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The Peel watershed drains 14% of the Yukon Territory Canada and flows into the Beaufort Sea via the Peel and then Mackenzie Rivers. While the lower part of the Peel River and its confluence with the Mackenzie River are in the North West Territories , most of the watershed , 68,000 km out of 77,000 km is in the Yukon. Six major tributaries and numerous smaller streams feed the Peel. The Yukon portion of the watershed is undergoing land use planning, a process laid out in Chapter 11 of the Yukon Land Claims Agreement and is called the Peel Watershed Planning Region (PWPR). This article is confined to the PWPR.

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111-469: Yukon is the smallest and westernmost of Canada's three territories . It is the most densely populated of the three territories, with an estimated population of 46,704 as of 2024, though it has a smaller population than all provinces. Whitehorse , the territorial capital, is the largest settlement in any of the three territories. Yukon was split from the Northwest Territories in 1898 as

222-806: A base to the navy of an adversary), as well as to support amphibious operations throughout the region (such as the Chesapeake campaign during the American War of 1812 ). Bermuda was consequently the most important British naval and military base in the Americas. Canadian confederation resulted in the Canadian Militia becoming responsible for the defence of the Maritimes, the abolition of the British Army's commander-in-chief there, and

333-422: A collaborative process with many opportunities for public input. While Yukon First Nations relinquished aboriginal title to their traditional territories when they signed their final agreements, this was done in return for a constitutionally protected and meaningful role in land-use planning in their traditional territories. A Planning Commission consisting of members nominated by First Nations and Yukon Government

444-472: A federal agency of the Government of Canada , also maintains three national parks and reserves within the territory: Kluane National Park and Reserve , Ivvavik National Park , and Vuntut National Park . The Yukon is also home to twelve National Historic Sites of Canada . The sites are also administered by Parks Canada , with five of the twelve sites being located within national parks. The territory

555-665: A great deal of power relative to the federal government, with jurisdiction over many public goods such as health care, education, welfare, and intra-provincial transportation. They receive " transfer payments " from the federal government to pay for these, as well as exacting their own taxes. In practice, however, the federal government can use these transfer payments to influence these provincial areas. For instance, in order to receive healthcare funding under Medicare , provinces must agree to meet certain federal mandates, such as universal access to required medical treatment. Provincial and territorial legislatures have no second chamber like

666-650: A high degree of robust or restorable connectivity. Another strategy is to protect features and areas that acted as refugia during past climatic changes such as glaciation. A refugium is a geographical region that has remained unaltered by a climatic change affecting surrounding regions and that therefore forms a haven for remnant fauna and flora. Such refugia are centers of genetic, and sometimes species, diversity. Such strategies as these focus on retaining characteristics of landscapes and regions in order to allow ecological systems to respond on their own to accelerated climate change and other evolving stresses. The importance of

777-524: A lieutenant-general termed a general officer commanding and the Bermuda garrison becoming a command in its own right. Bermuda was consequently left out of the confederation of Canada, though it retained naval links with Halifax and the state church (or established church ), the Church of England , continued to place Bermuda under the bishop of Newfoundland until 1919 (Bermuda also remained linked to

888-514: A pace and scale that maintains ecological integrity. The long-term objective is to return all lands to their natural state". In July 2011, the Peel Watershed Planning Commission produced a Final Recommended Peel Watershed Regional Land Use Plan that calls for 55% of the region be fully protected as Special Management Areas. 25% would be designated as wilderness areas, meaning that they would have interim protection;

999-656: A prolonged economic crisis , and the legislature turned over political control to the Newfoundland Commission of Government in 1933. Following Canada's participation in the Second World War , in a 1948 referendum , a narrow majority of Newfoundland citizens voted to join the Confederation, and on March 31, 1949, Newfoundland became Canada's tenth province. The province was officially renamed Newfoundland and Labrador in 2001. Bermuda ,

1110-409: A role in appointing the territory's Executive Council , served as chair, and had a day-to-day role in governing the territory. The elected Territorial Council had a purely advisory role. In 1979, a significant degree of power was devolved from the commissioner and the federal government to the territorial legislature which, in that year, adopted a party system of responsible government . This change

1221-783: A shareholder vote. If provided for by a unanimous shareholders agreement, a corporation is not required to have directors at all. There is increased flexibility regarding the location of corporate records offices, including the ability to maintain a records office outside of the Yukon so long as it is accessible by electronic means. The Yukon's tourism motto is "Larger than life". The Yukon's tourism industry relies heavily on Yukon's natural environment, and there are many organized outfitters and guides available for activities such as hunting , angling , canoeing / kayaking , hiking , skiing , snowboarding , ice climbing , and dog sledding . These activities are offered both in an organized setting or in

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1332-798: A small portion is within Fishing Branch Park and the Mackenzie Mountains are partially protected by Tombstone Territorial Park . The Peel Watershed is home to relatively undisturbed populations of wildlife, including moose , Dall Sheep and Fannin Sheep , Barren Ground (the Porcupine herd) and Northern Mountain Woodland Caribou ( the Hart, Clear Creek and Bonnet Plume herds) and Yukon's only boreal caribou. Because of

1443-604: A wide array of cultural and sporting events that attract artists, local residents, and tourists. Annual events include the Adäka Cultural Festival , Dawson City Music Festival , Yukon International Storytelling Festival , Yukon Quest dog sled race, Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous , as well as Klondike Gold Rush memorials and the Northern Lights Centre. The Yukon's Aboriginal culture is also strongly reflected in such areas as winter sports, as in

1554-528: A year from 2006 to 2008, there is no mining at present and no oil and gas exploration is underway. There is, however, a thriving guide/outfitter industry. There are six big game outfitters that operate all or partly in the PWPR who hunt mostly for sheep, moose, caribou and bears. This industry generates $ 2–3 million a year and can continue indefinitely as long as there are large areas of wilderness to support wildlife. The world-class, challenging but navigable rivers of

1665-485: Is a joint Canada-US not-for-profit organization that seeks to preserve and maintain the wildlife, native plants, wilderness and natural processes of the mountainous region from Yellowstone National Park to the Yukon Territory. It aims to do this by maintaining intact large scale landscapes that will focus on grizzly bears, birds and fish as indicator species of ecosystem health. The PWPR is the northern anchor of

1776-654: Is called the National Assembly . Ontario has a legislative assembly but its members are called members of the Provincial Parliament or MPPs. The legislative assemblies use a procedure similar to that of the House of Commons of Canada . The head of government of each province, called the premier , is generally the head of the party with the most seats. This is also the case in Yukon, but the Northwest Territories and Nunavut have no political parties at

1887-811: Is host to a number of museums , including the Copperbelt Railway & Mining Museum , the SS Klondike boat museum, the Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre in Whitehorse; as well as the Keno City Mining Museum in Keno City . The territory also holds a number of enterprises that allows tourists to experience pre-colonial and modern cultures of Yukon's First Nations and Inuit. The Yukon has

1998-745: Is in the North East Yukon; its southernmost point is near Duo Lakes at about 64°N, the Eastern boundary is the border with the NWT about 131° W, its furthest west extent is in Tombstone Park at about 140°W and the north boundary is the Yukon/NWT border at 67° N. The closest communities are Mayo Yukon, directly south of the watershed, Dawson City Yukon, South West of the watershed and Fort McPherson and Tsiigehtchic Northwest Territories to

2109-597: Is mining (lead, zinc , silver, gold, asbestos and copper). The federal government acquired the land from the Hudson's Bay Company in 1870 and split it from the Northwest Territories in 1898 to fill the need for local government created by the population influx of the gold rush. Thousands of these prospectors moved to the territory, ushering a period of Yukon history recorded by authors such as Robert W. Service and Jack London . The memory of this period and

2220-917: Is on the Beaufort Sea . Its ragged eastern boundary mostly follows the divide between the Yukon Basin and the Mackenzie River drainage basin to the east in the Mackenzie mountains. Most of the territory is in the watershed of its namesake, the Yukon River. The southern Yukon is dotted with a large number of large, long and narrow glacier-fed alpine lakes, most of which flow into the Yukon River system. The larger lakes include Teslin Lake , Atlin Lake , Tagish Lake , Marsh Lake , Lake Laberge , Kusawa Lake and Kluane Lake . Bennett Lake on

2331-672: Is primarily within the Boreal Taiga ecozone, with the lower lying parts in the north within the Taiga Plains ecozone. The two ecozones of the PWPR are further divided into ecoregions: Peel River Plateau and Fort McPherson Plain in the Taiga Plains ecozone, and British/Richardson Mountains , North Ogilvie Mountains , Eagle Plains and Mackenzie Mountains in the Boreal Taiga ecozone. Of these ecoregions in Yukon,

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2442-583: Is through protecting large habitat areas and links between different ecosystems. The Peel is exactly such a place – large, untrammeled, and providing linkage between different elevations, habitat types, latitudes, and biomes. Conservation targets should also include ecosystems, like peat lands on the Peel Plateau that sequester much carbon. Maintaining such ecosystems could be globally significant in reducing emissions of carbon dioxide and methane from standing biomass and decomposing organic matter, thus reducing

2553-625: The Alberta Party and Saskatchewan Party . The provincial political climate of Quebec is different: the main split is between sovereignty , represented by the Parti Québécois and Québec solidaire , and federalism , represented primarily by the Quebec Liberal Party . The Coalition Avenir Québec , meanwhile, takes an abstentionist position on the question and does not support or oppose sovereignty. Currently,

2664-631: The Arctic Ocean has a tundra climate . Notable rivers include the Yukon , Pelly , Stewart , Peel , White , Liard , and Tatshenshini . The territory is named after the Yukon River , the longest river in the Yukon. The name itself is from a contraction of the words in the Gwich'in phrase chųų gąįį han , which means "white water river" and refers to "the pale colour" of glacial runoff in

2775-576: The Canadian Senate . Originally, most provinces had such bodies, known as legislative councils , with members titled councillors. These upper houses were abolished one by one, Quebec's being the last in 1968. In most provinces, the single house of the legislature is known as the Legislative Assembly; the exceptions are Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador, where the chamber is called the House of Assembly , and Quebec where it

2886-510: The Colony of British Columbia . NWT included the northern two-thirds of Ontario and Quebec. After the province of Manitoba was established in 1870, in a small area in the south of today's province, almost all of present-day Manitoba was still contained in the NWT. (Manitoba expanded to its present size in 1912.) The British claims to the Arctic islands were transferred to Canada in 1880, adding to

2997-569: The Constitution Act are divided between the Government of Canada (the federal government) and the provincial governments to exercise exclusively. A change to the division of powers between the federal government and the provinces requires a constitutional amendment , whereas a similar change affecting the territories can be performed unilaterally by the Parliament of Canada or government. In modern Canadian constitutional theory ,

3108-598: The Hudson's Bay Company . In 1870, the company relinquished its claims for £300,000 (CND$ 1.5 million), assigning the vast territory to the government of Canada. Subsequently, the area was re-organized into the province of Manitoba and the North-West Territories. The North-West Territories encompassed all of current northern and western Canada, except for the British holdings in the Arctic islands and

3219-791: The Keewatin Region . It occupied the area that is now the Kenora District of Ontario, northern Manitoba, and mainland Nunavut. The government of Keewatin was based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The territory did not have any representation in federal parliament. The vast majority of Canada's population is concentrated in areas close to the Canada–US border . Its four largest provinces by area ( Quebec , Ontario , British Columbia and Alberta ) are also (with Quebec and Ontario switched in order) its most populous; together they account for 86% of

3330-766: The Klondike Gold Rush trail is a lake flowing into Nares Lake, with the greater part of its area within Yukon. Other watersheds in the territory include the Mackenzie River, the Peel Watershed and the Alsek – Tatshenshini , and a number of rivers flowing directly into the Beaufort Sea. The two main Yukon rivers flowing into the Mackenzie in the Northwest Territories are the Liard River in

3441-642: The Municipal Act include cities and towns . Whitehorse is the capital of the Yukon and its only city. The remaining seven municipalities are towns, of which four were villages that were continued as towns upon adoption of the 2001 Municipal Act . The usage is somewhat confusing: according to the Municipal Act of 2001 villages are legally given the status of towns, but may call themselves villages in English. In French they are called villages, and

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3552-579: The River St. Lawrence and Coast of America and North America and West Indies Station , the North America and Newfoundland Station , the North America and West Indies Station , and finally the America and West Indies Station ) main bases, dockyards, and Admiralty Houses. The squadron of the station was based at Royal Naval Dockyard, Halifax , during the summers and Royal Naval Dockyard, Bermuda , in

3663-578: The Snake River . It was not fully surveyed until 1909 despite being the only route used by fur traders into the interior of the Yukon until the gold rush years of the 1890s. The Yukon part of the watershed contains six major tributaries to the Peel; from west to east: the Ogilvie , Blackstone , Hart , Wind , Bonnet Plume and Snake Rivers. The Bonnet Plume is a Canadian Heritage River . The PWPR

3774-780: The Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in . These people, along with the now gone Tukudh Gwich’in, have lived and travelled in the region for millennia; some of the earliest evidence of humanity in Canada is within Vuntut Gwitchin territory at Bluefish Caves . For the Tetlit Gwich’in, the Peel is the centre of their world; the name Tetlit Gwich’in means “people who live at the head of the waters”. They and the Vuntut Gwitchin are caribou people; caribou provided food, clothing, tools and shelter. In early times vast caribou fences were made to intercept

3885-715: The Yukon Quest sled dog race. The modern comic-book character Yukon Jack depicts a heroic aboriginal persona. Similarly, the territorial government also recognizes that First Nations and Inuit languages plays a part in cultural heritage of the territory; these languages include Tlingit , and the less common Tahltan , as well as seven Athapaskan languages, Upper Tanana , Gwich'in , Hän , Northern Tutchone , Southern Tutchone , Kaska , and Tagish , some of which are rare. Notable Yukon artists include Jim Robb and Ted Harrison , whose paintings have become iconic for their depictions of historic and contemporary life and culture in

3996-569: The Yukon Territory . The federal government's Yukon Act , which received royal assent on March 27, 2002, established "Yukon" as the territory's official name, although Yukon Territory remains in popular usage. Canada Post uses the territory's internationally approved postal abbreviation of YT . In 2021, territorial government policy was changed so that " The Yukon" would be recommended for use in official territorial government materials. Although officially bilingual (English and French),

4107-627: The backcountry , which is accessible by air or snowmobile . The Yukon's festivals and sporting events include the Adäka Cultural Festival , Yukon International Storytelling Festival , and the Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous . The Yukon's latitude enables the view of aurora borealis . The Yukon Government maintains a series of territorial parks, including parks such as Herschel Island Qikiqtaruk Territorial Park , Tombstone Territorial Park , Fishing Branch Ni'iinlii'njik Park , and Coal River Springs Territorial Park. Parks Canada ,

4218-582: The world's second-largest country by area. The major difference between a Canadian province and a territory is that provinces receive their power and authority from the Constitution Act, 1867 (formerly called the British North America Act, 1867 ), whereas territories are federal territories whose governments are creatures of statute with powers delegated to them by the Parliament of Canada . The powers flowing from

4329-615: The 60° parallel, Ontario's to Hudson Bay and Quebec's to encompass the District of Ungava . In 1869, the people of Newfoundland voted to remain a British colony over fears that taxes would increase with Confederation, and that the economic policy of the Canadian government would favour mainland industries. In 1907, Newfoundland acquired dominion status. In the middle of the Great Depression in Canada , Newfoundland underwent

4440-604: The Arctic , particularly as global warming could make that region more open to exploitation leading to more complex international waters disputes . Peel Watershed There are no communities within the Yukon's PWPR although it is within the Traditional Territories of, and extensively utilized by, four First Nations : The Na-cho Nyak Dun , the Tetlit Gwich'in , the Vuntut Gwitchin and

4551-414: The British/Richardson Mountains are partially protected by Ivvavik National Park and Vuntut National Parks and by the Old Crow Flats Special Management Area(SMA), the Fort McPherson Plains do not contain any protected areas, the Peel Plateau has no protection at present, the North Ogilvie's are partially protected by Fishing Branch Territorial Park , Eagle Plains is not significantly protected, although

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4662-415: The Canadian mainland (from those in James Bay to the Queen Elizabeth Islands ). The following table lists the territories in order of precedence (each province has precedence over all the territories, regardless of the date each territory was created). Another territory, the District of Keewatin , existed from October 7, 1876, until September 1, 1905, when it rejoined the Northwest Territories and became

4773-562: The French government donated the land used for the Vimy Memorial "freely, and for all time, to the Government of Canada the free use of the land exempt from all taxes". The site of the Somme battlefield near Beaumont-Hamel site was purchased in 1921 by the people of the Dominion of Newfoundland . These sites do not, however, enjoy extraterritorial status and are thus subject to French law. Since Confederation in 1867, there have been several proposals for new Canadian provinces and territories. The Constitution of Canada requires an amendment for

4884-427: The French word ville, which means town, is not used for them. Instead larger settlements are called ville and even bigger ones grande ville, apart from Dawson which is called a cité, and in English is also called a city. Keno City , though unincorporated, also bears city in its name. In the 19th century, the Yukon was a segment of North-Western Territory that was administered by the Hudson's Bay Company , and then of

4995-451: The Maritimes under the Methodist and Roman Catholic churches). In 1903, resolution of the Alaska Panhandle Dispute fixed British Columbia's northwestern boundary. This was one of only two provinces in Canadian history to have its size reduced. The second reduction, in 1927, occurred when a boundary dispute between Canada and the Dominion of Newfoundland saw Labrador enlarged at Quebec's expense; this land returned to Canada, as part of

5106-404: The Na-cho Nyak Dun would also travel into the Peel for caribou. To this day, they still do, and trap for fur, harvest small game and gather plants. The Peel was named in 1826 by Sir John Franklin after Sir Robert Peel , who was British Home Secretary (later Prime Minister) at the time. It was first explored by Europeans in 1839 when John Bell of the Hudson's Bay Company ascended it as far as

5217-450: The North, for organizational and economic purposes. For much of the Northwest Territories' early history it was divided into several districts for ease of administration. The District of Keewatin was created as a separate territory from 1876 to 1905, after which, as the Keewatin Region, it became an administrative district of the Northwest Territories. In 1999, it was dissolved when it became part of Nunavut. Theoretically, provinces have

5328-418: The North. No body lives permanently within the region, and there is only one road; the gravel Dempster Highway skirts its western limits. Several big game outfitters have seasonal camps, the tributaries are world class wilderness rivers attracting canoeists and hikers from around the world, and the First Nations hunt, gather and trap throughout the region much as has been done for millennia. The Peel Watershed

5439-483: The Northwest Territories administered by the federal Canadian government. It only obtained a recognizable local government in 1895 when it became a separate district of the Northwest Territories . In 1898, it was made a separate territory with its own commissioner and an appointed Territorial Council. Prior to 1979, the territory was administered by the commissioner who was appointed by the federal Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development . The commissioner had

5550-424: The PWPR, of which two are large and well defined deposits: the Crest iron ore deposit in the Snake River basin and the Bonnet Plume Coal deposit in the neighbouring valley. The Crest Deposit belongs to Chevron . Unless this deposit is developed, it is unlikely that any of the other deposits will be viable as they would need to piggy back on the infrastructure development required- roads, railways and pipelines. Despite

5661-456: The Peel River ecosystem is not limited to its role in harboring biodiversity and relics of the past. The Peel River stands at an ecological crossroads, connecting boreal forests, arctic tundra, and alpine habitats. Given the pace of current climate change, the Peel may once again become a crucial corridor for the shifting distributions of species. Probably the best way that we can manage natural systems so as to ensure resilience to climate change

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5772-407: The Peel attract Canadian and international tourists and are supported by up to 20 wilderness guide/outfitters. This industry generates about $ 500,000/year in direct income and is even more dependent on undisturbed wilderness than big game hunting. Wilderness tourism has the potential for significant sustainable growth if managed appropriately. The Dempster Highway is a significant source of visitors to

5883-406: The United Kingdom (15.9%), the Philippines (15.0%), and the United States (13.2%). Among very recent immigrants (between 2006 and 2011) living in the Yukon, 63.5% were born in Asia. Visible minority and indigenous identity (2016): As of the 2016 census, the top ten ancestries in the Yukon were: The most commonly reported mother tongue among the 33,145 single responses to the 2011 Canadian census

5994-401: The Y2Y region, and if the entire watershed were to be protected, it would double the area within the Y2Y region that has been protected since Y2Y began in 1997. Even partial protection would be a significant conservation gain given future potential ecological upheaval through climate change and the fragmentation of habitat in the southern part of the Y2Y region. The Umbrella Final Agreement of

6105-399: The Yukon Indian Land Claims Agreement lays out how land-use planning will proceed in Yukon. The Yukon is divided into regions roughly analogous to First Nation Traditional Territories. The affected First Nations have jurisdiction over their settlement lands within the Planning Region while Yukon Government has the final say over how crown lands will be disposed of. Land-use planning is, however,

6216-520: The Yukon Party forming the government as premier . In 2003, the old Yukon Act was repealed and replaced by a new Yukon Act , which continued the existing powers of the Yukon Government, and devolved additional powers to the territorial government such as control over land and natural resources. At the federal level, the Yukon is represented in the Parliament of Canada by one member of Parliament (MP) and one senator . MPs from Canadian territories are full and equal voting representatives and residents of

6327-402: The Yukon River. Historically, the name of the Yukon Territory has been abbreviated to "The Yukon" in informal speech. In 2003, the territorial government announced that the territory should be referred to as "Yukon", but the change in name sparked discussion amongst Yukoners. In the 2021 election, the leader of the Yukon NDP , Kate White , campaigned on returning to using "The Yukon". Following

6438-424: The Yukon government recognizes First Nations languages. At 5,959 m (19,551 ft), Yukon's Mount Logan , in Kluane National Park and Reserve , is the highest mountain in Canada and the second-highest on the North American continent (after Denali in the U.S. state of Alaska ). Most of the Yukon has a subarctic climate , characterized by long, cold winters and brief, warm summers. The coastal area along

6549-435: The Yukon hold some of the earliest evidence of the presence of human habitation in North America. The sites safeguard the history of the first people and the earliest First Nations of the Yukon. The volcanic eruption of Mount Churchill in approximately 800 AD in what is now the U.S. state of Alaska blanketed the southern Yukon with a layer of ash which can still be seen along the Klondike Highway , and which forms part of

6660-426: The Yukon in January 1979. The Yukon New Democratic Party (NDP) formed the government from 1985 to 1992 under Tony Penikett and again from 1996 under Piers McDonald until being defeated in 2000. The conservatives returned to power in 1992 under John Ostashek after having renamed themselves the Yukon Party . The Liberal government of Pat Duncan was defeated in elections in November 2002, with Dennis Fentie of

6771-454: The Yukon, and permits their use in Legislative Assembly proceedings, although only English and French are available for laws and court proceedings. The 2021 Canadian census reported that 59.7% of Yukoners reported having no religious affiliation, the highest percentage in Canada . The most frequently reported religious affiliation was Christianity, reported by 35.0% of residents, followed by Sikhism at 1.0%. The Yukon's major industry

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6882-513: The Yukon, though, local level governance is provided by municipalities . The Yukon's eight municipalities cover only 0.2% of the territory's land mass but are home to 80.9% of its population. Municipal governments are created by the Yukon Government in accordance with the Municipal Act of 2001. Municipal governments provide "jurisdiction services, facilities, or things that a local government considers necessary or desirable for all or part of its community". Classifications of municipalities under

6993-399: The Yukon. With the Klondike Gold Rush , a number of folk songs from the Yukon became popular, including "Rush to the Klondike" (1897, written by W. T. Diefenbaker), "The Klondike Gold Rush", "I've Got the Klondike Fever" (1898), and "La Chanson du Klondyke". A notable cultural and tourist feature is the legacy of the Klondike Gold Rush (1897–1899), which inspired contemporary writers of

7104-422: The abandoned town of Snag dropped down to −63.0 °C (−81.4 °F). Unlike most of Canada where the most extreme heat waves occur in July, August, and even September, the Yukon's extreme heat tends to occur in June and even May. The Yukon has recorded 36 °C (97 °F) three times. The first time was in June 1969 when Mayo recorded a temperature of 36.1 °C (97 °F). 14 years later this record

7215-433: The area than envisioned by the Final Recommended Plan. To date, no significant extraction of mineral resources has taken place within the PWPR, with the exception of gravel pits for construction and maintenance of the Dempster Highway. The Peel Plateau and Eagle Plains ecoregions contain what is considered to be the best candidates for Oil & Gas development within the region. There are 13 significant mineral occurrences in

7326-413: The best hedge against climate disruption may lie within landscapes characterized by inherent resilience. Such areas have substantial adaptive capacity, and the ability to absorb the disturbances created by climate change, because of their immense scale, relative intactness, still-functional ecosystems, high degree of ecological representation and redundancy, high potential for creation of climate refugia, and

7437-411: The case of a boreal forest this would most likely be a forest fire - the ecosystem that takes it place would be more like the Aspen Parkland. Essentially, new species cannot move in or displace existing species until space is created for them. Intact, undisturbed, ecosystems are the best way to promote this inertia and the species that exist there. The Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative (Y2Y)

7548-410: The corporation, a practice off-limits in most other jurisdictions due to the inherent potential for conflicts of interest. One of the changes will allow a corporation to serve as a director of a subsidiary registered in Yukon. The legislation also allows companies to add provisions in their articles of incorporation giving directors blanket approval to sell off all of the company's assets without requiring

7659-438: The country's population. The territories (the Northwest Territories , Nunavut and Yukon ) account for over a third of Canada's area but are only home to 0.3% of its population, which skews the national population density value. Canada's population grew by 5.0% between the 2006 and 2011 censuses. Except for New Brunswick , all territories and provinces increased in population during this time. In terms of percent change,

7770-411: The creation of a new province but the creation of a new territory requires only an act of Parliament , a legislatively simpler process. In late 2004, Prime Minister Paul Martin surprised some observers by expressing his personal support for all three territories gaining provincial status "eventually". He cited their importance to the country as a whole and the ongoing need to assert sovereignty in

7881-400: The early days of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police , as well as the territory's scenic wonders and outdoor recreation opportunities, makes tourism the second most important industry in the territory. Manufacturing, including furniture, clothing, and handicrafts, follows in importance, along with hydroelectricity . The traditional industries of trapping and fishing have declined. As of 2012,

7992-490: The election, the Yukon Party government announced that "The Yukon" would again be used by the government. The territory is the approximate shape of a right triangle , bordering the U.S. state of Alaska to the west and northwest for 1,210 kilometres (752 mi) mostly along longitude 141° W , the Northwest Territories to the east and British Columbia to the south mostly along latitude 60° N . Its northern coast

8103-570: The electoral district of Porter Creek South as its MLA. Pillai took office on January 14, 2023. After the 2021 Yukon general election , the Liberals were reduced to a minority government , though they were able to continue governing due to a formal agreement with the NDP. The vast majority of the Yukon's land mass is unorganized , with no defined municipal or otherwise supralocal level of government like in other parts of Canada. For most individuals in

8214-483: The fastest-growing province or territory was Nunavut with an increase of 12.7% between 2011 and 2016, followed by Alberta with 11.6% growth, while New Brunswick's population decreased by 0.5%. Generally, Canadian provinces have steadily grown in population along with Canada. However, some provinces such as Saskatchewan, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador have experienced long periods of stagnation or population decline. Ontario and Quebec have always been

8325-408: The federal level, and as a result, have a commissioner that represents the federal government. There are three territories in Canada. Unlike the provinces, the territories of Canada have no inherent sovereignty and have only those powers delegated to them by the federal government. They include all of mainland Canada north of latitude 60° north and west of Hudson Bay and all islands north of

8436-465: The federal party. The Liberal Party of Canada shares such an organizational integration with Atlantic Canada provincial Liberals in New Brunswick , Newfoundland and Labrador , Nova Scotia , and Prince Edward Island . Other provincial Liberal parties are unaffiliated with their federal counterpart. Some provinces have provincial political parties with no clear federal equivalent, such as

8547-414: The feedback mechanism that enhances the greenhouse effect and accelerates global warming. Ecological Inertia : refers to the characteristic of landscapes to resist change, for example a white spruce dominated boreal forest could persist under climatic conditions that have warmed and dried to produce conditions that are more suitable for Aspen Parklands. Should some event take place to upset this inertia - in

8658-455: The government sector directly employs approximately 6,300 out of a labour force of 20,800, on a population of 27,500. On May 1, 2015, the Yukon modified its Business Corporations Act, in an effort to attract more benefits and participants to its economy. One amendment to the BCA lets a proxy be given for voting purposes. Another change will allow directors to pursue business opportunities declined by

8769-422: The highest among Canada's three territories. Statistics Canada has estimated Yukon's 2024 population to be 45,750, an increase of 17.5% from the 2016 census. This is the largest percentage increase for any Canadian province or territory. Unlike in other Canadian provinces and territories , Statistics Canada uses the entire territory as a single at-large census division. According to the 2016 Canada Census

8880-610: The indicia of sovereignty from the United Kingdom. Prior to this, Ontario and Quebec were united as the Province of Canada. Over the following years, Manitoba (1870), British Columbia (1871), and Prince Edward Island (1873) were added as provinces. The British Crown had claimed two large areas north-west of the Canadian colony, known as Rupert's Land and the North-Western Territory , and assigned them to

8991-606: The jurisdiction of the Canadian Constitution . In the 1867 Canadian Confederation , three provinces of British North America — New Brunswick , Nova Scotia , and the Province of Canada (which upon Confederation was divided into Ontario and Quebec )—united to form a federation , becoming a fully independent country over the next century. Over its history, Canada's international borders have changed several times as it has added territories and provinces, making it

9102-632: The last British North American colony, which had been somewhat subordinated to Nova Scotia, was one of two Imperial fortress colonies in British North America ;– the other being Nova Scotia, and more particularly the city of Halifax. Halifax and Bermuda were the sites of the Royal Navy's North America Station (or, depending on the time period and the extent of the Western Hemisphere it included,

9213-419: The legislature are known as members of the Legislative Assembly and may use the post nominal letters "MLA". The three parties presently represented are the centre-leaning Yukon Liberal Party (8 seats) – who currently form government, the centre-right leaning Yukon Party (8), and the centre-left leaning Yukon New Democratic Party (3). The 10th and current premier of Yukon is Ranj Pillai , who represents

9324-402: The majority of the territory's population was of European descent, although it has a significant population of First Nations communities across the territory. The 2011 National Household Survey examined the Yukon's ethnocultural diversity and immigration. At that time, 87.7% of residents were Canadian-born and 24.2% were of Indigenous origin. The most common countries of birth for immigrants were

9435-584: The migrating caribou and funnel them into corrals so they could be taken with spears, snares and bow and arrow. Once rifles were adopted, the caribou fences were reabsorbed by the land and now the only traces left are in Vuntut National Park . Fences were needed because caribou are consummate travelers; the Porcupine Caribou Herd travels from the Peel into Alaska, from the Beaufort Sea to the Yukon River. The Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in and

9546-542: The neighbouring Northwest Territories. As a result of the Inuvialuit Final Agreement, the island is now a territorial park and is known officially as Qikiqtaruk Territorial Park, Qikiqtaruk being the name of the island in Inuvialuktun . Provinces and territories of Canada#Territories Canada has ten provinces and three territories that are sub-national administrative divisions under

9657-691: The one minority provincial/territorial government is held by the Liberals in Yukon . They are in government with a formal confidence and supply agreement from the Yukon New Democratic Party . The Canadian National Vimy Memorial , near Vimy , Pas-de-Calais, and the Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial , near Beaumont-Hamel , both in France, are ceremonially considered Canadian territory. In 1922,

9768-423: The oral tradition of First Nations peoples in the Yukon and further south in Canada. Coastal and inland First Nations had extensive trading networks. European incursions into the area began early in the 19th century with the fur trade , followed by missionaries . By the 1870s and 1880s, gold miners began to arrive. This drove a population increase that justified the establishment of a police force, just in time for

9879-485: The plants are more characteristic of Asia than the Americas or are endemic to the region. This endemism is particularly marked near mountains that provided moist refugia during glaciations . This part of the world is going to feel some of the most extreme effects of climate change ; by 2100 it is projected that average temperatures could be 10-15 degrees warmer. Recent studies in climate adaptation suggest that

9990-410: The province of Newfoundland, in 1949. In 1999, Nunavut was created from the eastern portion of the Northwest Territories. Yukon lies in the western portion of Northern Canada, while Nunavut is in the east. All three territories combined are the most sparsely populated region in Canada, covering 3,921,739 km (1,514,192 sq mi) in land area. They are often referred to as a single region,

10101-475: The provinces are considered to be co-sovereign within certain areas based on the divisions of responsibility between the provincial and federal government within the Constitution Act, 1867 , and each province thus has its own representative of the Canadian Crown , the lieutenant governor . The territories are not sovereign, but instead their authorities and responsibilities are devolved directly from

10212-577: The reduction of British military forces in the Maritimes to a small garrison for the protection of the Halifax dockyard, which would be withdrawn when that dockyard was handed over to the Dominion government in 1905 for use by the new Canadian naval service. Britain retained control of Bermuda as an imperial fortress, with the governor and commander-in-chief of Bermuda (a military officer previously ranking between lieutenant-colonel and major-general) becoming

10323-532: The region and has the only road access and established campgrounds. On December 1, 2017, in the First Nation of Nacho Nyak Dun v. Yukon (Government of) , the Supreme Court of Canada overturned a Yukon government decision to open the Peel watershed for development and significantly modify the Peel Watershed Planning Commission's final recommended plan. The court ruled that the final agreements with

10434-712: The relative abundance of these animals, their predators also thrive and there are healthy populations of Wolves , Wolverines , Grizzlies and Black bears . The range of the Ogilvie Mountain Collared Lemming extends into the watershed. This lemming is a Yukon endemic . Extensive wetlands support migratory waterfowl, particularly the Turner Lake wetlands, Chappie and Margaret lakes. Trappers harvest primarily marten and lynx . Much of this area has escaped glaciation for millions of years and comprises part of Beringia . Because of this, many of

10545-506: The same name. For example, no provincial Conservative or Progressive Conservative Party shares an organizational link to the federal Conservative Party of Canada , and neither do provincial Green Parties to the Green Party of Canada . Provincial New Democratic Parties, on the other hand, are fully integrated with the federal New Democratic Party —meaning that provincial parties effectively operate as sections, with common membership, of

10656-461: The size of the North-West Territories. In 1898 the Yukon Territory, later renamed "Yukon" in 2003, was carved from the area surrounding the Klondike gold fields . On September 1, 1905, a portion of the North-West Territories south of the 60th parallel north became the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan. In 1912, the boundaries of Quebec, Ontario, and Manitoba were expanded northward: Manitoba's to

10767-607: The southeast and the Peel River and its tributaries in the northeast. Canada's highest point, Mount Logan (5,959 m or 19,551 ft), is in the territory's southwest. Mount Logan and a large part of the Yukon's southwest are in Kluane National Park and Reserve , a UNESCO World Heritage Site . Other national parks include Ivvavik National Park and Vuntut National Park in the north. A second UNESCO World Heritage Site, Tr'ondëk-Klondike World Heritage Site ,

10878-424: The start of the Klondike Gold Rush in 1897. The increased population coming with the gold rush led to the separation of the Yukon district from the Northwest Territories and the formation of the separate Yukon Territory in 1898. The 2021 census reported a Yukon population of 40,232. With a land area of 474,712.64 km (183,287.57 sq mi), it had a population density of 0.1/km (0.2/sq mi) in 2011,

10989-442: The status of the land would be reviewed each time the plan itself is reviewed. In the remaining 19.4%, "non renewable resource-use opportunities … can be…encouraged subject to key land-use and environmental management considerations, including enhanced community consultation where specified". In November 2012, the Yukon government presented a set of counter-proposals which would allow for a much higher level of industrial development in

11100-413: The territorial level. The King's representative in each province is the lieutenant governor . In each of the territories there is an analogous commissioner , but they represent the federal government rather than the monarch. Most provinces have rough provincial counterparts to major federal parties. However, these provincial parties are not usually formally linked to the federal parties that share

11211-444: The territory enjoy the same rights as other Canadian citizens. One Yukon MP, Erik Nielsen , served as Deputy Prime Minister under Brian Mulroney , while another, Audrey McLaughlin , was the leader of the federal New Democratic Party (NDP) from 1989 to 1995. The territory once had an Inuit settlement, located on Herschel Island off the Arctic Ocean coast. This settlement was dismantled in 1987 and its inhabitants relocated to

11322-691: The territory, the Commissioner generally acts on the advice of the Premier of Yukon , who commands the confidence of the elected Legislative Assembly . Unlike lieutenant governors, commissioners are not direct representatives of the King but are instead appointed by the federal government. The Yukon has numerous political parties and candidates who stand for election to the 19 seats in the Yukon Legislative Assembly . Those elected to

11433-587: The time such as Jack London , Robert W. Service , and Jules Verne , and which continues to inspire films and games, such as Mae West's Klondike Annie and The Yukon Trail (see Cultural legacy of the Klondike Gold Rush ) . Executive power in the Yukon is formally vested in the Territorial Commissioner , who plays an analogous role to that of a provincial lieutenant governor . As guarantor of responsible government in

11544-498: The two biggest provinces in Canada, with together over 60% of the population at any given time. The population of the West relative to Canada as a whole has steadily grown over time, while that of Atlantic Canada has declined. Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia were the original provinces, formed when several British North American colonies federated on July 1, 1867, into the Dominion of Canada and by stages began accruing

11655-472: The uncertainty around the tenure and viability of minerals deposits in the PWPR, a large proportion, (6,773) of the 8,431 claims active in the PWPR were staked since the start of the planning process. A one-year staking moratorium was instituted on February 4, 2010 and extended in February 2011 for an additional year or until the final plan is approved. While mineral exploration was valued at about $ 6 million

11766-617: The winters until the 1820s, when Bermuda (which was better located to control the Atlantic Seaboard of the United States, impossible to attack over land, and almost impregnable against attack over water) became the main base year round. A large British Army garrison in Bermuda , which fell under the commander-in-chief in Nova Scotia , existed to defend the colony as a naval base (and to prevent it becoming as useful

11877-414: Was English at 28,065 ( 85%). The second-most common was 1,455 ( 4%) for French. Among 510 multiple respondents, 140 of them ( 27%) reported a mother tongue of both English and French, while 335 ( 66%) reported English and a " non-official language" and 20 ( 4%) reported French and a " non-official language". The Yukon's Language Act "recognises the significance" of the territory's aboriginal languages in

11988-399: Was accomplished through a letter from Jake Epp , Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, rather than through formal legislation. In preparation for responsible government , political parties were organized and ran candidates to the Yukon Legislative Assembly for the first time in 1978. The Progressive Conservatives won these elections and formed the first party government of

12099-617: Was almost beaten when Forty Mile recorded 36 °C (97 °F) in May 1983. The old record was finally broken 21 years later in June 2004 when the Mayo Road weather station, located just northwest of Whitehorse , recorded a temperature of 36.5 °C (97.7 °F). Long before the arrival of Europeans, the central and southern Yukon was populated by First Nations people, and the area escaped glaciation . Sites of archeological significance in

12210-590: Was designated in 2023. Notable widespread tree species within the Yukon are the black spruce and white spruce . Many trees are stunted because of the short growing season and severe climate. While the average winter temperature in the Yukon is mild by Canadian arctic standards, no other place in North America gets as cold as the Yukon during extreme cold snaps. The temperature has dropped down to −60 °C (−76 °F) three times, 1947, 1952, and 1968. The most extreme cold snap occurred in February 1947 when

12321-487: Was formed on October 15, 2004, to guide the process. The Commission's goal is to "ensure wilderness characteristics, wildlife and their habitats, cultural resources, and waters are maintained over time while managing resource use. These uses include, but are not limited to, traditional use, trapping, recreation, outfitting, wilderness tourism, subsistence harvesting, and the exploration and development of non-renewable resources. Achieving this goal requires managing development at

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