Klondike Visitors Association dismayed by plan to close local RV park

The Klondike Visitors Association in Dawson City, Yukon, says a vital part of the community's tourism infrastructure could be lost.

The concern is over an 82 site RV park that covers an entire city block downtown and is a few minutes walk from many of Dawson City's historic and entertainment attractions.

The community's mayor, Wayne Potoroka, confirmed the operators of the Gold Rush Campground have been given an eviction notice from their city-owned lot. They have to be gone within two years.

Potoroka said the city has to find a new site for the community's recreation centre. It's built on unstable ground.

"We're hearing recently from engineers that we've hired that we should be mindful of heavy winds lest it push that facility over," said Potoroka.

He said a search for a new site resulted in only two options. One is at the bottom of the Dome Road a short distance from the downtown.

The other is the Gold Rush Campground, Potoroka said.

With the city required to give the RV park operators two years notice of eviction, he said, and the need to replace the recreation centre as soon as possible, it was important to be ready if the RV park becomes the only option.

"If we don't take this measure that site ceases to be a viable option for the rec centre project," Potoroka said.

The city will test the ground at the RV park to make sure it doesn't have same permafrost problems the recreation centre has had, he said.

If it is unsuitable, Potoroka said, the city could re-visit the eviction before the end of this year. But he said another possibility could be to replace the RV park with residential lots.

Dianne and Pat Brooks have been operating the Gold Rush Campground for about 20 years.

Pat Brooks said they don't want to leave and he doubts the ground is more stable at the park than it is a few blocks away at the recreation centre.

They have no intention of looking for another site in Dawson City if they are evicted, he said.

He said it's not just about them, it's about what is good for the future of the community.

The Klondike Visitors Association agrees. In a letter to the city it says the RV park is too popular and too convenient to shut down.

Brian Stethem, the association's chair, said the park hosted 16,000 visitors last year.

"All those people that walk around leave money in town," he said.

"And if you can imagine that number of people at a, you know, a soft spend of $175, or $200, that's a lot of money."

There are at least two other RV parks in Dawson City. Both are about two kilometres from the downtown area.