Council began the good work of 2023 for the Town with an in-camera planning meeting January 5th to begin to chart our way forward for 2023. Much was accomplished during this meeting and, as always, much more remains to be done. In addition to our regularly scheduled Council meetings, we have two more strategic planning meetings followed by four 2023 budget meetings all to take place before the end of March. Our budget meetings start off with the capital budget meeting scheduled for January 31st, followed by several O & M budget meetings. Council’s most important task in any given year is the careful planning and passing of the community’s budget. Our budget meetings are open to the public and Council would welcome input from our community members.
We are all aware of the significant increase in the cost of all goods and services that the Town uses, everything is up, including our insurance costs by over 8%. We will have to make some hard calls on what services to cut or reduce and to take a serious look at where revenues can be increased if we are to balance our budget.
One serious issue the Town has not been dealing with over the past year is how we do animal control. This was our first item up for discussion in last week’s planning agenda. Council and Administration agreed that the time has come for a significant change of policy in
enforcing our bylaws. We will not wait for a Bylaw Officer to be hired.
Previous administrations had at some point stopped enforcing many of our bylaws including the 2016-05 Animal Control Bylaw. For the first year of our term, every Council member as well as administration have received countless complaints from our residents reporting dogs at large. Unfortunately, when such a call was received by the Town, no action was taken. This perhaps was because the animal shelter had been sold and the outside kennels dismantled to make room for the new Public Services Building. Meanwhile the Town had not made any provision for capturing and housing stray dogs at large. We admit this was a mistake. Part of the rationale was that we did not have a bylaw officer. However, all Town of Faro managers are in fact officers of the Town and can thereby direct Town employees to enforce our bylaws including the capture of stray dogs at large.
In conversations with both Mayo and Carmacks we learned that both communities act on a complaint basis upon receiving a report of a dog running at large and will direct Public Works staff to capture and confine any dog in their respective animal shelters. Neither Mayo nor Carmacks have Bylaw Officers. Mayo goes so far as to accept a photo, clearly identifying the dog, from either a member of the community or a Town employee of a dog at large stating the time and location of the photo. Fines are then issues on a summary convic-
tion basis to the dog’s owner. Faro will need to amend our animal control bylaw if we are to begin the practice of using photos of dogs at large from either Town employees or residents with specific details of the capture. Further, both Mayo and Carmacks will, after three days confinement and the dog is not claimed or the fine paid, transport the impounded dog to Whitehorse where they are surrendered to one of the two animal shelters there.
EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY Council has directed administration to enforce the animal control bylaw, by acting on a complaint received basis, to endeavor to capture and house any dog at large. If the dog’s owner cannot be found and subsequent fines paid, the dog may be surrendered to one of the shelters in Whitehorse. For this reason, it is important to have your dog licensed with the Town. If arrangements for housing and keeping a captured dog cannot be found in Faro, then those dogs will be transported to one of the shelters in Whitehorse.
Administration has made it a priority to hire a combined Bylaw Officer/Landfill Attendant position early in the new year and, as well, to commence work on a new animal shelter and kennel facility. In the meantime, our bylaws will be enforced as best as we are able.
Some will not like this change in policy but I believe many will welcome it given the frequency of complaints Council has received on this matter.
The Town of Faro is pleased to announce the launch the new Voyent Alert!
Voyent Alert! is a multipurpose notification service that will be used to communicate important information to our residents.
Notifications will be sent for critical events like fire, flood and extreme weather, as well as day-to-day communications such as road advisories, utility outages, public safety notices, etc.
We encourage you to register to receive these important alerts. Alerts can be received on the Voyent Alert! app, or by email, text message or phone call. Please help promote Voyent Alert! to family and friends.
Get the Voyent Alert app at the App store or Google Play.
More Information about the Voyent Alert System is available on the Town’s Website, along with detailed videos how the Voyent Alert App works, and detailed instructions on how to register. If you are still have difficulties, call the Town Office at 994-2728.
To apply for or renew your business license please complete a 2023 Business Licence Application available from the Town Office or on the Town’s Website at faro.ca/p/license-your-business.
Completed applications can be returned to the Town Office with the 2023 Fee Payment. Additionally, you may email the Application form to admin-faro@faroyukon.ca and e-Transfer payments to finance@faroyukon.ca mail the completed form(s) with a cheque to Town of Faro, Box 580, Faro, YT Y0B 1K0 (do not mail cash).
Notice of Change
Request an Appeal
Resident Business License
Non-Resident Hawker-Pedlar (valid for 3 days)
Non-Resident Annual License $50.00
We are hoping to enhance the Faro Business Directory on faro.ca. All Business Licence holders receive a free listing in the Faro Business Directory. We encourage all to take advantage of this unique opportunity in order to promote not only their business, but the Town.
time social media department, so we
We will continue to post flyers ve had good comments We will add detailed information s website, because there must be one place where everything can be located, even if We have set up an Emergency cess your cell phone or landline … not a reminder about community
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First of all, Happy New Year to everyone.
This month, Council & Administration is going to start the process of revisiting the Five-Year Strategic Plan for the Town of Faro, by reviewing those goals and objectives that were achieved, what still needs to be done, what goals need to be added, and what goals need to be re-prioritized. Then, based on those decisions, Council will develop a new set of budgets to achieve their objectives for this next year.
I used to say that “If it’s not in the budget, it probably won’t happen”, but some things don’t require money as much as a change in behavior. To me, a perfect example is the Town’s website and this newsletter. Yes, there was a small budget involved, but when Council actively decided that increasing the availability of information for the public was a PRIORITY, then processes changed within the organization. In fact, the Mayor’s and Staff reports prepared for the Regular Council Meetings are also great examples of Council wanting the public to know more about what is happening. Those reports are much more detailed than in previous years because Council wants the public to know that Council’s goals and objectives are not just talk.
January, February, & March are going to be busy for Council & Administration because, not only will Council hold the Regular Council Meetings each month, but they have scheduled 2 Strategic Planning Sessions, 4 budget meetings, 1 Emergency Plan exercise, a full day of Emergency Communications workshop, and they are preparing an update session for the Official Community Plan. And most of that just happens in January.
Over my career as a Municipal Administrator, that started in Alberta in 1996 and has also taken me to the NWT and the Yukon, I’ve had the honour (as one CAO told me) to work with ‘the wise and the otherwise’. I can say, quite honestly, that this
is one of the most progressive and responsible Councils I have had the pleasure to work with. Not only do they take their responsibilities seriously, but they will often have serious discussions where differing but respectful perspectives are aired. All that leads to decisions being made. Are all their decisions good decisions? Time will tell, but I can say that most often ‘No Decision’ is not a good decision. An Old Yukoner reminded me that the roads are littered with squirrels who couldn’t make a decision. This Council is addressing a number of long-delayed topics, and I respect them for wanting to move things forward.
One of the serious problems that Administration needs to address is picking up on the general asset maintenance that has been delayed for the last few years. Almost all of our municipal buildings need some maintenance and attention. We have furnace tanks in municipal buildings that need to be replaced (both above and below ground). Buildings that need new paint or stain. Roofs that need to be checked and leaks plugged. Old worn flooring that needs to be replaced. It will be my focus, during the next few years, to ensure that our buildings last as long as we can make them.
I want to finish by saying that I am very proud of the folks that work for the Town of Faro. For example: This winter we have seen a big improvement in the way that snow clearing has been happening, and credit is due to both a new Operations Manager as well as a crew who are dedicated to doing a better job each day. And, while snow clearing is important, most residents have no idea how much work each day goes into making sure that the water coming out of our taps meets or exceeds YG standards. Faro has dedicated staff who are often called out at odd hours to respond to trouble alarms or reset equipment after a power outage. Whether in Recreation, Administration, or Public Works, we have staff who want to perform good work for the community. I see that every day and I am grateful for their efforts.
What an interesting opening season for the arena. Because the arena no longer has a functioning ice plant, Public Works and Volunteers had to ensure natural ice was adequately ready for the season. Unfortunately, the warm weather in November and the really cold weather in December contributed to the delay in the opening season. However, the arena is ready and officially opened to the public on January 9, with youth hockey followed by adult hockey. Because of the late opening, Council and Administration proposed a discounted price for the arena season pass.
I want to thank Public Works and Volunteers for their tremendous work preparing the arena for the season. Please check out our arena schedule on page 9 for a complete list of activities.
Faro Pool - The Recreation Department applied for funding to cover some swimming pool operations expenses. As a result, we hope to have a full staff to provide various community activities this season. If you know anyone with Lifeguard Certifications, please direct them to us. We will be posting jobs for the swimming pool soon.
Youth Group - The Youth Mental Wellness workshops have been a success. We are glad to have many talented instructors in the community that provide unique workshops for our youth. The next workshop is the Youth Group Sign Workshop which will be on Tuesday, January 17, after school.
Seniors Events - Just a reminder that a Seniors Trip from Faro to Whitehorse is happening on February 10 -12, 2023. The seniors will have the opportunity to participate in the following activities; Eclipse Nordic Hot Springs, Glow Bowling, bus tour at Yukon Wildlife Preserve, lunch at Bean North, movie at the Theater, and more. The
Zamboni
Faro’s Mad Sled Dogs at the first practice of the season.
Thanks you. The Faro Golf Club
November 26, 2022
The Carpet Bowling tournament happens once or twice a year during the winter, depending on the funding received.
Participants have a great time competing for first place while socializing. The Carpet Bowlers always ensure great food is available before and during the tournament. The Carpet Bowling is an excellent way to exercise without putting too much strain on your body.
In addition, participating in the Carpet Bowling Tournament allows participants to interact with others. The Carpet Bowlers always have great stories to share with others.
A big thank you to the Seniors Carpet Bowlers for organizing these community tournaments. The next Tournament will happen soon. So stay tuned for updates!
The Town of Faro has made application to YG Lands for the land used for the golf course and ball diamonds. While some of the land used for the golf course and is already titled in the name of the Town of Faro, much of the land still belongs to the Yukon Government and, every 4 or 5 years, the Town has to re apply for another lease extension.
isn’t technically Town land. In other words, the Town is paying for the development and maintenance of Yukon Government land.
It is also easy to miss one of the renewal dates on these many leases, because we have to complete separate leases for land used for the Arboretum, Fingers site, Van Gorda Falls trails, and Ski Chalet. Even though the Town maintains these sites and has invested in the development of the recreation land around our community, that land
Mayor & Council asked Administration to start the process of securing title to lands within our boundaries, and we started that process last summer. It is the goal to have the golf course land, and the land used for the ball diamonds, titled in our name before the end of 2023. We will also be starting the process to secure the other recreational lands for trails and interpretive sites. It is important to note that the Yukon Government is receptive and supportive to these applications because, just as these leases create a lot of annual paperwork for the Town, it also does for YG too. So, when the land is transferred to the Town, everyone benefits.
Friday: Public Skate 3:30 pm- 7 pm
Saturday: Public Skate 2 pm-4 pm
Sunday: Closed
2022-2023 Arena Fees
Recreation Drop-in Rates
Child (4-12 years) $3.50 Youth (13-18 years) $4.00 Adult (19-49 years) $5.00 Senior (50+ years) $4.00 Family* $12.00
Children three & under are free for arena drop in uses.
Season Pass ***
Child (4-12 years) $42.00 Youth (13-18 years) $54.00 Adult (19-49 years) $66.00 Senior(50+ years) $54.00
Family**
$108.00
*A family is defined as 2 adults and 2 children up to the age of 18. A family may include 2 adult children to the age of 25 provided they are currently enrolled in a fulltime educational program. For families with more than 2 children, additional members can be added to the pass for 25$ per child, or in the case of drop-in an extra $3 per child.
**For families with more than 2 children, additional members can be added to the season pass for $12.50 per child.
*** The 2022-2023 Seasons pass we will 50% of the normal rate due to the reduced arena season.
Senior’s Yoga Classes
Classes resume on Wednesday, January 18.
Date: Wednesdays & Fridays Time: 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. Instructor: Cindy Bekk Location: Rec. Centre Youth Lounge
Seniors Acrylic Landscape Workshop
2-day Workshop (Large Canvas)
Date: January 27 & 28
Time: 2:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Instructor: Jackie Irving Location: Rec. Centre Youth Lounge
The Annual Seniors Trip will take place February 10 - 12, 2023
For more information or to reserve your spot, please call the Rec Centre at 994-2375 Funded by the New Horizons for Seniors Program.
Water system maintenance and planning. Water Treatment training starting in January. Snow clearing and hauling is ongoing. Remote sites are getting cleared of snow when able. In the next week or so, we’ll get down to Blind Creek Sheep Viewing Station. Fisheye Lake is clear, so go enjoy some fishing!
Community Services Building We’re storing some material and equipment inside, but we’re waiting to have some deficiencies corrected, including Waiting on communications. Telephones, radio tower, & cell phone boosters. Card locks and key issues. No date available for us to move in yet.
Phase 2 – Douglas / Yates Reconstruction First site
Short-handed, so please be patient but if we missed something, please let us know.
O&M budgets, Capital & Project Planning for 2023 for budgeting.
Dena Cho Trail Improvements CDF Grant Completion date moved to February 28, 2023. Lack of working daylight and colder temperatures make working now impractical. Nearly done, so we’ll start again midFebruary.
Be respectful.
Just a polite reminder that while you are moving snow off your driveway, please be respectful of your neighbours property. This is especially important if your neighbours are gone for the winter season. Unless you have been given explicit permission by that property owner, moving snow from your property onto their driveway or property is disrespectful and a form of vandalism. Indeed, if the process causes damage, you can be charged with will-full damage of other people’s property.
Keep the snow on your property or arrange to have it hauled to a designated snow dumping site.
In excavations around Whitehorse, they found evidence of copper wire dating back to the early 1930's. However, during similar excavations around Faro, they have no evidence of copper wire even though they have dated these sites back hundreds of years. This is impressive because that means Faro was wireless
All the water coming out of your tap goes though the Water Treatment Plant down by the Pelly River. Faro has three (3) Water Supply wells, which supply water to the plant. The plant then treats the water uses Ultra Violet Disinfection and with Chlorination to ensure clean drinking water to all residents.
The two UV tubes provide constant disinfection to the well water entering the plant. By having two separate tubes, maintenance can occur on one tube without disrupting the Town’s water supply. While the UV will kill any bacteria up to that point (from the wells), the rest of the distribution system needs protection.
For that reason, Chlorine is added to the system to ensure the distribution system (underground water mains) beyond that point is protected from bacteria. Meaning that Faro Residents have clean water coming right out of their taps at home.
Additionally the plan has a backup generator which starts automatically during outages to power the Wells and Treatment Plant ensuring a constant supply of clean drinking water.
Each year the Federal Government provides funding access to municipal governments through the Canada Community-Building Fund (CCBF), which was formerly called “the Gas Tax Fund”. The range of categories that the CCBF supports includes 19 different categories, which includes everything from public works to recreation. In 2022, the Town of Faro took advantage of this funding for a number of projects, including the purchase of a new water pump, a snow plow & sander unit, and concrete barriers for the Public Works yard. In 2023, the Town plans to access more of this funding for another series of capital acquisitions and projects. As CAO for the Town of Faro, this funding is important to the Town because, in most cases, it covers 100% of the project expense, which means it is an addition to our revenue budgets, not subtracting from them. While the range of categories is wide, not all those categories apply to the Town of Faro (e.g.: transit systems, short-line rail, short-sea shipping) but there are important areas that it does cover, like assisting with water, wastewater, and solid waste management. Over the next few years, the Town of Faro plans to be more active in accessing these funds to the benefit of the community.
Is having a Regular Meeting on January 25, 2023 in the Library at 6:30 p.m.
Public is welcome to attend.
Public hours are Monday to Friday 9:00am to 4:00pm.
Town Contact Information & Staff Directory:
Chief Administrative Officer
Larry Baran
994-2728 ext 4 cao-faro@faroyukon.ca
Operations Manger
Mark Vainio 994-2728 ext 7 Town Shop: 994-2758 operations@faroyukon.ca
GM of Recreation & Culture
Denis Bento Rec. Centre: 994-2375 recreation@faroyukon.ca
GM of Finance
Lenka Kazda 994-2728 ext 3 finance@faroyukon.ca
Executive Assistant Jennifer Brooker 994-2728 ext 5 admin-faro@faroyukon.ca Finance Clerk Glenda Power 994-2728 ext 2 finclk@faroyukon.ca
Correspondence to Mayor & Council:
If you are an able bodied individual, please consider joining the Fire Department and Protectingour Community.
Contact the Town Office or Fire Chiefformoreinformation.
mayor.bowers@faroyukon.ca councillor.nyland@faroyukon.ca councillor.medvid@faroyukon.ca councillor.fetterly@faroyukon.ca councillor.mchugh@faroyukon.ca
The Source of official Town information and notices: www.faro.ca www.facebook.com/TownofFaro