Whitehorse museum asks for property tax break following $6M expansion

The MacBride Museum in Whitehorse says it may have to reduce its summer hours and start closing over the winter if it has to pay property taxes. 

The museum's property taxes have increased this year due to multi-million dollar renovations.  

MacBride received $3 million from both the federal and territorial governments for the renovations, which included adding 1,700 square meters of space. 

The City of Whitehorse exempted museums from paying property taxes through a grant policy until 2015, when it decided to phase in a system requiring them to pay a percentage of their bill. 

That year, MacBride was to pay nearly $5,000, until the city agreed to an amendment to that policy that spared it. 

But now, the amount the museum owes in taxes exceeds the amount covered in the grant policy. 

Rick Nielsen, chair of the museum's board of directors, asked city council on Monday night if it would revisit its grant making policy. 

"If MacBride pays taxes, which represent the better part of half of our operating grant, we will have to dramatically have to cut services," he said. "We will have to close in the winter starting next year. We will likely have to reduce our summer hours and programing." 

According to an administrative report by the city, the museum's property taxes increased to $71,000 this year from about $30,000 in 2017. 

The city currently has a $50,000 cap on grants awarded to one organization in a given year.