PUBLIC W & OPERATIONS UP - DATES

Message From The Operations Manager

Mark Vainio

Gardening Crew

 Hiring for the Student positions and Assistant Gardening positions is underway now and we’ll be in good shape this year with a full crew. They will be hard at it starting June 12th.

Projects rity, heat and air handling and controls, vehicle exhaust are the primary concerns along with Tower installation.

 2023 Grad Class did the Landfill cleanup this year. They did a great job!

Phase 2 Construction

 Norcope should be finished sewer work behind Ogilvie very soon. Then proceeding to our sewer force-main and Lagoon section of the work. Should be back on Douglass Dr. late July.

Purchasing – Gas Tax Funded

 Our Combination Vactor Truck will be ready for delivery soon. Delayed by some work Vimar wanted to do to make us very, very happy. Primarily, the Accumulator, while still within specifications, was on the low end, so they replaced that. This will greatly increase the service life on the truck without issue for us. We have a long list of jobs for this truck when it arrives.

 The Bus Centre has delivering our Handi-bus to Whitehorse and was picked up yesterday.

 The Scissor-lift for maintenance inside the Rec. Centre Gym, Curling Rink, Arena and new Community Services Building (PWFH) has been received

Community Wildfire Protection Plan

By Larry Baran, CAO

As we look at the wildland fires happening in British Columbia, Alberta, NWT, Quebec, and Nova Scotia, we ‘knock on wood’ that we won’t follow suit in the Yukon.

In March, Administration advised Council that the Town of Faro’s current Wildfire Protection Plan was drafted in the year 2000, and more than a few things have changed in the last 23 years. We contacted the YG Wildland Fire Management Branch, and they were in the awkward situation of being overbooked with projects and understaffed. To meet our needs, however, they proposed that they develop an agreement wherein they would transfer funds to the Town, and we would use those funds to issue a contract to update our 23 year-old Community Wildfire Protection Plan.

We have contracted Ember Research Services Ltd to assist us. Because they were currently completing plans for Mayo and Watson Lake, we agreed to start our work in July, with the goal to have the Town of Faro-Wildfire Protection Plan completed before the end of 2023.

 Hydrant flushing and maintenance over the next few weeks. If you notice dirty water, please just let the tap run until it clears.

The Public Works & Fire Hall Building (Community Services Building)

 Hasn’t been much movement here regarding our concerns with deficiencies. Building secu-

As for Fire Smart work around Faro, work was postponed each of the previous 2 years because of a lack of worker applications. Our Operations Manager, Mark Vainio, hopes that, by starting the Fire Smart program earlier in 2023, we will have greater success in recruiting so that people won’t have to work in the snow.

YIELD means let other road users go first. According to the Yukon Drivers Handbook, drivers must slow down and “give the right of-way to other vehicles and crossing pedestrians”. Unlike with stop signs, drivers aren't required to come to a complete stop at a yield sign and may proceed without stopping -- provided that it is safe to do so!

Ome

The Town is planning on completing a FireSmart program this fall, but as a homeowner you should look at what you can do to mitigate the risk of a Wild Fire spreading though Town. Your House

 Consider the materiel you use to build your house

 Keep your Gutters Clean

 Close Vents Windows if/ when Wild Fire risks are high

 Don’t pile wood or other combustible material next to your house.

Air Quality In Faro

by Larry Baran, CAO

Ever wonder if, one day particular day, the air seems better than the other? Guess what I found out last week?

Back in 2020, a YG Environmental Protection Analyst installed an air quality sensor on the back of the municipal building. It appears that only the Town Staff at that time knew about the sensor being in stalled, but the sensor recently stopped working so as YG Technician came to swap it out with a new sensor. That found out that no one here seemed to even know about the sensor.

The Technician installed a sensor that monitors levels of fine particu- late matter, also referred to as PM2.5; which refers to very fine dust in the air. In Faro specifically, sources of PM2.5 could include wildfires, windblown soil and dust, pollen, burning of fossil fuels, and residential woodstoves. PM2.5 is a commonly monitored contaminant because it is very small, can be inhaled and enter the bloodstream which can have a variety of health

Zone One (1.5-10m around your home)

 Insure all leaves and debre around your home are regularly removed.

 Choose landscaping and plants that are less likely to catch fire

 Keep Grass mowed

 Keep Firewood piles 10+ meters away from your house.

 Keep the ground clear of branches.

 All trees in this Zone should be 3 meters apart.

A link to YG’s Complete Manual to FireSmart your home is available at faro.ca/ p/FireSmart what capacity can they use them.

The impressive thing about these sensors is that they report real time data to an online map at: cyclone.unbc.ca/aqmap/#6/62.492/129.375

So, anyone (including YG Environment) can go to that website anytime and check the sensor to monitor the air quality in Faro. Have a