The Yukon’s allocation of federal “gas tax” funding has grown to $18 million this year, with nearly $1 million already slotted for projects, according to the Yukon government.

Unincorporated communities will receive about $1 million of the fund.

“These funds are allocated to projects based on need,” said Bonnie Venton Ross, spokesperson for Community Services, in an email.

“To date, this has meant that essential services including potable water supply and delivery, wastewater treatment, and solid waste management have been the focus of most of the expenditures.”

This fiscal year, $55,000 will be spent on waste and recycling bins in communities; $400,000 will be spent on a sewage pit upgrade on the Dempster and in Dawson; and $350,000 will be spent developing solid waste management plans for “various unincorporated communities.”

Yukon’s allocation of the gas tax, renamed the “Canada Community-Building Fund” (CCBF) in June 2021, has quadrupled from about $4.5 million in 2005. The money comes in twice a year, with a designated allocation to 23 entities.

Allocations are approximate to population — with 68 per cent to municipalities, 25 per cent slotted to 14 First Nation governments and seven per cent going to the 15 unincorporated communities.

Because several communities and First Nations overlap, some geographic populations enjoy multiple blocks of funding while others only dip into the pool of unincorporated funds.

In Yukon’s municipalities, the breadth of projects has been wide. Besides water system improvements, gazeboes, concession stands, and disc golf courses have been built. Trails have been upgraded in Haines Junction and Dawson City. Whitehorse has built their floatplane docks and laid new parking lots with this program…