Active Trails Whitehorse Association (ATWA) is a group of Whitehorse residents who have a common interest in protecting and promoting non-motorized (summer and winter) multi-use trail networks and associated green spaces in Whitehorse. We are not registered as a society under the Yukon Societies Act.
Our name was inspired by the City of Whitehorse’s Official Community Plan (OCP), in which Active Transportation is defined as “Any form of human powered transportation, such as walking, cycling, using a wheelchair, in-line skating, or skateboarding”.
Non-motorized trails throughout neighbourhoods and adjacent greenspaces enhance residents’ quality of life, increase property values, encourage physical activity and green tourism, prevent environmental damage and stress to wildlife, and reduce fossil-fuel usage.
ATWA originally organized after the passage of the 2012 Snowmobile Bylaw, which to our surprise and disappointment allowed snowmobiles on non-motorized trails, with the exception of those listed under Schedule "E" and Schedule "C" of the Snowmobile Bylaw, despite the fact that the OCP and the 2007 Trail Plan called for non-motorized trails to be separate from motorized trails, and that various survey results indicated strong public support for separate trails. We continue to work on this issue, and are encouraged that the newly approved 2020 Trail Plan gives hope that this concern may be finally addressed in a manner that is advantageous to both motorized and non-motorized users of Whitehorse trails.
The 2012 ATV and Snowmobile Bylaws allow such vehicles to drive along streets outside the City core to access out-and-away trails. We support the designation of motorized out-and-away trails leading to suitable backcountry trails as a way of reducing conflicts among user groups.
If you have specific concerns related to City trails, regional parks, and greenbelts, please contact us at the following email address: activetwa@gmail.com
Our name was inspired by the City of Whitehorse’s Official Community Plan (OCP), in which Active Transportation is defined as “Any form of human powered transportation, such as walking, cycling, using a wheelchair, in-line skating, or skateboarding”.
Non-motorized trails throughout neighbourhoods and adjacent greenspaces enhance residents’ quality of life, increase property values, encourage physical activity and green tourism, prevent environmental damage and stress to wildlife, and reduce fossil-fuel usage.
ATWA originally organized after the passage of the 2012 Snowmobile Bylaw, which to our surprise and disappointment allowed snowmobiles on non-motorized trails, with the exception of those listed under Schedule "E" and Schedule "C" of the Snowmobile Bylaw, despite the fact that the OCP and the 2007 Trail Plan called for non-motorized trails to be separate from motorized trails, and that various survey results indicated strong public support for separate trails. We continue to work on this issue, and are encouraged that the newly approved 2020 Trail Plan gives hope that this concern may be finally addressed in a manner that is advantageous to both motorized and non-motorized users of Whitehorse trails.
The 2012 ATV and Snowmobile Bylaws allow such vehicles to drive along streets outside the City core to access out-and-away trails. We support the designation of motorized out-and-away trails leading to suitable backcountry trails as a way of reducing conflicts among user groups.
If you have specific concerns related to City trails, regional parks, and greenbelts, please contact us at the following email address: activetwa@gmail.com