Here's how Whitehorse's snowmobile bylaw affects trail use in the city

The Active Trails Whitehorse Association wants the city to change its snowmobile bylaw to prohibit snowmobiles from all non-motorized trails.

Over the past few months, one of the association's members, Keith Lay, has been expressing his concerns about the bylaw to city council. 

"Until the snowmobile bylaw is amended confusion and inequality will remain with regard to trail designation and use," Lay told council Jan. 20.

Currently, motorized vehicles are barred from all non-motorized trails in the summer, but in the winter, snowmobiles are permitted to use any non-motorized trails where they are not explicitly prohibited by the snowmobile bylaw. 

Trails prohibited by the snowmobile bylaw include those in the downtown area, ski trails and three non-motorized trails in the bylaw's excluded section: the Birch Loop Trail, the Millennium Trail and the Whistle Bend Paved Perimeter Trail. 

"In order to create a truly non-motorized neighborhood trail in the City of Whitehorse, it would for all intents and purposes have to be approved by a snowmobile bylaw," Lay said.

In a statement, city spokesperson Matthew Cameron said snowmobiles may use "any trails wide enough to accommodate them, except in environmentally sensitive areas, excluded areas or excluded trails." He said non-motorized designations are "mainly used to guide ATV use in the summer months."

Cameron said the city has no plans to change the snowmobile bylaw. 

"We have received feedback from many residents that support the use of snowmobiles on trails," he said. "Snowmobiles cause less damage to vegetation and trail surfaces than ATVs due to the frozen ground and snowpack buffer.  Snowmobiles also help pack trails, benefiting other users in the winter months."

Colin McCann, a board member with the Klondike Snowmobile Association (KSA), said the association wants to protect trail access for both motorized and non-motorized users. 

He's worried that if the city bans snowmobiles from non-motorized trails, snowmobilers will be cut-off from accessing "out and away" trails that lead toward the backcountry.

"If the city decides to change those then they need to give the snowmobilers and motorized users out and away trails," McCann said.

He added the association also uses snowmobiles to groom trails for other users.

"You can't have ski trails without having a motorized unit to groom trails," McCann said.

Trail Planning 

Concerns about motorized and non-motorized trail designations were top of mind for residents who responded to a public survey in 2022 about the Whitehorse North Trail Plan. The survey found 71 per cent of respondents were not satisfied with the plan. 

On Monday, Lay addressed council once again to call on the city to improve engagement with residents about the Whitehorse North Trail Plan. The city will be consulting with the public again next month.

"Unless a trail is placed in the excluded trail section of the snowmobile bylaw, then it's still going to be open to motorized use in the winter," Lay said. "And if people in Whitehorse North want that, that's fine, but at least they should be aware."

McCann said some KSA members want to see more snowmobile trails in the city, including the area around the MacPherson and Hidden Valley subdivisions.

Funding Implications

The city is in the process of applying for federal funding for a trail that would connect Whistle Bend to downtown Whitehorse.

City council approved the $12.5 million project March 10 and hopes to receive federal funding from the Active Transportation Fund to cover just over $9 million in costs. 

Lay worries that if the snowmobile bylaw does not change, the city might be ineligible for funding through the Active Transportation Fund.

Cameron said the Whistle Bend connector "is intended to be dedicated to active transportation," and "will be developed in accordance with federal funding requirements."

McCann says the KSA does not have an "exact position" on this project. However, he points to the KSA and the Whitehorse Urban Cycling Coalition's work to groom the Hamilton Boulevard trail as an example of how trails can function as both active transportation routes and motorized trails. Both non-motorized and motorized users are permitted to use that trail, which runs from the Copper Ridge neighbourhood to downtown. 

Public consultation for the connector is not expected to begin until 2026, at which time the city will be looking for input on the connector's route, pending funding approval.