Joint statement from Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation Chief Pauline Frost and Yukon Premier Ranj Pillai on the unified response to flooding in Old Crow

Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation Chief Pauline Frost and Yukon Premier Ranj Pillai have issued the following statement:

“A unified command team made up of Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation and Government of Yukon staff have been working over the last few weeks to prepare for and mitigate flooding in Old Crow.

“YG and VGFN worked closely together through the Government of Yukon’s Emergency Coordination Centre in the months leading up to spring breakup on the Porcupine River. This shared emergency planning enabled an effective response during breakup and will be used in planning for future events.

“We’re proud of the work our governments are doing together to protect Old Crow during spring breakup. Now that the worst flood risk has passed, we’d like to celebrate this successful partnership.

“VGFN has shown strong leadership through professional emergency planning for breakup and several recent incidents. The unified command team of Yukon government and VGFN government staff effectively used flood forecasting data, on-site observations and traditional knowledge to make good consensus decisions.

“By clearly understanding the task, the team has been able to leverage impressive commitments from many public- and private-sector partners to prepare Old Crow for breakup.

“We’d like to express special thanks to Porcupine Enterprises, Ketza TSL Construction, ATCO Electric Yukon, Total Trac Yukon and NorthwesTel for their roles in maintaining Old Crow’s critical infrastructure and to the many staff from Vuntut Gwitchin and Yukon government for their tireless work this spring.

“Our governments will continue working together this spring to respond to any snowmelt impacts and remain committed to prioritizing the health and safety of Yukoners.”