Whitehorse's Macaulay Lodge to be demolished, affordable housing units to be built in its place

Macaulay Lodge, in the Riverdale neighbourhood of Whitehorse, will soon be demolished and affordable housing units will be built in its place, say Yukon government officials.

The demolition work is expected to begin next month.

The former long-term care home was built in 1969, and has been vacant since 2019 when residents and staff were moved to then-new Whistle Bend Place.

Late last year, the government said a building assessment determined Macauley Lodge was in poor condition and that renovating or repurposing it would not be economical.

Economic Development Minister Ranj Pillai said maintaining the vacant Macauley Lodge is draining money that could be used to build up the territory's housing supply.

"We need to keep the housing development momentum in the territory going, and we must plan now for the needs of tomorrow,: he said. "Redeveloping the Macaulay Lodge site for housing is part of that vision."

The NDP said the new housing should be set aside for Yukoners who need it most.

"Right now we have hundreds of people on the Yukon Housing waitlist. I think this would be a phenomenal opportunity for the Yukon government to invest in more Yukon housing that is publicly available," said NDP House Leader Emily Tredger.

The territorial government said it will know if the site is contaminated and needs remediation after it is demolished.

Pillai said the government will put a call out to developers soon. He added he's looking to the community to source the best ideas for the future housing project.