Zoning Committee to be formed for Shallow Bay area

Joint news release with Ta’an Kwäch’än Council

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.

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.

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. 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.

Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources Ranj Pillai

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. The committee will honour Ta’an Kwäch’än traditional knowledge and Shallow Bay community perspectives throughout the process.

Ta’an Kwäch’än Council Chief Kristina Kane

Quick facts 
  • Approximately 880 hectares of the Shallow Bay area are owned by the Ta’an Kwäch’än Council.

  • Five Settlement Land parcels, within the draft boundary, are subject to the section 25.0 Compatible Land Use provision in the Ta’an Kwäch’än Council Self-Government Agreement.

  • The Shallow Bay community is part of the Whitehorse Periphery Development Area, where current zoning regulations require a six-hectare minimum parcel size for rural residential properties. The adjacent Mayo Road Development Area is covered by a different zoning regulation that allows for two-hectare sized parcels.

  • In response to a request from several Shallow Bay property owners, a consultation process was initiated to consider possible zoning changes to allow rural residential lots to be subdivided.

  • To date, there have been three public meetings and two surveys to collect public input on potential zoning changes in the area.

Media contact 

Sunny Patch
Cabinet Communications
867-393-7478
sunny.patch@gov.yk.ca

Jesse Devost
Communications, Energy, Mines and Resources
867-667-5307
jesse.devost@gov.yk.ca

Lian Goodall
Communications Officer, Ta’an Kwäch’än Council
867-668.3613 ex. 204
communicationsoffice@taan.ca

News release #: 
18-125