1992
Cassiar
The future of a mining town is usually guaranteed. It will become a ghost town. So it was with Cassiar, a company-owned asbestos mining town…
1982
The Whitehorse Star Reports in 1982
| January | |
| January 7, 1982 | Hudson Bay and Smelting Company Ltd. announces it will stop exploration and development on its Tom lead-zinc deposit in the Macmillan Pass in April. |
| January 8, 1982 → December 24, 1982 |
In the beginning of 1982, the U.S. Congress officially stopped the Shakwak Highway project (January 8, 1982). In December (December 24, 1982), however, the U.S. Congress approves a bill which would allow the State of Alaska to re-start the Shakwak Highway project - if the state is still interested. |
| January 12, 1982 | It is announced that Whitehorse radio station CKRW will become part of the Cancom satellite service and be available nation wide. |
| January 12, 1982 | Ed and Irene Whitehouse are chosen as Mr. and Mrs. Yukon 1982. |
| January 12, 1982 | Plans for a $12 million hotel-office complex in downtown Whitehorse are called off because of the lagging economy. Territorial Gold Placer puts the lot up for sale but no one wants it. |
| January 15, 1982 | Atomic Energy of Canada researchers are developing a small nuclear reactor for community heating in remote northern towns - to cut dependency on diesel. |
| February | |
| February 3, 1982 | A $1 million accident cripples operation at the Cassiar Resources asbestos mine in northern B.C. |
| February 4, 1982 → February 5, 1982 |
Cyprus Anvil Mining Corporation decides to cut the size of its staff in Faro by 10% and eliminate its housing construction program (February 4, 1982). The United Keno Hill mine in Elsa and the Whitehorse Copper mine in Whitehorse announce hiring freezes one day later (February 5, 1982). |
| February 4, 1982 | Cancom has officially become available in January with 4 Canadian television channels. |
| February 17, 1982 | The White Pass company headquarters moves into the White Pass building. |
| February 18, 1982 | Whitehorse cable station WHTV is formally granted a satellite licence. WHTV can now carry the 4 stations provided by Cancom and the 2 FM radio stations. |
| March | |
| March 2, 1982 | William John Bromley, captain of the S.S. Klondike for 7 years, dies at the age of 81. |
| March 3, 1982 | One-third of the United Keno Hill Mine's Elsa workers are told they will loose their jobs in two weeks because the company lost nearly $13.7 million in 1981. |
| March 4, 1982 | Bob Cousins receives the Commissioner's Award for his service club and charity work over several decades. |
| March 4, 1982 → November 29, 1982 |
1982 was a successful year for Yukon cross-country skier Monique Waterreus. In March she receives the Comissioner's Award (March 4, 1982) and wins the the overall NorAm championships in cross-country skiing. In November Waterreus becomes a member of the national cross-country ski team for the World Cup races (November 29, 1982.) |
| March 15, 1982 → September 21, 1982 |
The Northern Native Broadcasting Society receives a 239,000 $ grant to set up a satellite radio service for Yukon native communities (March 15, 1982). The start of the satellite service is delayed at the end of the year due to bureaucratical barriers (November 29, 1982(. |
| March 16, 1982 | The federal government announces a loan to the Northern Canada Power Commission of up to $58 million to start construction immediately on the 4th turbine at the Whitehorse Rapid Power plant. |
| March 24, 1982 | Cyprus Anvil Mining Corporation announces it will shut down its lead-zinc-silver mine for 3 weeks during the summer. |
| March 30, 1982 | Alan Innes-Taylor receives the first-level Commissioner's Award. |
| April | |
| April 5, 1982 | A Foothills Pipe Lines study suggests to lay the proposed gas line from Alaska under Kluane Lake. According to the study, this is the shortest and also the cheapest way. |
| April 13, 1982 | Whitehorse radio station CKRW begins broadcasting on the FM dial, retaining its position on the AM band. |
| April 14, 1982 | Whitehorse Copper mine announces its shutdown at the end of 1982. |
| April 22, 1982 → June 8, 1982 |
Government leader Chris Pearson announces the dissolution of the legislature and calls territorial elections for June 7, 1982 (April 22, 1982). The Conservative Party with Chris Pearson wins these elections (June 8, 1982). |
| May | |
| May 3, 1982 | The Alaska Highway natural gas pipeline has been delayed again with construction starting in 1986. |
| May 10, 1982 | Coleen Emery of Whitehorse receives the highest level of Commissioner's Award for 17 years work with mentally retarded youths. |
| May 12, 1982 → June 4, 1982 → June 28, 1982 → July 9, 1982 → September 8, 1982 → September 16, 1982 → November 15, 1982 → December 8, 1982 → December 10, 1982 |
Lead, zinc, copper, gold and silver reached rock bottom on the world market, causing a difficult year for the Yukon's economy: Cyprus Anvil shuts down the lead-zinc in Faro, first for the summer (June 4, 1982), then until October (July 9, 1982), then until spring 1983 (September 8, 1982). In November it loses its most important customer, a Tokyo-based smelting firm (November 15, 1982). Watson Lake's largest employer Cattermole Timber Ltd. closes for the summer (May 12, 1982). United-Keno Hill shuts down its silver-lead mine in Elsa indefinitely by the end of July (June 28, 1982). At the end of the year Dome Petroleum announces it does not want to re-open the Cyprus Anvil mine in Faro (December 8, 1982). White Pass railway closes for the winter (September 16, 1982). The Whitehorse Copper mine closes for good at the end of the year (December 10, 1982). Anvil lays off close to 700 people and hundreds of other Yukoners lost jobs in related industries. 1982 also set a bankruptcy record. |
| May 13, 1982 | A massive ice jam on the Klondike River near Dawson City closes the Klondike Highway and forces about 75 people from their homes. |
| May 31, 1982 | For the first time since 1964 Old '73 steams to Carcross. |
| May 31, 1982 | White Pass announces to lay off over 100 White Pass and Yukon Route employees in the next few days as a result of the Cyprus Anvil shutdown |
| June | |
| June 15, 1982 | Dawson's Downtown Hotel officially re-opens, replacing the one that burned down in 1980. |
| June 18, 1982 | Dawson City sees its first armed robbery since 1902. The 1982 robbery took place at the Claim 33 souvenir shop on Bonanza creek. |
| June 21, 1982 | Governor General Edward Schreyer visits Whitehorse to officiate at a ceremony marking the 40th anniversary of the Alaska Highway. |
| July 6, 1982 | Princess Anne visits Whitehorse. She meets political figures and toures the MacBride Museum and the Old Log Church. |
| July 15, 1982 | Atlin miner Ted Sandor finds a 28-ounce gold nugget. |
| August | |
| August 2, 1982 | The Yukon sees one of the worst fire seasons on record leading to the closure of the Alaska Highway between Watson Lake and Coal Creek, B.C. |
| August 27, 1982 | The Anik D satellite used for Cancom services, is transported into space. |
| September | |
| September 2, 1982 | White River Johnny or "Little John" dies at the age of 98. |
| September 2, 1982 | The Canada Custom Post in Beaver Creek moves out of the town center. |
| September 7, 1982 | Whitehorse Copper mine offers some of its old mine diggings to the Yukon government as historical site. |
| September 17, 1982 | The Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, John Munro, visits the Territory. |
| October | |
| October 29, 1982 | Porter Creek Junior High opens. |
| November | |
| November 1, 1982 | An unoccupied area of the Hillcrest subdivision is suggested as a site for the new Kwanlin Dun village. The Indian group had previously approved a site across the Yukon river. |
| November 10, 1982 | A new Atlin paper, the Atlin Claim, is issued. The monthly paper revives the name used by the town's first newspaper, an 1899 weekly started the year after the Atlin goldrush. |
| November 19, 1982 | Gulf Canada Resources Inc. receives permission from the federal government to conduct seabed testing at Stokes Point and two other locations on the Yukon's Beaufort Sea cost. |
| November 26, 1982 | The Yukon government spend at least $50,000 to kill wolves, including the use of poison. Wolves have reduced the number of moose to such a grave extent that the government considers cutrailing the moose hunting season. |
| December | |
| December 3, 1982 | Donald Sumanik Sr., the man who brought the cross-country World Cup to Whitehorse dies at the age of 45 - presumably of a heart attack. |
| December 10, 1982 | Hougen's Ltd. announces it will close its department store in Faro January 15, 1983 - another victim of the uncertain future of the Cyprus Anvil mine. |
| December 15, 1982 | Long-time Yukoner Alec Berry dies at the age of 86. He was the Mayo MLA from 1952 to 1955. |
| December 15, 1982 | Yukon MP Erik Nielsen marks his 25th anniversairy as the Yukon MP. Nielsen was first elected to the House of Commons on December 16, 1957. |
| December 17, 1982 | A major land claim subagreement is reached in Ottawa: Yukon Indians will get $183 million from the federal government over 20 years. |
| December 22, 1982 | For the first time in many years, communities along the Alaska Highway north of Whitehorse will have their own physician. |
| December 22, 1982 | Canada Tungsten mine in Tungsten, NWT announces the mine will close indefinitely on January 21, 1983. |
