Dawson City residents fight to keep hospital out of historic park

Some residents in Dawson City, Yukon, are trying to protect a historic park set to become the site of the town's new hospital.

More than 260 people have signed a petition urging the Yukon government not to build the hospital — which will replace the existing health centre — in Minto Park, which is more than a century old.

The petition was tabled in the legislature this week by Liberal opposition leader Arthur Mitchell.

The territorial government is transferring the land to the Yukon Hosptial Corp., and petitioners like Sylvia Burkhard are asking the government to reconsider the location.

"None of us are against a hospital," said Burkhard, who lives in a 110-year-old house across from Minto Park. "We just don't like where it's going, and it's going right in our historic park."

Burkhard said the park should be preserved along with other parts of the Klondike town's heritage.

Town council in the community of more than 1,300 met with the Yukon Hospital Corp. this week to discuss progress on the project.

Mayor Peter Jenkins said the hospital plans have long been in the works, adding that council supports the hospital's development on the park site.

"The land in question has been transferred from the Yukon government to the Yukon Hospital Corp.," Jenkins said. "I'm not sure if the transfer has been complete; I believe it's in the process."

Jenkins added that after the hospital is built, the Yukon government wants to build a care facility at the site of the existing nursing station.

While the hospital plans progress, Burkhard said she may organize a protest at the park this weekend and place a large protest sign in her front yard.

"You know, you can always voice your displeasure and hope that maybe somebody will notice," she said. "I think this weekend we're going to maybe walk around with some placards."