WHAT IS THE VISIONARY FUTURE FOR THE YUKON?

By Bridget Amos

The Yukon Governments decision to build a bridge has still not been sufficiently justified. The lack of forthcoming information leaves the public to guess at why the bridge is a good investment. Some of the facts that this campaign has discovered and the questions yet to be answered will be addressed in this article.

The cost of operating the George Black Ferry from 1997-2002 are: 1997/98=$777,544 1998/99=$701,231 1999/00=$779,136 2000/01=$723,473 2001/02=$811,130. The majority of this money stays here in the local economy. Within the last two years they have installed new engines for the ferry. With regular maintenance ferries can operate indefinitely. The Marine Inspector was able to say that the George Black Ferry, which runs for six months a year, could stay operating for another 50 years or so.

The cost of creating and maintaining the Ice Bridge is $16,000 - $20,000 per year.

The above costs are a concern to the government. It seems to be that the costs would be comparable, between a bridge and the ferry, in approximately 30 years. If the bridge construction cost over-runs the estimated $25,000,000 that figure changes. The rumour is that the government will borrow, at least partially, to fund its budget. This would also quickly add to the cost of a new bridge.

Tourism numbers peaked in 1998 during the Klondike Gold Rush Centennials. Signatures counted at the Visitor Reception Centre in Dawson from 1997 are the following: 1997=26,648 1998=32,938 1999=26,259 2000=26,115 2001=24,752 2002=28,058 2003=29,710. In1992 the department of tourism along with different private corporations promoted the Yukon extensively both in Canada and in the US. This was called “A Decade of Anniversaries” and was meant to last until 2002. One may assume that with more funding for projects such as “A Decade of Anniversaries” tourism may increase again. However, it has been said that the building of a bridge will be the force for increasing tourism. If so, how?

It has been said that a bridge will contribute to the social, economic and civil welfare of the Yukon by creating a larger international trade route to the Northern Communities. Firstly, there are no Yukon communities on this route and Northern Alaskan Communities are better and more directly accessed by the Alaska Highway. Secondly, the Yukon government has not committed to or begun environmental assessment investigations into maintaining the Top of the World Highway throughout the winter. Thus, the period of supposed benefit would be very limited with the cost of the bridge possibly exceeding any benefit. The loss of 16 ferry worker jobs and associated other contracts such as the fuel contract will have a negative economic effect and also needs to be taken into consideration.

It has been stated that a bridge might help make hardrock mining and other exploration near the Top of the World Highway economically feasible. If valuable discoveries are made in this area, it is likely production would commence, regardless of access. Throughout Canada it has been proven that roads tend to follow mines, not vice versa. Gas and oil exploration, in the Inuvik area, is accessed by the ferries and ice bridges on the Dempster Highway. Mines, such as the Brewery Creek operation are serviced by roads and bridges built after their production has proven viable.

A sewage treatment plant must be operational by September 1, 2004, in compliance with the order of Chief Territorial Judge Heino Lilles or the municipality will be facing fines and possible legal action. There is currently still no funding for this project. The cost estimates are currently running at approx. $19,000,000.

Two fuel suppliers in Dawson have stated that the ferry wait has no affect on fuel prices. The fuel prices in Dawson City do not go down due to more direct accessibility to Alaska in the summertime. Regular vehicle gasoline cannot come from Alaska due to environmental standards.

The bridge is being built, we are told, for the visionary future, for the economy and for Yukon/Alaskan relations. We challenge our government to go beyond these statements, to go beyond their political agenda and to prove to the Yukon public that they can account for their decision.

If you have any comments please go to www.abridgetonowhere.com and enter the discussion forum.

The members of H’sao perform one of several “a capella” tunes that are featured in their stage show. Photo by Dan Davidson

Dawson Proves “Hot” for H’sao’s Winter Tour

by Dan Davidson

The world music group H’sao played at the Oddfellows’ Hall on March 4, bringing its high energy performance to the Klondike as part of its Yukon tour. The six member band from Montreal originated in Chad, where members of two families got together six years ago. Caleb (guitar and vocals), Israel (keyboards and vocals), Mossbass (bass and vocals) and Taoum (dance and vocals) are of the Rimtobaye family and were inspired to begin performing by their father, an evangelical pastor.

Teamed with Charles and Service Ledjebgue, who sing and play percussion, they became H’sao in 1995, and relocated to Canada in 2001.

Their music is a blend of gospel, soul, R&B and traditional Chadian sacred songs and dance rhythms. There are 120 different ethnic groups in Chad, so there’s a lot of material to draw from.

The members of the group frequently apologised for their limited use of English, though they were clever enough to make a joke of it. Their song lyrics were in their native Chadian dialect as well as French and Arabic.

Caleb’s guitar work is rooted in that distinctive fast fingering technique that is so often heard in African pop music, but he shows other styles as well. Keyboardest Israel produces both piano and organ sounds, but his most distinctive contribution is a breathy, wind instrument that had audience members looking for the flute and not finding it. Mossbass plays the less common five string bass guitar and makes good use of it in setting the pace for a lot of the group’s tunes. The Ledjebgue brothers contribute percussion on both African and regular drums, while Taoum Rimtobaye, in several costume changes, punctuated a lot of the numbers with an energetic dance break where one might have expected an instrumental.

One of the highlights of the evening was a show stopping number in which everyone grabbed a set of drums and traded riffs and rhythms for an extended set.

Speaking of dancing, H’sao had the packed Dawson audience up on its feet for most of the two hour show.

H’sao is not just about fun and games. The group also sings about the need for AIDS education in Chad, where the prevailing wisdom among so many youth is that HIV is just a scare tactic being used to discourage sex amongst the young. Such beliefs contribute to the exponential spread of AIDS all over the continent.

H’sao’s members are also vocal about proclaiming their Christianity, lest anyone would think that you can’t be a believer and still have fun. Some of their more solemn sounding “a capella” numbers come from this part of their lives, which is where their music began.

As for their reaction to Dawson, the band members concluded that, in spite of the winter cold, “Dawson is hot.”