With the conclusion of the Fall 2023 Yukon Legislative Assembly, the Government of Yukon is making significant progress to make life safer and more affordable for Yukoners.
Today, the 2023–24 First Supplementary Estimates passed with the support of Liberal and NDP caucuses. The estimates include a $17 million funding increase for the Yukon Hospital Corporation to help them meet their budgetary needs for the remainder of the fiscal year. This is in addition to the increase in core funding to the Yukon Hospital Corporation in the 2023–24 Budget.
The Supplementary Estimates also include salary increases and retention bonuses for the Yukoners who keep us safe and healthy, including fire fighters, nurses, rural health care providers and EMS staff, as well as other government personnel.
Despite significant unanticipated challenges, the Government of Yukon will maintain a $3.6 million surplus.
Thanks to the dedication of Yukon public servants, contractors, local businesses and Yukoners alike, the Government of Yukon has been able to advance a number of priorities during fall 2023, including:
- Nearing completion of construction of the new Whistle Bend Elementary School, with enrollment scheduled to begin in August 2024. This will be the first new elementary school built in Whitehorse in more than 20 years.
- Working with community partners, downtown residents, Yukon First Nations and local businesses to ensure that Whitehorse remains a safe community where residents can live peacefully, businesses can thrive and those who need access to support can do so safely and without delay.
- Preparing to re-open the airport restaurant in the main terminal at the Erik Nielsen Whitehorse International Airport, which will be run by Air North – Yukon’s Airline kitchen team.
- Making life more affordable for Yukoners by implementing a suite of fiscal and affordability measures that led to a higher-than-average decrease in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) compared to September 2023.
- Investing in the completion of the Haeckel Hill (or Thäy Täw) Wind Farm Project, which will power up to 650 homes per year with clean electricity, producing enough green energy to remove the equivalent of 40 million litres of diesel fuel, which offsets up to 115,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.
- Funding, in partnership with the Council of Yukon First Nations, a Yukon First Nations Land-Based Healing Fund, which will provide up to $9 million over three years to First Nations governments and First Nations-led organizations.
- Making significant progress on the construction of the 800-kilometre Dempster Fibre Project, creating a backup line to ensure more reliable internet access across Canada’s North.
- Signing a bilateral funding agreement on the National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence with the Government of Canada, securing up to $16.4 million over four years which will be cost-matched by the Government of Yukon.
- Creating a one-time temporary assistance program to support a stable supply of rental units on the housing market.
- Announcing the Yukon’s intent to join the federal coordinated vaping products taxation framework, to help reduce vaping-associated lung illnesses.
- Launching a five-year Innovation Strategy to grow innovation, drive investment and diversify the economy.
- Increasing funding to the Yukon’s eight municipalities for a total of $24.5 million for 2024–25, an increase of 10.3 per cent since 2023.
- Launching, in partnership with the Council of Yukon First Nations, a mobile downtown outreach initiative as part of an approach to enhance safety in downtown Whitehorse, similar to Winnipeg’s Bear Clan Patrol.
- Funding security patrols on evenings and weekends to act as a deterrent for property crime.
- Releasing a new strategic framework for French-language services to guide the Yukon government’s actions and investments as it strengthens its capacity in health care and justice to provide timely French-language services.
- Partnering with the Ross River Dena Council to create new staff housing in the community.
- Supporting Centre de santé Constellation Health Centre’s move into a permanent location at 9010 Quartz Road, beside the Whitehorse Health Centre.
During the 2023 Fall Sitting of the Yukon Legislative Assembly, the Government of Yukon passed several pieces of legislation, including:
The Registered Nurses Profession Act creates a pathway for flexible enrolment for registered nurses and nurse practitioners seeking to work in the Yukon and makes it easier for nurses wishing to practice in the territory to do so.
The Act to Amend the Victims of Crime Act (2023) protects victims of crime by denying access to information requests by offenders, alleged offenders and anyone else who could threaten the safety and privacy of victims. This amendment protects victims from further risks of intimate partner violence, sexualized violence and domestic homicide.
Amendments to the Elections Act allow electoral boundaries to respond to changing populations and demographics around the territory, particularly attention to Whistle Bend in Whitehorse. The Electoral District Boundaries Commission will engage with Yukoners and report on updated electoral boundaries prior to the next election.
The Environment Act was amended to fully implement Extended Producer Responsibility across the Yukon. This fulfils in part Our Clean Future: A Yukon strategy for climate change, energy and a green economy and unlocks the opportunity for progress to be made with the City of Whitehorse and Raven Recentre to launch a Whitehorse municipal curbside recycling program.
The Fiduciaries Access to Digital Assets Act clarifies fiduciaries’ access to the digital assets of deceased or incapable individuals while respecting their privacy and final wishes. This modernized legislation provides Yukoners with greater certainty and predictability that their fiduciaries can execute their wishes for digital assets.
The Technical Amendments Act (Finance) updates three different tax acts: Yukon’s Income Tax Act, the Yukon Government Carbon Price Rebate Act and the Financial Administration Act. The amendments include aligning with changes to federal law, internal operational changes and language improvements identified when reviewing the Carbon Price Rebate Amendments Act (2022). The Technical Amendments Act (Financial) does not have financial impacts on taxpaying Yukoners.
It is always an honour representing Yukoners, and this Fall 2023 Sitting of the Yukon Legislative Assembly was no exception. During this sitting, we brought forward many important conversations and exchanges we had over the summer and we reported back on some of the progress we’ve made in building a strong, sustainable path forward together. I’m so grateful to all Government of Yukon employees, municipal and federal employees, First Nations partners, organizations, businesses and citizens for their contributions.
The passing of the supplementary budget for 2023–24 demonstrates our unwavering dedication to cultivate an education environment that values safety, inclusion and growth. This reinforces our commitment to our students, educators, and partners, by investing in the people who drive change and in the programs that support our shared vision for the future of Yukon education.
Our government is committed to enhancing all Yukoners’ access to health care services by fostering a person-centred, inclusive, and responsive health care system. This is a top priority, and we continue to implement the recommendations in Putting People First. Changes to the Registered Nurses Profession Act, which received assent during this sitting, will help streamline the licensing and registration process, making the Yukon an even more attractive destination for health care professionals. We continue to work closely with our health partners to respond to challenges, such as health human resources and enhancing the delivery of coordinated and integrated health services across the territory.
During the fall sitting of the Yukon Legislative Assembly, I was pleased to see Bill No. 28, amendments to the Environment Act, receive assent. This was a crucial next step as we fully implemented Extended Producer Responsibility and help build a more sustainable future for the generations to come. We continue to advance work on reducing our greenhouse gas emissions, developing our climate resiliency, investing in infrastructure and major projects, modernizing important online services and connect Yukoners for healthy, thriving communities
This session I’m glad to have worked to keep Yukoners safe in the face of climate change-induced natural disasters and to have continued our historic investment in Yukon communities.
Just a day before the 2023 Fall Sitting of the Yukon Legislative Assembly, we celebrated the completion of the Haeckel Hill – Thäy Täw – Wind Farm Project alongside Kwanlin Dün First Nation. During the fall, we celebrated Tr’ondëk-Klondike being named Canada’s first cultural world heritage site north of 60°, and we worked closely with Selkirk First Nation to manage the evolving situation at the Minto Mine site. All this momentum, and so much more, helped inform discussions, tributes and statements delivered in the House. Thanks to everyone who helped contribute to our strong, sustainable path forward together.
This sitting, we’ve used our strong commitment to thoughtful and responsible budgeting to support a growing Yukon and improve the lives of our residents through the delivery of vital programs and services. With the Yukon’s population on the upswing, one of Canada’s lowest unemployment rates, and projected economic growth for the future, the Yukon remains one of the most desirable places to live in Canada. The supplementary estimates will help make sure we keep that status by upholding the new collective agreement so public servants can excel at their work, funding affordability measures, implementing actions to address climate change, and providing for programs that improve the health and wellness of Yukoners, all the while adhering to a sustainable budget process. In a national and global economy where governments everywhere are being urged to curb their spending and consider long-term borrowing and austerity, our government remains in a strong place to face the years ahead.
To strengthen the health and social system, the Government of Yukon:
- Passed the Registered Nurses Profession Act.
- Awarded 16 bursaries to Yukon students in health and social service careers.
- Enabled Yukon parents to apply for the Canada Child Benefit automatically when registering their newborn.
- Partnered with the Council of Yukon First Nations to initiate the Yukon First Nations Land-Based Healing Fund.
- Joined the Government of Canada in the vaping tax framework to align taxing vaping products continuous with federal counterparts.
- Celebrated the first anniversary of both the Centre de santé Constellation Health Centre and the Mobile Crisis Team with Car 867.
- Partnered with the Canadian Red Cross to deliver Emergency Support Services in the Yukon.
- Committed to delivering health and social services in an integrated, culturally safe, anti-racist way with new legislation on health authorities in spring 2024.
- Supported two engagements to inform the expansion of the Sexualized Assault Response Team’s services to Yukon communities: one with victims and one with community services providers and Yukon First Nations governments. Expansion of the program is a milestone commitment under the Yukon’s MMIWG2S+ strategy.
To make the Yukon a safer and more just place, the Government of Yukon:
- Passed The Act to Amend the Victims of Crime Act (2023).
- Passed the Fiduciaries Access to Digital Assets Act.
- Worked in partnership with the Government of Canada to identify and cost-share actions to support the implementation of the National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence in the Yukon over the next four years.
- Organized the second annual accountability forum for Missing and Murdered Indigenous women, girls and Two-Spirit people.
- Implemented the Winter Housing initiative with the Safe at Home Society.
- Attended the Council of the Federation meeting in Halifax to discuss housing, infrastructure and health care.
- Has acted on downtown safety at 405 Alexander by:
- removing the privacy benches outside;
- working with the Council of Yukon First Nations to pilot a downtown safety outreach initiative;
- working with the City of Whitehorse to improve garbage collection;
- engaging with community safety partners to address exterior after-hours gatherings who do not require access to the 405 Alexander building;
- meeting with partners to continue finding solutions; and
- funding a $300,000 pilot project for a downtown mobile outreach initiative as part of downtown safety.
- Held a targeted engagement with 2SLGBTQIA+ Yukoners, their allies and service providers to gauge progress on the Inclusion Action Plan. Implementing this plan is a key government commitment and a milestone identified in the Yukon’s MMIWG2S+ strategy.
- Invited Yukoners to apply for the Minister’s Advisory Council on Women and Gender Equity to realize its updated mandate to provide advice to the government on matters related to gender equity, sexual orientation and women’s issues.
To build our clean, green future with environmental resiliency, the Government of Yukon:
- Passed the Environment Act.
- Partnered with the Government of Canada on the 2 Billion Trees project which will remove fire prone coniferous trees and replace them with 400,000 aspen seedlings that are fire resistant.
- Participated in Operation NANOOK-TATIGIIT to augment emergency preparedness.
- Attended the Northern Policy Framework Leadership Committee to discuss pan-territorial opportunities and challenges across the North.
- Participated in a call with Western Premiers on emergency management due to summer floods and fires.
To grow a strong, innovative economy, the Government of Yukon:
- Launched the Innovation Yukon: Bringing Northern Ingenuity to the World, an innovation plan that demonstrates the Yukon’s unique strengths and opportunities including, Indigenous governance, rural and place-based entrepreneurship and arctic research.
- Partnered with the Yukon Convention Bureau to develop a new convention centre.
- Awarded $515,000 to Castlerock Enterprises to support remediation of the Ryder Apartment building in Whitehorse.
- Doubled the acquisition funding for the Yukon Permanent Art Collection.
- Raised the Comprehensive Municipal Grant funding by 10.3 per cent totalling $24.5 million in 2024–25.
- Signed an agreement with Air North for the airline to provide food services at the Erik Nielsen International Airport.
- Supported Inflation relief funding by saving Yukoners $270.
- Supported the rental market with the Landlord support payment of $338 per unit with an estimated budget of $1.014 million.
- Supported innovation with the 125 Prize, which now has 10 finalists competing for $250,000.
- Investing in the Skagway marine services platform to support new mining opportunities and broaden the economy.
To improve access to education and recreation, the Government of Yukon:
- Invested $1 million in student support initiatives and created 81 new full-time student support positions over the next three years.
- Encouraged young athletes to try out for the Arctic Winter Games.
- Progressed on youth and child development by creating dedicated wellness councillors in all schools, increased the Educational Assistants and Learning Assistance teachers starting fall 2023, providing all students in need of special education with the option of an Individualized Education Plan.
- Supported the Commission scolaire francophone du Yukon to assume control of the Garderie du petit cheval blanc early learning centre.
To make the Yukon a place everyone can call home, the Government of Yukon:
- Supported the recognition of minority communities in the Yukon such as:
- veterans;
- francophone immigrants;
- the Ukrainian sister city; and
- supported a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza.
Renée Francoeur
Cabinet Communications
867-334-9194
renee.francoeur@yukon.ca