The Order of Yukon Act has now officially come into force with Yukon’s new Commissioner, Ms. Angélique Bernard, assenting to the bill this afternoon. The Order of Yukon will be the territory’s highest honour, allowing Yukoners to formally recognize individuals who have made significant contributions to the advancement of Yukon society.
The Government of Yukon is providing permanent funding of $170,000 per year for the American Sign Language (ASL) program. The program was initiated as a pilot in 2012 for two years and extended for another three years.
ASL interpretation is used by Yukon’s deaf and hard of hearing community to access a range of services and programs – including medical services, legal services, employment opportunities, training and community and cultural events.
The Government of Yukon is creating 10 new long-term care bedrooms at Thomson Centre in Whitehorse. Adding these much-needed beds will help reduce pressures at the Whitehorse General Hospital and at community hospitals across Yukon.
There are currently 75 individuals on a waiting list for placement in a continuing care facility, with nine occupying beds at the Whitehorse General Hospital. The new rooms will provide some of these patients with a home that better meets their needs, as most no longer require the high level of care provided by the hospital.
The Government of Yukon is cooperating with the Yukon Child and Youth Advocate to conduct a systemic review of the Transitional Support Services (TSS) program.
The government approached the Child and Youth Advocate, who has agreed to conduct the independent and impartial systemic review of the TSS program for the three-year period dating from April 1, 2015, to April 1, 2018.
Approximately 265 athletes and six cultural participants, as well as coaches, mission staff and officials, are en route to the South Slave region of Northwest Territories for the 2018 Arctic Winter Games.
Athletes will compete in a range of events, including Arctic sports, Dene games, cross country skiing and hockey. The culture contingent is composed of six dancers who will be showcasing their talents alongside the other jurisdictions during the games, culminating in a gala performance.
Joint news release with the Government of Canada
Rural and northern communities have unique infrastructure needs. The governments of Canada and Yukon recognize that strategic investments in recreational infrastructure play a key role in supporting dynamic communities while creating good jobs and improving quality of life for those living and working in the North.
The Government of Yukon is preparing for the next phase of the remediation at the Marwell Tar Pit site in Whitehorse – which will begin this year.
The seasonally dependent work will include site preparation, excavation of contaminated soils, segregation of impacted soils and on-site treatment of contaminated soil.
This is the second of three phases of addressing contamination at the site. The whole project is expected to take more than a decade to complete with monitoring for years to come.
Sheldon Kennedy and partners from the Sheldon Kennedy Child Advocacy Centre were in Yukon to participate in Prevention, Awareness and Response: Conversations about Yukon youth and sexualized assault. The two-day symposium brought together more than 100 government and non-government officials to share insight on how to best support children, youth and families who are impacted by sexualized abuse.
The Governments of Canada and Yukon are providing over $3 million to support the YuKonstruct Makerspace Society in the creation of the Yukon Innovation Hub. The hub will support innovation and entrepreneurship through a shared space with business assistance, networking and mentorship opportunities.
The Government of Yukon is releasing 80 lots in Whistle Bend, including townhouse, multi-family and residential lots, to builders and the public by lottery and public tender.
The land sale will take place on April 5, in time for the 2018 building season. Tender bids and lottery applications will be accepted until 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 3.
This release of building lots continues the government’s efforts to increase land and housing availability to support healthy and vibrant communities.