Residents in Yukon's Silver City area fight to keep their local waste transfer station

First it was Keno City, Yukon. Next up Silver City, Braeburn, and Johnson's Crossing.

Those are the unincorporated communities in the Yukon that are soon going to lose their waste transfer stations — something that's not sitting well with some people who live in those areas.

It comes as part of the territorial government's aim to modernize waste management facilities across the Yukon.

Suzanne Tremblay lives in the Silver City area, near Haines Junction, Yukon, and is among a group of local residents trying to fight the closure of their local station. Tremblay told CBC News that the decision was made by the territorial government before consulting with the community.

"We've been asking for three years now to be consulted," Tremblay said.

"[Community Services Minister Richard] Mostyn told us word for word, 'there will be no consultation. We've already consulted.' If you consulted with us, none of us remember in any of the communities."

Tremblay said the lack of public consultation prompted some area residents to send a letter to the premier's office last week.

The letter, signed by 130 people, demands that the government reconsider removing Silver City's waste transfer station, and also slams the minister of Community Services for not engaging with residents on this issue.

"What we're telling them is to back off," Tremblay said.

"We're more than willing to bring up some solutions and some cost-effective, environmentally-friendly solutions, but they need to work with us."

We've consulted, says minister

Community Services Minister Richard Mostyn says it's not true that Silver City residents have not been consulted. He told CBC News that he and his team have been there to discuss a waste management plan for after the bins are removed from the community. He says that three local meetings have been held.

Mostyn also said his predecessor as Community Services minister, John Streicker, visited the community to discuss the issue before Mostyn took over. 

"I have had lots of conversations both on the phone, through emails, and in person with residents from Silver City, Burwash, and Destruction Bay over the last 18 months," Mostyn said.

Mostyn said the Silver City waste transfer station will close, and it's now just a matter of time.

"Residents of Silver City will have to take their garbage to one of the regional landfills in the vicinity," he said.

"More than likely they'll go to the community where they buy their gas and food. So that will probably be a place like Haines Junction. So we're working with the Haines Junction council to create a payment regime so that Haines Junction is compensated for the extra garbage coming in."

Mostyn said a workshop is being held later this month for members of his department and residents of Silver City to continue the discussion toward next steps.

"Maybe we'll put a spring clean-up bin in Silver City," he said.

"Have staff there, and they will collect spring garbage that will then be taken out of the community to one of the regional landfills once a year.  And the other place is maybe leaving some of our regional landfill in these areas open a little bit longer to give people a little bit more time to get their garbage into the landfills."

The premier did not respond to CBC News' request for an interview about the letter.