Skagway Port Development Plan - Final Report

The Yukon Port of Skagway serves as the historic gateway to the Yukon Territory. The Yukon Government released a report in 2007 titled the Yukon Ports Access Strategy focused on development of port facilities and related transportation corridors needed to ensure continued growth in the Territory's resource development efforts. The Municipality of Skagway took the recommendations of the Yukon Government report seriously and contracted with a group of consultants to form a port development plan for the community.

The firms of CH2MHill, KPMG, and Sandwell worked for many months with a steering committee composed of port stakeholders to craft the plan. The final version of the Skagway Port Development Plan was formally presented to the public on 2 October 2008 at the Opportunities North Conference held in Whitehorse and to the Municipal Assembly in Skagway later the same day.

The project objective was to "Prepare an actionable business plan with a conceptual port arrangement drawing the Municipality may utilize to make sound port fiscal decisions, advancing the interests of the Municipality and the region."

Key Findings of the Skagway Port Development Plan

• There is great potential for new sources of inbound and outbound freight traffic for the Port of Skagway
• Skagway is best positioned to serve the needs of the Yukon Territory
• The Port of Skagway has a significant distance and access cost advantage compared to its nearest competition
• A port authority or commission needs to be created market the port, create a long term plan for development and work with potential port users

It is an exciting time for the community of Skagway in the light of the continued growth in the Yukon economy and increasing cooperation with the territorial government. Skagway enjoys a vibrant waterfront and improvements to the commercial side of the port will promote a more robust year round economy in Skagway. Copies of the final report can be downloaded from the Yukon Port of Skagway website.

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The Skagway Advantage

One of my professional pastimes is conducting port development and planning studies. The Municipality of Skagway working with industry partners and the Yukon Government has been engaged in a port development master planning effort for the last few months. A steering committee of key stakeholders has been guiding the efforts of our consultants, CH2M Hill, KPMG and Sandwell. The draft report was posted at the Yukon Port of Skagway website and approved with changes by the steering committee on 3 September 2008.

We will be working with our consultants to finish the executive summary and prepare the study for publishing. The report stresses the Skagway Advantage, our cost advantage for shipping freight to and from the Yukon. The Skagway Port Development Plan is going to be released during presentations made to the Opportunities North Conference being held in Whitehorse and to the Skagway Municipal Assembly on 2 October 2008.

The Yukon Port of Skagway is open and holds a bright promise for the future. The image attached to this post is the banner that will be on display at the Whitehorse conference in October.

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Skagway or Bust

I've had a major change in my life occur here. I've just been hired as City Manager in Skagway, Alaska. After seven years as Harbormaster in Valdez, it's time to expand my horizons.

Skagway is located in northern Southeast Alaska and is a major cruise ship destination. It was the jumping off point of the Yukon gold rush and has preserved much of the history from these major events of over a century ago.

Thousand come to hike the Chilkoot Trail, visit the Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park and ride the White Pass and Yukon Railroad to Frazer, British Columbia.

Tags: Alaska, Skagway, Yukon Gold Rush, WP&YR, Southeast Alaska

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