Yukon

Population:

41,078 (1)

  Last Updated:  

January 1, 2021

Current majority government:

Premier: Sandy Silver, Yukon Liberal Party 

Number of Members of Legislative Assembly in YK: 19

• Yukon Liberal Party: 10 

• Yukon Party: 6 

• New Democratic Party: 2 

• Independent: 1

You can find your representative in the Yukon Legislative Assembly here: (2)

Environmental stance of majority party:

Included within their party platform, the Yukon Liberal Party focused on reducing energy use and implementing the use of renewable sources of energy. Specific projects include converting all street lights to use LEDs, and investments of up to $30 million per year to renovate buildings, making them more energy efficient. (3)

Percentage of 2020/2021 budget estimated to be allocated to the environment:

Total budget: $1.62 billion

Estimated allotment to environmental programs and projects: $52,324,000

Percentage: 3.2% (4)

Main provincial-level legislation for environment protection:

Solid Waste Action Plan (2013): 

• The Government of Yukon set a goal of halving the amount of waste in landfills by 2015, with an overall goal of being Zero Waste by 2040. (5)

Yukon Ambient Air Quality Standards: 

• Details the maximum amount of specific pollutants (eg: oxone, nitrogen dioxide) permitted in the ambient air, set to be re-updated along with national standards in 2025. (6)

Devolution Transfer Agreement: 

• An agreement between the federal government of Canada and territorial government of Yukon, sharing the responsibility for cleaning up mining sites. (7)

Specific government-based environmental programs:

Good Energy Rebates: 

• Offering anywhere form 25-75% rebate when homeowners and business owners complete eco-friendly renovations. (8) 

Yukon Rideshare: 

• Encourages drivers to carpool by offering discounts on gas and parking, matches drivers and passengers. (9) 

Turn in Poachers and Polluters (TIPP Line): 

• A service in which citizens can report incidents in which environmental policies are disobeyed (eg: illegal hunting and fishing practices) to authorities. (10)

Next election date:

Yukon does not have a fixed election date, but the next territorial election cannot occur later than November 18, 2021. (12)

Extra information:

Yukon is home to many conservation areas including: 

8 Territorial Parks:

• Agay Mene Territorial Park 

• Asi Keyi Territorial Park 

• Coal River Springs Territorial Park 

• Herschel Island-Qikiqtaruk Territorial Park 

• Kusawa Territorial Park 

• Ni’iinlii Njik (Fishing Branch) Territorial Park 

• Dàadzàii Vàn Territorial Park 

• Tombstone Territorial Park 

12 designated habitat protection and special management areas: 

• Ch'ihilii Chìk (Whitefish Wetlands) Habitat Protection Area

• Ddhaw Ghro Habitat Protection Area 

• Devil’s Elbow and Big Island Habitat Protection Area 

• Ni'iinlii Njik (Fishing Branch) Wilderness Preserve and Habitat Protection Area 

• Nuna K'óhonete Yédäk Tah'é (Horseshoe Slough) Habitat Protection Area 

• Łύtsäw Wetland Habitat Protection Area 

• Mandanna Lake -Pickhandle Lakes Habitat Protection Area 

• Tagish River Habitat Protection Area 

• Ta'tla Mun Special Management Area 

• Tsâwnjuk Chu (Nordenskiold) Habitat Protection Area 

• Van Tat K'atr'anahtii (Old Crow Flats) Special Management Area 

3 National Parks:

• Kluane National Park and Reserve 

• Ivvavik National Park 

• Vuntut National Park 

1 National Wildlife Area 

• Nisutlin River Delta 

4 Canadian Heritage Rivers: 

• Alsek River 

• Thirty Mile River 

• Bonnet Plume River 

• Tatshenshini River (13)

What makes this province different?

In order to take advantage of the natural resources in Yukon’s forests (i.e. chopping up firewood for use in one’s house), citizens of Yukon are required to have a Forest Resource Permit, which lasts for a maximum of three years and cannot be renewed. (14)

  Quick facts:  

Yukon was the recipient of $1.987 million of funding to support projects focused on adaptation to climate change via the Climate Change Preparedness in the North Program from Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada. (15)

Sea ice in the Yukon is becoming thinner and younger as about 300 km^3 of sea ice disappears every year. (16)

As temperatures rise at three times the rate as the rest of the world, houses built on permafrost will begin to grow mold as well as decompensate structurally. (17)

In recent years the Spruce bark beetle outbreak, aided by increasing temperatures, led to the death of half of the Spruce trees in the Southwest of the territory. This event highlights that with increasing temperatures, the territory may be at high risk of more invasive species moving in and having detrimental effects. (18)