New school planned for Whistle Bend
Education Minister Tracy-Anne McPhee has announced $1.6 million to plan for a new elementary school in the Whistle Bend neighbourhood. Construction on the new elementary school is anticipated to begin in 2021. The investment is part of more than $30 million in capital funding in 2019-20 to modernize Yukon schools so they continue to meet the needs of our education system. Other projects include continued work on the new French First Language Secondary School, a new portable for Golden Horn Elementary, and planning work to move the Kluane Lake School to Burwash Landing.
“This is an exciting time for Whistle Bend residents, and for all Whitehorse school communities as we modernize learning spaces for Yukon students. I look forward to working with all school councils, administration and educators to ensure that we continue to meet the needs of their school communities as we prepare for and carry out this work.”
Minister Tracy-Anne McPhee
Learn more here.
New Health and Wellness Centre coming to Old Crow
This week Health and Social Services Minister Pauline Frost announced $750,000 in 2019-20 to plan a new Health and Wellness Centre in Old Crow. The Yukon government is working together with the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation government to plan the new facility, which will incorporate a collaborative care model. As part of the project, a winter road to Old Crow is planned for 2021. The previous Yukon Party government, on the eve of the 2016 election, announced $250,000 in funding to start this very project. Unfortunately for the residents of Old Crow, almost none of that money was ever spent.
“The new Old Crow Health and Wellness Centre will be the first of its kind in Yukon, providing both health and social services with a collaborative care model. This is an opportunity to work with the community to better meet their needs by providing health and social services in one facility, allowing for more integrated, collaborative care into the future. We look forward to working together with the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation to ensure Old Crow residents continue to receive high quality and accessible services.”
Minister Pauline Frost
National Aboriginal Languages Day
Old Crow MLA Pauline Frost also paid tribute to National Aboriginal Languages Day, celebrated each March 31, and International Year of Indigenous Languages in the Legislative Assembly this week. Frost delivered her tribute in Gwich’in, the language spoken by the Vuntut Gwitchin in the community of Old Crow. Watch her tribute here!
Tourism Development Strategy
Minister of Tourism and Culture Jeanie Dendys has appointed a task force to help implement the new Yukon Tourism Development Strategy, Sustainable Tourism. Our Path. Our Future. The task force will look at potential governance models for promoting Yukon tourism and make a recommendation to the Government of Yukon in Fall 2019.
“With a new tourism strategy, it makes sense to evaluate and assess how we can best align the efforts of government and industry, improve efficiency and support sustainable tourism industry growth. We know there are different governance models in different jurisdictions in Canada and we want to make sure we have the one that makes sense for Yukon. We are proud to be working with industry partners and organizations to implement the new strategy.”
Minister Jeanie Dendys
Learn more here.
Whitehorse to host BreakOut West 2019
This week Minister of Economic Development Ranj Pillai announced that Whitehorse will host the BreakOut West music festival, conference and award show in Whitehorse from October 2-6, 2019 to showcase the best of Western Canadian Music. The Yukon government is contributing $485,000 towards the event, championing the territory’s music industry as an essential contributor to a diverse, growing Yukon economy. BreakOut West will help to highlight Yukon’s music industry on the world stage, opening up opportunities for growth and investment. Our Liberal Caucus believes that by promoting growth in targeted industries such as this one, we can support a diverse and prosperous economy in Yukon.
“BreakOut West 2019 is an event that everyone will be able to benefit from, including musicians, industry professionals, Yukoners, visitors and businesses. It provides a boost for Yukon’s talented musicians. Beyond the opportunities to perform, local musicians can meet industry professionals from Canada and worldwide that they may not otherwise have the chance to.”
Minister Ranj Pillai
