Get the latest information about the rebuilding of École Whitehorse Elementary School.
Work is underway to address aging Whitehorse schools. As part of this work, École Whitehorse Elementary School will be replaced with a modern facility. It will meet the needs of the community for years to come. The design will focus on providing flexible, multi-use spaces.
Public engagement for this project is now complete. In spring 2026, we asked Yukoners to share their thoughts on 3 potential locations for the new school:
- the current downtown site;
- a lot at Kopper King (Lot 435); and
- an unsurveyed lot near the Canada Games Centre.
More than 2,200 parents, students, staff and community members shared their feedback through an online survey and public meetings.
We have published a What We Heard report that summarizes all the feedback we received.
Key findings from the report
- Students, staff and the ÉWES School Council strongly prefer the site near the Canada Games Centre. They highlighted its excellent access to nature and recreation spaces.
- The current downtown site was the top choice for online survey respondents, receiving 42.8 per cent of the votes. The site near the Canada Games Centre was the second most popular choice, with 35.3 per cent of the votes.
We are currently doing detailed technical, environmental and cost reviews of the sites.
The Government of Yukon will also hold government-to-government discussions with the Kwanlin Dün First Nation and the Ta’an Kwäch’än Council to discuss the location options.
The final site selection for the new school is expected to be announced later this year.
École Whitehorse Elementary ranked as the highest priority for a school replacement. View the rankings of all Whitehorse schools.
A wide range of factors were considered in this ranking, including the:
- age and condition of the building;
- available space for additional students; and
- suitability for modern learning programs.
The new school designs focus on:
- flexible, multi-use spaces that emphasize collaborative learning;
- integration of technology;
- integration of Yukon First Nations culture and learning;
- using natural materials and creating spaces that support the integration of Yukon First Nations language and culture;
- connections to the outdoors;
- good acoustics, focusing on learning spaces that are adjacent; and
- student inclusivity.
The new school designs also focus on:
- daylighting – the concept of using natural light in learning spaces;
- using natural materials and creating spaces that support the integration of Yukon First Nations language and culture;
- connections to the outdoors;
- good acoustics, focusing on learning spaces that are adjacent to one another; and
- student inclusivity.