The Government of Yukon is updating legislation for pharmacists and rural permit holders (physicians who dispense drugs) to improve pharmacy services and standards. This is part of a larger legislative framework that governs the pharmacies and rural dispensaries where these professionals work.

From April 21 to July 21, 2017, the public was invited to provide feedback on the proposed:

• Pharmacists Regulation;
• Standards of practice for pharmacists;
• Standards of practice for rural permit holders; and
• Code of ethics for pharmacists and rural permit holders.

We know we don’t always get public engagement right – but we want to take steps to improve. This initiative was about you telling us what a meaningful conversation and meaningful public engagement looks like to you.

What is public engagement?

It’s a process that links public input – like yours – into a decision using problem-solving or discussion between governments and the general public. It’s not a single event, but rather a journey that we hope will build trust and a stronger relationship between you and government.

This engagement was about creating a long-term vision for tourism that all Yukoners could see themselves in. The steering committee recommended the strategy, Sustainable Tourism. Our Path. Our Future, to the Government of Yukon on November 23, 2018.

The strategy is guided by the core values expressed by Yukoners and lays out a ten-year vision for tourism to be a vibrant, sustainable component of Yukon’s economy and society for the benefit of future generations. The document lays out these values as well as goals and strategic actions to form the basis for future action plans.

We asked Yukoners to share their thoughts on the draft Yukon Tourism Development Strategy before October 3, 2018.

The Herschel Island-Qikiqtaruk Management Plan sets long-standing priorities and new considerations for park operations at Herschel Island-Qikiqtaruk Territorial Park.

The plan is currently being reviewed by a joint committee representing Yukon government and Inuvialuit organizations.

The purpose of this pre-engagement was to learn how a public engagement process should be designed, so that members of the Yukon LGBTQ2S+ community and their allies feel safe and included. We also wanted to learn about the needs and priorities of LGBTQ2S+ Yukoners that could be discussed further during the public engagement process. By designing a safe and inclusive public engagement process, we can prioritize areas for improvement, so that government laws, programs, and services meet the social standards of non-discrimination.

We invited participation by posting the public engagement on Engage Yukon and by reaching out at the grassroots level. People who wanted to participate were encouraged to contact QMUNITY or the Women’s Directorate.

The information we collected will help us have safe, confidential, and inclusive conversations with the LGBTQ2S+ community in the future.

The Government of Yukon wants to ensure we are meeting the rules and social standards for LGBTQ2S+ non-discrimination. To do so, we are conducting a review of legislation, policies and practices.

This long-term project includes updating legislation to be more inclusive of LGBTQ2S+ Yukoners.

In spring 2017, we made amendments to the Vital Statistics Act and Human Rights Act.

On March 6, 2018, we tabled a Gender Diversity and Related Amendments Bill to:

• Support increased gender diversity on several Yukon government boards and committees that currently have potentially discriminatory language related to nomination and membership requirements.
• Add “sexual orientation,” “gender diversity,” and “gender expression” to an existing clause that sets out prohibited grounds of discrimination under the Public Service Labour Relations Act.     

We invited feedback from stakeholders on these proposed amendments to ensure that the final bill is as inclusive as possible.

Help us chart the future of Yukon’s territorial parks. The Government of Yukon has developed a Draft Yukon parks strategy to set the direction for Yukon’s system of territorial parks for the next 10 years. The strategy is about the full range of territorial parks, including wilderness preserves like Ni’iinlii Njik (Fishing Branch), natural environment parks like Tombstone, and recreation parks like Wolf Creek campground. The strategy will provide guidance on managing the parks system to ensure communities across Yukon experience the benefits of parks: healthy land, healthy people, and a healthy economy.

Much has changed since the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (ATIPP) Act was introduced in 1995. We’re creating a new Act and we want to know if we got it right.

We want our new Act to be more open, to increase the amount of information available and to provide client-focused service delivery to Yukoners while protecting their right to privacy.

Our proposed changes come from information from public engagement done in June and July 2016, the Yukon Information and Privacy Commissioner’s review of the Act, staff experiences, and legislation in other jurisdictions.

The goal of the agriculture policy is to encourage the growth of the agriculture industry so that it:

• produces high-quality products for local consumption;
• is economically viable;
• operates in an environmentally sustainable way; and
• contributes to community well-being.

The agriculture policy sets out the government’s priorities and actions for supporting agriculture development in the Yukon. 

Fish populations have started recovering to healthy levels in Mandanna Lake. The Government of Yukon and Little Salmon/Carmacks First Nation are interested in changing the fishing regulations on the lake.  

We would like to remove restrictions for this recovering population, and allow anglers to keep one lake trout. We would also set a total catch limit of five fish of any species in one day when fishing on Mandanna Lake. The goal of this proposal is to honour traditional values and provide a high-value sport fishing opportunity in Yukon.