News

WHITEHORSE―When Yukon artist Misha Donohoe discovered the vibrant blooms of the purple pea plant (Vicia cracca) in the industrial area of downtown Whitehorse, she was enchanted.

“It was interesting to me because it is an introduced species that attracts many native pollinators, and because it’s gorgeous,” she said. “I was struck by the delicate, sweeping beauty of its vines and tendrils.”

WHITEHORSE—“If this is power, I don’t want anything to do with it.”

Growing up in a home where she experienced physical and emotional abuse, Magi Cooper sought to distance herself from what she saw as a destructive energy.

“I saw power as a dangerous thing,” said Cooper. “My father held all the power, and I felt like I had none.”

Early in her career as a counsellor and therapist, Cooper worked with women and children who had similarly experienced the misuse of power. She expanded her practice to include men after an important realization.

“I wanted to stop the intergenerational cycle of family abuse, and I realized that unless we begin to work with the people—mostly men—who are perpetuating this violence, we will not be able to facilitate change.”

WHITEHORSE—Since 2015, Jen Jones—a Trudeau Foundation Scholar, PhD candidate and long-time Yukon resident—has been working alongside Little Salmon Carmacks First Nation (LSCFN) to research how major development projects, such as mines, impact the health and wellbeing of LSCFN citizens.

“We’re in a real period of flux—Carmacks is known as the hub of the Yukon, and there appears to be a lot of interest in resource development around us,” said Alan Steel, LSCFN Executive Director. “Our citizens want to make sure the resources are used with respect, and they want to minimize negative effects on our community.”

Through the course of her research Jones has spent considerable time in Carmacks, attending community events and hosting training and knowledge-sharing workshops. She has also hired citizens to collaborate in developing and conducting surveys.

WHITEHORSE— A few years ago, Finnish scientist Ville Kuittinen and his team at the Karelia University of Applied Sciences in Finland were sitting in the dark during a power outage.

“We thought: ‘This is silly,’” he said. “As researchers studying sustainable energy generation, we were so often left without power. That’s when we started exploring the potential of biomass to create electricity in small scale.”

Biomass is an industry term for producing heat or energy, or both, by burning natural materials, such as plants or woodchips. Using woodchips is more efficient than burning whole logs because the feed of combustible material can be controlled to create a constant stream of heat or energy.

WHITEHORSE—How can a solar energy system remain stable in a place where the sun shines all day during the summer and barely rises above the horizon in winter? This is the question a team of young researchers at Yukon College have sought to answer over the past few months.

The team—led by Michael Ross, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Industrial Research Chair in Northern Energy Innovation—is made up of nine students and early career professionals in electrical engineering, mechanical engineering and physics. Since January they have been collaborating on a Northern Energy Innovation Project that explores how renewable energy sources can be integrated into northern communities.

Yukon College and Vancouver Island University to increase enrollment and completion rates of Indigenous learners

NANAIMO, B.C.— In the spirit of reconciliation, a new learning partnership for Indigenous youth at Vancouver Island University (VIU) and Yukon College is being announced today.

Building from the guidance of Elders and the aspirations of Indigenous youth, VIU will join Yukon College in a collaboration supported by the Rideau Hall Foundation and Mastercard Foundation that creates opportunities for Indigenous learners to be full partners in their education.

WHITEHORSE—Do you have a great idea? Do you want to support innovation in your community? If you answered yes to either of these questions (co)space and Yukon College are looking for you.
All Yukoners are invited to muster their creativity and passion, and enter the Startup Your Community Contest.

“This contest is open to all types of ideas—if you can imagine it, we want to hear your pitch,” said Alison Anderson, Technology Innovation Officer, Cold Climate Innovation (CCI) at Yukon College. “We are here to support local innovation.”

To enter, create a one-minute video explaining your idea and upload it to the contest website at cospacenorth.com. Submissions will be judged on their potential for positive impact on the community, the presenter’s enthusiasm, and the originality of the idea.

WHITEHORSE—During the past few years Dakwakada Capital Investments (DCI), a Whitehorse-based firm, has been growing and changing. DCI is continually looking to invest in its employees and expand their knowledge base, so the company signed up for Project Management training through Yukon College.

“We firmly believe that Project Management is a fantastic way to develop strong leadership and overall employment skills,” said Virginia Cobbett, DCI Office Manager and Community Liaison.

This training has supported the company’s employees and given them the confidence to take on new projects. It’s also helped them further their careers.

WHITEHORSE—Research conducted at Yukon College in partnership with Alexco Environmental Group has confirmed that bacteria native to Yukon can efficiently remove heavy metals from mine impacted water in cold climates.

Ph. D. candidate Guillaume Nielsen is the lead author of a paper published recently by Mine Water and the Environment, the journal of the International Mine Water Association (IMWA), detailing the results of a series of experiments conducted at the Yukon Research Centre lab in 2015.

Yukon College O-Week activities immerse students in community stories  

WHITEHORSE—Everyone has a story to tell, and as part of this year’s Orientation Week activities Yukon College is inviting a few Yukoners to share their stories to help strengthen the connection between College students and the local community.

The story-sharing event, which will take place on Tuesday, September 5, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. in Yukon College’s A-Wing, is based on Human Library events that take place around the world. It will feature stories from: Whitehorse activist Chase Blodgett, BYTE Executive Director Shelby Maunder, bhangra performer and teacher Gurdeep Pandher, and other members of the college and local community.

Training program for older workers accepting applications until Aug. 31

WHITEHORSE—In 2016, Heather McIntyre was between jobs.

“I left the company that I had been with for 33 years, and I didn’t want to just jump into the next thing,” she said. “I always thought I might want to go back to school, but I was at a bit of a loss.”

She heard about Yukon College’s Targeted Initiatives for Older Workers (TIOW) Program, which offers unemployed people between the ages of 55 and 64 training and support in entering or re-entering the workforce. McIntyre took the program from January to April 2017, and soon after she was hired as the Executive Director of the Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre.

DAWSON CITY—Yukon College is pleased to offer the Visual Arts program at the Yukon School of Visual Arts (SOVA) in Dawson City in the upcoming academic year.

As of the end of July, the program has sufficient students registered to run.

Interested applicants are encouraged to continue to apply as SOVA will accept applications and registrations through to September 8.