Today, Commissioner Adeline Webber was honoured with the Order of St. John by Chancellor Dr. André Levesque. She also accepted the role of Vice-Prior of the St. John Council for Yukon and was made a Dame of Justice of the Order.

Established in 1888 by Queen Victoria, the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem is a charitable organization. It primarily supports the St. John Eye Hospital in Jerusalem and St. John Ambulance. The order's roots go back to the 12th-century Knights Hospitaller, who cared for sick pilgrims in Jerusalem.

Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation Chief Pauline Frost and Yukon Premier Ranj Pillai have issued the following statement:

“A unified command team made up of Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation and Government of Yukon staff have been working over the last few weeks to prepare for and mitigate flooding in Old Crow.

The Government of Yukon wishes to thank all those who made the Jim Smith Building community space pilot project a success, including Yukon government staff and community members.

The pilot project ran from March 18 to May 17, 2024, and was part of the government’s efforts to decentralize essential support services in downtown Whitehorse, aimed to improve accessibility to safe spaces for all, especially vulnerable populations.

Following the de-activation of the Emergency Control Group (ECG) in relation to break-up on the Klondike River and flooding in the Klondike Valley, an After-Action Review was held between all agencies involved in the monitoring and response related to this incident. The goal of this meeting was to evaluate the response and improve future emergency response strategies. 

Key findings:

The Government of Yukon, through the Department of Education, is committed to fostering learning environments that support every child’s emotional and cognitive development. On May 3, approximately 100 Yukon educators attended the Ready-to-Learn Symposium in Whitehorse. This symposium celebrated and advanced the Ready-to-Learn Schools initiative, which is transforming classrooms across the Yukon by creating supportive and inclusive learning environments.

The Government of Yukon will begin issuing new, upgraded driver’s licences and general identification cards after May 31, 2024. The new ID cards have been updated to align with the latest North American design standards. With these changes, the Yukon will have the most secure driver's licences and general identification cards available in Canada.

The new cards will:

Minister responsible for the Women and Gender Equity Directorate Jeanie McLean and Minister of Health and Social Services Tracy-Anne McPhee issued the following statement:

“Today, May 17, across the Yukon and around the world, we recognize International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia. This is an opportunity to raise awareness of the discrimination, injustices and far too often violence and harassment faced by people with diverse sexual orientations, gender identities or expressions.

This news release has been updated with contact information for individuals or business owners with questions. 

Effectively immediately, the Government of Yukon is putting a temporary pause on the intake of Whitehorse-based applications for the Yukon Nominee Program. This measure aims to streamline efforts in processing existing applications. The program will continue to accept applications for nominees in Yukon rural communities.  

Premier Ranj Pillai issued the following statement:

“On behalf of the Yukon government, I want to express congratulations to the Association of Yukon Communities for hosting a successful 49th Annual General Meeting in Dawson City, from May 9 to 12, 2024. I greatly appreciate the Association of Yukon Communities’ efforts to bring together the territory’s elected officials and staff for a weekend of fostering deep community connection.

Premier Ranj Pillai has issued the following statement:

“Earlier this week, alongside MLA for Mayo-Tatchun Jeremy Harper, I had the pleasure of connecting with the leadership of Selkirk First Nation and the leadership of Little Salmon/Carmacks First Nation in their respective communities.

During these meetings, Yukon First Nation Chiefs, Council members and I discussed areas of concern, common interests and opportunities for continued collaboration on shared priorities between our governments.