Yukon gov't buys property next to Whitehorse emergency shelter

The Yukon government has purchased a former pet store next door to the Whitehorse emergency shelter and will have an NGO run support services from the property — though details, for now, are scarce. 

Yukon Party MLA Geraldine Van Bibber revealed the sale of the Duffy's pet store property to the Yukon Housing Corporation while pushing the government on downtown safety during question period at the Legislative Assembly Monday. The $650,000-transaction, completed at the end of last month, had not been publicly acknowledged before that. 

Premier Ranj Pillai, speaking to reporters afterwards, said that the government was planning to make an announcement about the sale and future of the property at 407 Alexander St. in the coming weeks.

"[The] Opposition beat us to the punch today," he admitted. 

Pillai was tight-lipped on specifics, saying that the government was in "final conversations" with an NGO set to take over the property.

He would not name the NGO, nor confirm or deny if it was the Connective Support Society, which operates the emergency shelter next door. He also would not provide specific details on what services the NGO would be offering, though he confirmed no one would be housed at the property and that the NGO would be using the existing building on the site. 

"I would say that it would be supportive services that can help some of our more vulnerable folks in the downtown area and would be fitting in that location," Pillai said, noting both the proximity of the shelter and a separate supportive housing program that opened across the street in December. 

Pillai said more information would be shared when the government makes its formal announcement.

'Not a very viable location' for business, says former owner

The Whitehorse emergency shelter has become a community and political flashpoint in recent years, with both the safety of people who use the facility and its impact on safety in the downtown core the subject of heated debate. Businesses in the area have previously spoken out about an increase in disruptive behaviour and property damage after the Yukon government took over the shelter from the Salvation Army in 2019 before handing over operations to Connective just more than three years later. 

Former Duffy's owner Hans Oettli, in an interview Tuesday, said he'd approached the government about buying his property about two years ago, and after "many, many meetings, up and down," the government agreed to the purchase. 

"There's multiple reasons why, actually, I sold it," he said. 

"Number one, I'm by now 75 years old and I should have retired 10 years ago, at least, if not earlier. But you know, I liked what I was doing and [it] was always fun… And then eventually I just thought that, you know, for [a] private venture, this is not a good location."

Oettli owned the business and property for 29 years and said that while things were fine when the Salvation Army operated the shelter, the situation has since deteriorated, which ultimately led him to approaching the government to gauge its interest in "taking over." 

"It's not a very viable location to have any store where [members of the] public have to come in and to purchase stuff, because it's too close to the shelter and there's too much going on in front there, so this was the best option for the property, for me, for everybody," he said. 

Oettli added that while he didn't know what the government was going to do with his former property, he hoped it would be used for "something that makes sense." 

Make changes to fix the problem, opposition says

Yukon Party Leader Currie Dixon told reporters Monday that he had several questions about how and why the government purchased the Duffy's property, including whether other businesses in the area could "apply to be bought out." He also accused the government of failing to address concerns about the shelter. 

"There's the bigger picture here, which is, why is the government willing to buy out a local business instead of make changes to the Whitehorse emergency shelter?" Dixon said. 

"Why are they so quick to spend taxpayer dollars to buy out businesses instead of actually just making changes to the problem?"

Pillai, asked about Dixon's comments, pointed the finger back at the Yukon Party, noting that it was in power a decade ago, when the government chose the shelter's location. 

"Look, I think it's a difficult location," Pillai said. 

"We all know that and we want to make sure that we can do the best with the services that are provided."

Yukon NDP MLA Lane Tredger, meanwhile, said they didn't know about the Duffy's sale until the Yukon Party brought it up. They told reporters that they hoped the property could be used to address concerns about the shelter's design, and in particular, the lack of a proper outdoor area. 

"Having an outdoor space where people can be comfortable and safe… would be a really good piece," they said. 

Tredger also said they were still waiting to see the government's review on Connective's services — a review that MLAs unanimously voted in favour of last May.