The Government of Yukon has tabled Bill #28, an Act to amend the Environment Act to fully implement an extended producer responsibility system in the Yukon. 

From November 2022 to February 2023, the Government of Yukon heard from Yukoners about how an extended producer responsibility framework should work – including which products to include in the regulation and feedback on technical definitions.

The proposed amendments to the Environment Act will ensure the Government of Yukon has the authority to:

On October 5, 2023, the Government of Yukon introduced the Fiduciaries Access to Digital Assets Act.

This new law will clarify fiduciaries’ access to the digital assets of deceased or incapable individuals, while respecting their privacy and carrying out their final wishes.

At present, the trusts and estates law does not adequately address how fiduciaries may gain access to these digital assets. With no legislative framework, online terms of service agreements may determine the fate of digital assets of a deceased or incapable person.

The proposed Act would:

The Government of Yukon has tabled a bill to amend the Victims of Crime Act to increase protections for victims of crime. The proposed changes help restrict access to victim information that could result in potential harm for the victim.

The Act to Amend the Victims of Crime Act (2023) aims to refuse access to information requests by offenders and alleged offenders that could harm the safety and privacy of victims. Protecting client records shields victims from further risks of intimate partner violence, sexualized violence and domestic homicide.

Next week, from October 8 to 14, marks Fire Prevention Week across North America.

Fire Prevention Week is an opportunity to learn about home fire safety. This year's theme is "Cooking safety starts with YOU! Pay attention to fire prevention.”

Recreation leaders from across the Yukon gathered in Carmacks from October 3 to 5, on the Traditional Territory of the Little Salmon/Carmacks First Nation, for the annual Recreation Gathering.

The Recreation Gathering is co-hosted by the Government of Yukon and the Recreation and Parks Association of the Yukon (RPAY). It creates professional-development and networking opportunities so recreation leaders and volunteers can continue delivering quality programming in Yukon communities.

Premier Ranj Pillai has issued the following statement: 

“At a meeting last week with Walter and Sylvia Streit, owners and operators of Whitehorse’s Alpine Bakery, I promised to provide a public update about the efforts that the Government of Yukon is taking to address the situation around 405 Alexander Street in downtown Whitehorse.

“Our government believes in building communities that work for all Yukoners: young families, retirees, First Nations Canadians, immigrants, business owners and patrons and vulnerable populations.

Premier Ranj Pillai has issued the following statement: 

“This Monday is Thanksgiving, an occasion often associated with bountiful feasts and expressions of gratitude. 

“This holiday also carries a history deeply intertwined with colonization. The origins of this celebration are rooted in a complex narrative of displacement and loss experienced by Indigenous peoples. As we reflect on this history, it is essential that we recognize this reality and consider how it continues to influence our understanding of this holiday to the present day.

The Government of Yukon will host the annual United Way Breakfast fundraiser tomorrow, Friday, October 6, at the Sternwheeler Hotel & Conference Centre in Whitehorse from 7 am to 10:30 am. This family- friendly event is a Yukon tradition with a history spanning over 30 years. The theme is Giving and Gratitude, a fitting message on the importance of giving back to the community and being grateful.

Yukon athletes have a track record of achieving success at the regional, national, and international levels and in just over five months, 355 members of Team Yukon will be travelling to the Mat-Su Borough of Alaska to participate in the 2024 Arctic Winter Games. These games will be held March 10 to 16, 2024, and will give Yukon athletes an opportunity to compete against their northern peers in 20 different sports.

Minister of Education Jeanie McLean has issued the following statement:

“World Teachers’ Day commemorates the anniversary of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) October 5, 1966, adoption of the ‘Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers’, and acknowledges the essential role of teachers in advancing education, as well as the importance of their contributions towards the development of society and humankind.