Yukon rejects oil exploration in Whitehorse Trough

The Yukon Government announced Thursday it will not go ahead with oil and gas exploration work in the Whitehorse Trough area following a public outcry.

Energy Minister Brad Cathers said that when oil companies expressed interest in a tract of land stretching from Tagish to Carmacks, he had no choice but to put the proposal out for public consultation.

"What we heard is that there are a lot of Yukoners who have concerns and questions," Cathers said.

Public opposition to oil and gas development in the area was "certainly a major factor in why this decision was made," he said. 

"The possibility of oil and gas development in the Whitehorse Trough was not and is not part of our plans for meeting the energy needs of Yukoners during this mandate," he said. "The Yukon Government is not going to issue oil and gas development rights in any of the 12 requested areas."

Cathers said he doesn't know which oil companies were interested in the area. He added work will continue to review oil and gas regulations but there will be no approvals during his government's current five-year mandate. 

A planned protest Thursday afternoon on exploration rights turned into a celebration when the decision was announced.

About 30 Southern Lakes residents gathered in Rotary Peace Park in Whitehorse.

Tagish resident Peter Huber said most Yukoners opposed the plan to grant exploration rights.

"I think it was a good decision from Brad Cathers," he said. "It was a wise decision."

Carcross Tagish First Nation citizen Geraldine James said she wondered why the government even considered oil and gas work in the first place.

"All our waters up here flow into the Yukon River and all the way to the Bering Sea. If they were to contaminate that, look at how many people, how many cultures would be wiped out because of that," she said.

"There's no need to have to sell Mother Earth and to destroy her in order to make money."

Organizers of the demonstration said there still needs to be a public debate over the process used to call for oil and gas work.