hearings on the fate of the site: one in January, and one on Monday night.

Bachmier said he wants another seniors' housing complex built on the site. He said there are a number of seniors on the Yukon Housing Corporation's waitlist, and some of them have been waiting for housing for more than five years.

Meanwhile, the Yukon Anti-Poverty Coalition told council at January's public hearing they were fine with the zoning amendment, but wanted affordable housing to be a priority for the site.

Premier Ranj Pillai told the Yukon Legislative Assembly Monday there are currently 250 people on the Yukon Housing Corporation's wait list.

Yukon NDP Leader Kate White said given that number, the lot should be used for social housing.