January 2025

Students graduating with a diploma from Yukon University's Earth Sciences program can now easily complete their Bachelor of Science at Acadia University in Nova Scotia. Thanks to a new articulation agreement between the two universities, YukonU Earth Sciences students can transfer all courses in a standard course progression to Acadia and apply to enter directly into third year of either Geology or Environmental Geoscience.

YukonU’s Earth Sciences program uses Yukon’s dynamic environment as a laboratory to deliver the first two years of a B.Sc. geoscience degree. Instruction draws heavily upon the diverse geologic landscapes at the university’s doorstep, and partnerships with industry provide meaningful experiential learning opportunities. Graduates are positioned to play critical roles, from stewarding groundwater resources to meeting mineral and energy resource needs within the context of a rapidly changing environment.

Brad Beaumont spent 12 years in Watson Lake teaching computer classes part-time at Yukon University (then Yukon College) before transferring to Faro in 2002. He hadn’t really thought about living in the small Yukon community, but after spending nearly 22 years in Faro, he couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. “I'm so glad I came to Faro,” he says. “I’m a part of this community, and people don't care what you know until they know that you care.”

When reflecting on his experience, Beaumont is proud of the mark he’s left on the community campus, which includes setting up a country kitchen where people can have coffee and visit. It’s how he builds relationships with the community – by visiting and talking – and based on these personal interactions, Beaumont finds out what people are interested in.

Physical activity impacts overall health and wellbeing, and when it comes to Indigenous health, not much is known about older Métis adults and their experience with physical activity and healthy aging.

Assistant Professor and Health Research Chair at Yukon University, Dr. Liris Smith, completed her PhD work, which considered the experiences of Indigenous populations and physical activity to understand gaps and support overall population health. Her study was co-created with 12 Métis adults in Sakitawak (Île-à-la-Crosse) Saskatchewan using a participatory action approach.