Discovery Day to display electric vehicles in Yukon

Local electric vehicle owners report that their cars are reliable and work just fine in Yukon’s cold climate.

The Government of Yukon and the Yukon Transportation Museum invite the public to the first Electric Vehicle Discovery Day happening on Sunday, March 8. The event includes a zero-emission car and trade show with local dealerships and local owners putting their electric vehicles on display.

The Yukon Transportation Museum is also unveiling two new exhibits on the history and the future of electric vehicles in the North. The public can interact with zero-emission vehicles and speak to local owners about tips and tricks of owning and operating an electric vehicle in Yukon.

The Government of Canada is committed to getting more zero-emission vehicles on our roads, which is a practical and effective way for Canadians to do their part to fight pollution and create a more sustainable future. We are pleased to collaborate with the Government of Yukon to ensure Canadians can make informed decisions when choosing their next vehicle.

Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources Seamus O’Regan 

We are proud to support the Government of Yukon’s effort to raise awareness of zero emission vehicles and their use in northern climates. Investments such as these will help Yukoners make greener choices — improving air quality, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and bringing us closer to a zero-emission future.

Member of Parliament for Yukon, Larry Bagnell

The interest in electric vehicles is high in Yukon. The Government of Yukon aims to increase the use of electric vehicles, as it significantly reduces our greenhouse gas emissions. This event will raise awareness and offer practical ways of learning about how electric vehicles perform in our cold climate.

Minister of Department Energy Mines and Resources Ranj Pillai

At the Yukon Transportation Museum we share the compelling stories behind Yukon transportation: planes, trains, trucks, dogs, horses, people. The underlying infrastructure and energy networks are complex, dynamic and equally engaging. How have Yukoners met their needs for transportation and energy in changing circumstances, technologies, seasons since time immemorial? The answer is, exactly as we are doing now, with thoughtfulness, ingenuity and self-sufficiency.

Executive Director of Yukon Transportation Museum Janna Swales

Quick facts 
  • The Government of Canada’s Zero-Emission Vehicle Awareness Initiative is providing $48,500 to raise awareness about zero-emission vehicles in Yukon, including by supporting the Electric Vehicle Discovery Day. The Government of Yukon is investing $41,500 and the Yukon Transportation Museum is contributing $4,500 to this project.

  • There will be at least six zero-emission electric vehicles participating in the event.

  • According to Yukon Bureau of Statistics, there are currently 16 electric vehicles registered in Yukon.

  • Our Clean Future, Yukon’s draft strategy for climate change, energy and a green economy, proposes to

    • have more than 6,000 zero-emission vehicles registered in the territory by 2030;
    • provide a rebate to Yukon businesses and individuals who purchase eligible zero-emissions vehicles; and
    • continue to install fast-charging stations across Yukon to make it possible to travel between all road-accessible Yukon communities by 2027.
Media contact 

Stewart Burnett
Cabinet Communications
867-332-0480
stewart.burnett@gov.yk.ca

Brigitte Parker
Communications, Energy, Mines and Resources
867-667-3183
brigitte.parker@gov.yk.ca

Janna Swales
Executive Director, Yukon Transportation Museum
867-393-5333
janna@goYTM.ca

Natural Resources Canada
Media Relations
343-292-6100
nrcan.media.rncan@canada.ca

Ian Cameron
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Natural Resources
613-447-3488
ian.cameron@canada.ca

News release #: 
20-041