This is joint news release between the Government of Canada and the Government of Yukon.
The City of Whitehorse will improve their transit system thanks to a combined investment of over $7.8 million from the federal and territorial governments.
Ten 40-foot fully accessible buses will be added to the existing fleet in Whitehorse between 2026 and 2028. The City’s current fleet consists of 15 low-floor accessible buses that were purchased between 2008 and 2023. New buses will ensure efficiency and maintain service levels while helping to meet the needs of the growing city for residents and visitors. The additional buses will allow opportunities to improve routes, ensure unexpected maintenance can be accommodated and maximize the service life of the fleet for the city.
Expanding the transit fleet in Whitehorse will provide people with more reliable and efficient service for their daily commuting and travel. By increasing accessibility, improving service levels and improving routes, our government is able to support a growing city with sustainable public transit infrastructure into the future.
Through this joint investment, we’re delivering on our commitment to strengthen transit and active transportation options in partnership with the City of Whitehorse. Thank you to the Government of Canada for their continued support in building vibrant, sustainable, and connected Yukon communities.
We are pleased to be working in partnership with the Governments of Canada and Yukon to bolster our transit fleet. Whitehorse is one of the fastest growing cities in Canada and enhancing public transit is key to ensuring the sustainable growth of our community. In recent years, our efforts to enhance transit services has led to record levels of ridership. This funding will ensure we can continue to build on that success and meet the growing needs of our community.
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The federal government is investing $5,894,443 through the Public Transit Infrastructure Stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program. The Government of Yukon is investing $1,965,481.
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Including today’s announcement, eight infrastructure projects under the Public Transit Infrastructure Stream have been announced in the Yukon, with a total federal contribution of more than $9.8 million and a total territorial contribution of almost $3.3 million.
| Location | Project name | Project details | Federal funding | Territorial funding |
| Municipality of Whitehorse | Whitehorse Transit: Additional Transit Buses 2024 | This 2024 project involves the addition of two 40-foot fully accessible buses to the City’s existing fleet to complement the reserve fleet and meet the needs of a growing city with expanding transit service. The reserve fleet serves multiple functions, such as vehicle substitution during regular maintenance, emergency situations such as accidents or unexpected breakdowns, driver training and the flexibility to modify transit service provided on relatively short notice. Additional buses will maintain the capacity of the public transit infrastructure by ensuring service levels are maintained, providing flexibility to modify and modernize routes and ensuring routine and unexpected maintenance can be accommodated to maximize the service life of the fleet. The City of Whitehorse’s Transit Services fleet currently consists of 15 low-floor, fully accessible 40-foot buses. The age of the fleet ranges from 2008 to the most recent buses acquired in 2023. | $1,125,000 | $375,000 |
| Municipality of Whitehorse | Whitehorse Transit: Additional Transit Buses 2025 | This 2025 project supplements the 2024 project and involves the addition of three 40-foot fully accessible buses to the City of Whitehorse’s existing fleet to complement the reserve fleet. | $1,687,000 | $563,000 |
| Municipality of Whitehorse | Whitehorse Transit: Additional Transit Buses 2026 and 2027 | The City of Whitehorse will acquire five 40-foot, fully accessible buses in 2026 and 2027. Three new buses will be added in 2026 to improve service during peak transit hours, enabling the system to better meet high demand by increasing frequency and reliability. Route coverage will also be expanded to ensure consistent and timely service during busy transit periods. The two buses planned for 2026 or 2027 will replace existing units that are nearing end of life, which will ensure fleet reliability and continued service quality as the City and ridership grows. | $3,082,443 | $1,027,481 |
Laura Seeley
Cabinet Communications
867-332-7627
[email protected]
Natalie Van Sterthem
Communications, Community Services
867-333-9159
[email protected]
Renée LeBlanc Proctor
Senior Communications Advisor and Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities
[email protected]
Media Relations
Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada
613-960-9251
[email protected]