The Government of Yukon and Ta’an Kwäch’än Council will be working with local community members on developing potential zoning regulations in the Shallow Bay area, located north of Whitehorse on the southern tip of Lake Laberge, in an effort to protect the area’s wetlands.
A committee is being formed of six representatives appointed by the territorial government and Ta’an Kwäch’än Council. The committee will meet regularly to work towards draft zoning regulations for the Shallow Bay area. A public meeting to collect community input is expected to be held later this year.
“This important committee action underlines cooperation between the Government of Yukon in developing draft zoning regulations for the Män Tl’ät area that will take into consideration ecosystems, water quality, and cultural traditions important to Ta’an Kwäch’än Citizens,” said Ta’an Kwäch’än Council Chief Kristina Kane . “The committee will honour Ta’an Kwäch’än traditional knowledge and Shallow Bay community perspectives throughout the process.”
Ta’an Kwäch’än Citizens live, fish, and gather in the Shallow Bay area and actively practise traditional pursuits today, as they have since time immemorial.
The goal of a new zoning regulation is to promote orderly development and land use within the area while supporting the quality of life of local residents and protecting Shallow Bay’s wetlands. The process will consider issues such as lot size, housing density, permitted uses, setbacks and the need for conservation zones. The goal is to complete the consultation and proposed zoning regulation within a year.
“This work in partnership with the Ta’an Kwäch’än Council is about giving communities a meaningful role in shaping and realizing their future and finding local solutions to local problems,” said Yukon Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources Ranj Pillai. “We will ensure all public input, along with our work with Ta’an Kwäch’än Council, will be taken into account before any final decisions are made on proposed zoning regulations.”
