Yukon to re-tender Carmacks arena project after firing original contractor

Construction of a stalled arena in Carmacks, Yukon will not resume until later this year as the government re-tenders the project after months of delay.

Initially awarded in fall 2018 and scheduled to be complete in November 2020, construction on the $16.6 million indoor arena skidded to a halt last spring after the contractor, Scott Design Build, failed to restart work after a planned winter shutdown.

In July 2020, the Yukon government said it issued a notice of default on the performance bond for the project. The contractor was then fired in mid-December for “performance issues and delays,” and the territory has now initiated legal action against both the contractor and bonding company.

Despite the pending courtroom battle, the Yukon government said it is committed to getting the 2,500 square-metre arena built. It plans to re-tender the project this March and hire a new contractor to complete the work in the village northwest of Whitehorse.