Statement from Chasàn Chùa (McIntyre Creek) Steering Committee on Chasàn Chùa protected area What We Heard report

Press Release

March 5, 2025

“The Chasàn Chùa (McIntyre Creek) Steering Committee, which includes representation from the Government of Yukon, Kwanlin Dün First Nation, Ta’an Kwäch’än Council, the City of Whitehorse and Parks Canada, is pleased to share a What We Heard report following engagement with First Nations Citizens and Beneficiaries, the public and stakeholders on protecting Chasàn Chùa.

“The Steering Committee coordinated an engagement process from October 29 to December 6, 2024. The engagement focused on collecting feedback on how people interact with Chasàn Chùa and the values they hold for the area. Feedback was received through a public survey, an open house held at the Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre on November 6, 2024, and multiple other meetings with stakeholders and interest groups in Whitehorse. The public survey drew responses from 887 members of the public.

“Overall, there was strong support for protecting Chasàn Chùa, with the majority of respondents agreeing it should be a protected area. The top themes that came out of the public engagement were a desire for protecting the wildlife and ecology of the area, maintaining recreational use, including trails and commuting access, managing mining and development, managing motorized vehicles and upholding cultural and traditional uses as well as education.

“The next step for the Steering Committee is to evaluate the feedback received through the engagement and for the five governments to consider the best option for protecting the area into the future. There will be future opportunities to engage on the long-term management of the area once a protected area designation is in place.

“Thank you to everyone who engaged with the Steering Committee and who provided their perspectives to consider as our governments advance efforts to protect Chasàn Chùa. It is clear there is a strong desire to protect this special area.

“To learn more about the process for protecting Chasàn Chùa visit chasanchua.ca.”

Media contact

Kyle Nightingale
Communications, Environment
867-334-5922
kyle.nightingale@yukon.ca

Dylan MacNeil
Communications, Kwanlin Dün First Nation
867-332-3106
dylan.macneil@kdfn.net

Janet Smellie
Communications, Ta’an Kwäch’än Council
867-334-5298
communicationsoffice@taan.ca

Matthew Cameron
Communications, City of Whitehorse
867-689-0515
matthew.cameron@whitehorse.ca

Media Relations
Parks Canada
855-862-1812
pc.media@pc.gc.ca

ILR4