Yukon News Releases
Land lease brings Mount Nansen sale one step closer to completion
The Government of Yukon has approved a five-year lease for 850 hectares of territorial lands to PriceWaterhouseCoopers today as part of the sale of the abandoned Mount Nansen Mine site.
The land lease and a care and maintenance water licence are required to transition the site to the purchaser, Alexco/JDS Group. The land lease allows for ongoing care and maintenance by Alexco/JDS Group as it prepares to remediate the site.
Yukon Prospectors Hall of Fame celebrated with refurbished display
The Government of Yukon, the Yukon Prospectors Association and Yukon College’s Centre for Northern Innovation in Mining celebrated the refurbishment and relocation of the Yukon Prospector’s Hall of Fame display today at Yukon College.
The Yukon Prospectors Association members initiated the Prospectors Hall of Fame to honour some of the many prospectors who were instrumental in discovering mineral deposits in the Yukon, many of which have resulted in producing mines.
Emergency Preparedness Week
Yukoners are encouraged to take concrete actions to be prepared and protect themselves and their families as part of Emergency Preparedness Week from May 6 to 12.
The Government of Yukon is working together with the City of Whitehorse to raise awareness around emergency preparedness with events planned throughout the week, including:
Nominations Open for Council of the Federation Literacy Award
Nominations Open for Council of the Federation Literacy Award
Nominations are being accepted for the 2019 Council of the Federation Literacy Award in recognition of Yukoners who demonstrate outstanding achievement, innovative practice and excellence in adult literacy.
The award honours educators, practitioners, volunteers, First Nations programs, community organizations and businesses that are helping Yukon adults develop the literacy skills they need to succeed. Award areas include family, health, financial, workplace and community literacy.
Electric vehicle fast-chargers coming to Whitehorse and Carcross
The Government of Yukon is installing Level 3 electric vehicle fast-chargers in Whitehorse and Carcross to help study how electric vehicles operate in a cold climate. Data will be gathered to better understand how travel range and efficiencies of electric vehicles vary throughout the year.
The three fast-chargers will be installed in summer 2019 at the Visitor Information Centre and the NorthLight Innovation building in Whitehorse and the Carcross/Tagish First Nation Learning Centre in Carcross.
Nurse practitioner to join Mayo health centre team
Starting June 1, a nurse practitioner will be working full-time at the community health centre in the Village of Mayo. The health centre will become the first in Yukon to be staffed by a nurse practitioner, who will join a team of three nurses already in place and will have the support of visiting physicians who will be in the community on a rotational basis.
Agreement signed for the Nisutlin Bay Bridge Redevelopment Project
Joint news release with Teslin Tlingit Council
The Government of Yukon and the Teslin Tlingit Council (TTC) have signed a project charter for the Nisutlin Bay Bridge, a critical link along the Alaska Highway and a landmark for TTC citizens and residents of the Village of Teslin.
Housing, health and education focus of spring sitting
The spring sitting of the Yukon Legislative Assembly ended today. The 30-day sitting featured the release of the 2019–20 Budget which included a five-year capital plan and prioritized funding for housing, health and social services, education, and community infrastructure.
In addition to the 2019–20 Budget, several pieces of legislation were passed during the spring sitting, including:
Yukon’s policing priorities set for 2019–20
Minister of Justice Tracy-Anne McPhee has identified five policing priorities for 2019–20 for the Yukon RCMP. These priorities focus on creating the foundation for effective policing, addressing violence against women, responding to serious and organized crime, and fostering meaningful relationships with First Nations, communities and youth.
The territorial policing priorities for 2019–20 are to:
Yukon Lottery Commission Supports 2019 National Aboriginal Hockey Championships
The Yukon First Nations Hockey Association is receiving $63,010 from the Yukon Lottery Commission to host the 2019 National Aboriginal Hockey Championships.
The hockey tournament takes place in Whitehorse from May 6 to 12, 2019, and will bring together over 600 elite bantam and midget-aged male and female First Nations, Inuit and Métis athletes from around the country.
The three territories will be represented by Team North, featuring the top male and female Indigenous hockey players from across the Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut.
New works selected for Yukon Permanent Art Collection
The Government of Yukon is pleased to announce the selection of 11 new artworks for inclusion in the Yukon Permanent Art Collection.
The new additions showcase an array of stylistic approaches and themes through a wide range of media including sculpture, textile, painting, drawing and printmaking.
The works were selected through the annual call for submissions process held by the Government of Yukon and the Friends of Yukon Permanent Art Collection. This year 68 artists submitted 144 works of art for consideration.
New Assistant Deputy Minister of First Nations Initiatives hired
Lori Duncan has accepted the new Assistant Deputy Minister of First Nations Initiatives position with the Department of Education.
As the first Assistant Deputy Minister of First Nations Initiatives, Duncan will be working in partnership with all Yukon First Nations on their collective and individual educational priorities, and helping to implement initiatives that support the success of First Nations learners.
Community economic development conference begins in Haines Junction
The Government of Yukon and the St. Elias economic development steering committee are co-hosting a conference from April 26 to 27, at the Da Kų Cultural Centre in Haines Junction.
The Investing in Place: Communities and Regions Building for Success conference will bring together organizations from in and around Haines Junction, Destruction Bay, Burwash Landing and Beaver Creek to explore economic opportunities, from tourism to business development.
Yukon athletes honoured at third annual Celebration of Sport Excellence
One hundred and twenty-one Yukon athletes were awarded medals yesterday at the third annual Government of Yukon Celebration of Sport Excellence. The athletes were recognized by the Yukon government, Sport Yukon, the Yukon Aboriginal Sport Circle and Special Olympics Yukon for their dedication to sport after successfully competing at major Yukon, regional, national and international competitions.
The Yukon Sport Hall of Fame also inducted a new member at the event and the Yukon Aboriginal Sport Circle, Sport Yukon and Special Olympics Canada also presented their own awards.
Yukon school calendar dates now available
A complete list of calendar dates for all Yukon schools are now available online at Yukon.ca for the 2019–20 school year. Key dates for the 2020–23 school years are also available online as part of the Government of Yukon’s efforts to help families, schools and communities plan activities.
Pilot program promotes youth entrepreneurship
The Government of Yukon is providing däna Näye Ventures with $94,545 for the Youth Entrepreneur in Residence pilot program that will promote entrepreneurship and help young Yukoners develop business skills.
Heather Dickson has been appointed as the program coordinator by däna Näye Ventures for the duration of the pilot, which ends on March 31, 2020. As coordinator, and the first youth entrepreneur in residence, Dickson will receive personal training and development while creating a training platform to deliver in Yukon communities.
Nine community projects receive more than $126,000
Nine community projects have been awarded a total of $126,801 in Tier 1 funding from the Community Development Fund.
The projects include new equipment for a Watson Lake daycare hot-meal program, ice maintenance equipment for the ice rink in Old Crow, a new mower for the Faro Golf Course and a 12-week Youth of Today Society reconciliation initiative.
The Community Development Fund provides funding for projects, events and initiatives that offer long-term, sustainable economic and social benefits for Yukon communities.
Canadian Index of Wellbeing public engagement underway
A comprehensive baseline study of wellbeing in Yukon is being undertaken by the Government of Yukon in partnership with the Canadian Index of Wellbeing.
The project will begin with a two-month public engagement that invites Yukoners to contribute their ideas for measuring what matters and how to define what progress looks like in the territory. The overall aim is to develop measures to track and promote progress towards improving the quality of life for all Yukoners.
Yukon Women in Mining receives support for Yukon Mining Days events
The Government of Yukon is providing Yukon Women in Mining with $68,000 for Yukon Mining Days events taking place across the territory. The first events will take place in Watson Lake on May 13 and in Ross River on May 15. Additional events are planned for Mayo and Carmacks in September, with other communities to follow in 2020.
Yukon First Nations tour biomass facilities in the North
The Government of Yukon and five Yukon First Nations attended the Alaska-Yukon Wood Energy Conference in Fairbanks, Alaska from April 15 to 16. This followed a tour of four Yukon biomass facilities and systems currently in operation.
