After two years of work with the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations, local residents and stakeholders including the Alsek Renewable Resources Council and the Yukon Wood Products Association, we have a draft timber harvest plan for the Quill Creek area.  

We asked Yukoners:

• if the draft timber harvest plan for the Quill Creek area meets the needs of the people in the Kluane region; and 
• if you feel the plan provides a balanced approach for the management and use of forests in the area.

The Quill Creek Draft Timber Harvest Plan

• identifies values and interests related to the forests in the Quill Creek area; and
• provides a balanced approach for the management and use of these forests.

The recommended plan guides:

• how and where forest harvesting may occur;
• how forestry will contribute to the local economy; and
• addressing the risk of forest fires in the area.

The draft plan considers key values and concerns including:

• fish and wildlife habitat;
• forest health; and
• existing development.

The draft timber harvest plan was prepared by Yukon Wood Products Association with input provided by:

• Champagne and Aishihik First Nations;
• Alsek Renewable Resources Council; and
• the Government of Yukon.

Through this engagement we want to inform the public about the contents of the draft plan and gather feedback on the recommended plan.

The Government of Yukon has developed Our Clean Future: A Yukon strategy for climate change, energy and a green economy in collaboration with Yukon First Nations, transboundary Indigenous groups and Yukon municipalities.

The strategy sets out a collective vision and identifies the actions the Government of Yukon will take over the next 10 years to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, enhance energy security, adapt to the impacts of climate change and build a green economy.

The purpose of this engagement was to hear thought about our proposed targets and actions, and how we could improve the strategy.

The Government of Yukon is developing a 10-year plan to guide future investments in the Yukon aviation system. This strategy will propose strategic investments to maintain safety, meet national aviation regulations and enhance the future system. All investments will be considered for their social, economic and environmental impact.

Yukon’s airports, aerodromes and airstrips are vital to life north of 60. Aviation brings friends and family together, supports Yukon businesses, enables the delivery of vital emergency services and connects Yukon communities.

We need to understand your expectations and future needs for the Yukon aviation system.

The Yukon’s aviation system comprises 28 airports, aerodromes and airstrips, along with all related infrastructure and services. 

• An airport has regularly scheduled flights and supports a variety of public services, such as medevac, wildland fire management and policing services. 
• An aerodrome does not have regularly scheduled flights but does support a variety of public services. 
• An airstrip is a runway maintained for takeoff and landing of aircraft with no other permanent infrastructure at the site. 

Download a map of Yukon’s aviation system.

We asked Yukoners for their input on whether they want to keep the twice-annual time change or observe a single time permanently.

We also asked which time Yukoners would rather observe if the twice-annual time change is dropped: Pacific Daylight Saving Time or Pacific Standard Time.

For economic, energy, health and other reasons, jurisdictions in western North America are reviewing how they set and observe time. 

Read the backgrounder to understand terms and concepts in greater detail.

View time zone maps: Download maps that show what Yukon time would look like compared to Alaska and the rest of Canada under the three different options.

How do we observe time now?

Yukon has chosen to align with the Pacific Time Zone (UTC-8) since 1973. Yukon currently observes Pacific Standard Time from early November to early March every year. Yukon currently observes Pacific Daylight Time from early March to early November every year.

Under this current system, our solar noon (the point in the day when the sun is the highest) while on Standard Time in winter takes place closer to 1 p.m. During Daylight Saving Time in summer our solar noon happens closer to 2 p.m.

The Government of British Columbia plans to adopt a new permanent Pacific Time, which is the same calculation of time Yukon and BC currently use during Pacific Daylight Saving Time (March to November). This change will occur in March 2020.

Regardless of what Yukon chooses to do, Yukon will remain in sync with BC until at least November 2020.

What are the options?

Option A: Yukon stays on year-round Daylight Saving Time (UTC-7).

See what this would look like on a time zone map. 

• Winter: Sunrises and sunsets will occur one hour later in the winter than we are used to, so there will be more daylight into the afternoon and evening.
• Summer: Time in the summer will be the same as it has been for many years.
• During the summer, Yukon would be one hour ahead of Alaska, and one hour behind Alberta and NWT.
• During the winter, Yukon time would be two hours ahead of Alaska, and equivalent to Alberta and NWT.
• This is the option BC is pursuing. If BC implements its current proposal, under this option Yukon and BC would follow the same time.

Option B: Yukon stays on year-round Standard Time (UTC-8).

See what this would look like on a time zone map.

• Winter: Time in the winter will be the same as it has been for many years.
• Summer: Sunrises and sunsets will occur one hour earlier in the summer than we are used to, so we will have more sunlight into late morning and midday.
• During the summer, Yukon would be an additional hour away from the rest of Canada when they are on Daylight Saving Time. Yukon and would be on the same time as Alaska, and two hours behind Alberta and NWT.
• During the winter, Yukon time would be one hour ahead of Alaska, and one hour behind Alberta and NWT.
• If BC implements its current proposal, under this option Yukon would be permanently one hour behind BC.
• Currently, no other jurisdiction plans to observe this time zone year-round.

Option C: Status quo

See what this would look like on a time zone map.

• Yukon will maintain twice-annual seasonal time change.
• Yukon would be aligned with BC during the summer, and would be one hour behind BC during the winter.

What are the implications of observing a single time year-round?

There are adverse effects linked to the transition into Daylight Saving Time. Some of these impacts are due to the immediate effects of the change itself and the recovery time the body needs to catch up to that. Once we’re on a year-round time, those transitional problems may no longer exist.

Our bodies’ rhythms are linked with the sun, and having the middle of the solar day misaligned with the clock can cause problems related to quality of sleep, and mental and physical health. Standard time more closely matches solar time (the sun clock). Some research has shown that our body clocks still follow more or less the time of the sun clock.

The Government of Yukon’s Forest Management Branch is currently working to complete an annual allowable cut determination for timber in the Dawson forest resources management plan area.

Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in is also completing an annual allowable cut determination on their respective Settlement Land within the plan area.

As part of the public engagement process, information for the annual allowable cut determination is available for the public to review and comment upon.

The Government of Yukon is seeking direction on how Yukon’s Enduring Power of Attorney Act should be updated. A review of the Act revealed that there are some provisions that should be updated to reflect the needs of modern society and to keep pace with changes to legislation in other Canadian jurisdictions.

An Enduring Power of Attorney is a legal document in which a person gives one or more trusted people authority to manage their money and property if they become ill or suffer a disability at some point in the future. The “attorney” in this case does not mean the person is a lawyer.

Input is being sought on on topics such as:

• creating a mechanism to voluntarily report improper use of Enduring Power of Attorneys;
• outlining specific attorney duties, responsibilities and liabilities;
• increasing oversight of attorneys and accountability mechanisms for family members;
• including forms in the regulations for voluntary use; and
• allowing an Enduring Power of Attorney to be made without requiring a certificate of legal advice.

The purpose of this survey is to collect information and feedback from students, families and school staff about their experiences and perspectives on:

• Health and safety routines
• Student learning and supports
• Learning for Whitehorse 10-12 students