PUBIC WORKS UP-DATES

Message from the Opera ons Manager

Mark Vainio

Public Works Crew

¨ On-going Water system maintenance and training.

¨ On-going Snow clearing and hauling

¨ Short-handed, so please be pa ent.

¨ Working hard on budge ng for 2023 Opera ons and Maintenance as well as Capital Budgets as well Project planning and prepara on for 2023.

Gardening Crew

¨ Will be pos ng for vacant posi ons soon.

¨ Flowers and material have been ordered for this year.

¨ Material ordered for repair/replacement of planter boxes

¨ Improvements planned for the Cemetery star ng in 2023.

Projects

¨ Dena Cho Trail Improvements – CDF Grant –

¨ To be completed by the end of February as there will be no more extensions. Bridges are all built. All that remains is

Some New Capital Projects Planned for 2023:

Over the next few months, residents are going to see some new vehicles, maintenance on the Recrea on Centre, and a few new Haul-All garbage bins in the community. At the same me, you will be hearing Mayor & Council talking about the difficulty of balancing the budget.

Why are some purchases happening at a me of fiscal restraint? It’s because Town Council and Administraon have been successfully seeking 100% grant funding sources for these projects. In other words, NONE of those projects are coming out of the property tax dollars that the Town collects each year. All of these projects are 100% covered by grants.

This last year, Mayor & Council have been working with Administra on to review a long list of equipment, vehicles, and other required maintenance, to find funding assistance for these projects. While a few grants are 100%, most are shared at 75/25 or 90/10.

Probably the most high-profile purchase that everyone will see this summer is a new Handi-Bus for the Recrea on Centre. The new Handi-Bus will have a wheel-chair li and will replace the old 11 passenger van. The interior will be configurable to carry up to 16 passengers and no wheelchairs, or up to 8 passengers and 4 wheel-chairs. Again, 100% grant funded. Regre ably, we s ll can find no grants available for a new ice plant for the arena, and Council can’t afford the $1.3M required to purchase & install that new unit. S ll, Canadian communi es con nue to lobby the Federal Government for more funding. With a new funding cycle star ng April 1, Faro is not the only community in the Yukon or Canada that needs infrastructure ‘maintenance’ funding. The Federal Government is placing new emphasis on maintaining the buildings and assets that we have now, so we are hoping to see some new funding being made available.

This last year, Town located about $1.5M in 100% grants for equipment and smaller projects. And that does not include the $16M for the new Community Services Building, or the millions for replacing the underground infrastructure. Administra on expects 2023 to be a good year for the Town as we con nue to research more grant opportuni es for Faro.

Dena Cho Trail Project

The Dena Cho Trail Project will be completed before the end of this month. Three new bridges were built, and a large sec on of new, safer trail was added, as well as clearing the access to Swim Lakes.

The Dena Cho Trail is a historical trail that links Ross River to the Faro area and was in use genera ons before Faro was developed. For those who haven’t made the trip, there are four cabins on the way for those who need to overnight or simply rest up. Whether a summer hiking trip, or a winter snowmobile adventure, the Dena Cho Trail is beau ful all year round.

Community Development Fund

The Town of Faro thanks the many volunteers and workers who have contributed their me and energy in redeveloping the Dena Cho Trail, for the Rangers who have maintained the cabins, and the Community Development Fund that provided substan al funding in 2022 for the restora on and redevelopment of the Dena Cho Trail.

Yukon Government Housing & Property Loans and Grants

The Yukon Government has a number of loans and grants to help Yukoners (especially those in communies) purchase, build, or repaired your home. For more informa on visit: yukon.ca/en/housing-and-property/ funding-and-loans or contact the Yukon Housing Corpora on at (867) 667-5712