WHITEHORSE – 234 students from over 50 degree, diploma, and certificate programs will gather with their families and Yukon College faculty and staff for the 2015 Convocation on Friday May 15 at the Yukon Arts Centre.

41 students will be graduating with honours. Early Childhood Development diploma graduate Angela Canil will be presented with the Collegiate Governor General’s Academic Award by Commissioner Doug Phillips for achieving the highest grade point average of 3.98 in the 2013-14 academic year.

Dr. Roger Epp, Deputy Provost (Academic) of the University of Alberta, will be the keynote speaker. 

WHITEHORSE-Three Grade 9 students from Vanier Catholic Secondary school will join 500 other young scientists from across Canada to showcase their scientific knowledge at the annual Canada-Wide Science Fair in Fredericton, New Brunswick, May 10-16, 2015.

Representing Yukon with their original research projects are, Kaleb Pritchett with “What Cleaner Works Best for Removing Oil From Feathers”, Aiden Stoker, presenting “How Many Sugars are in Your Smoothie”, and Derek Hennings with the “Strength of Common Construction Softwoods”. 

These students were winners at the Yukon/Stikine Regional Science Fair held at Yukon College last December and have been working hard on their projects and displays. They will be competing in the Intermediate Division nationally.

The students are accompanied by two teacher delegates: Jenna Frerot (Aurora Virtual School) and Mitch Bruce (Tantalus School, Carmacks).

ROSS RIVER- It was standing room only at the Ross River arena last Friday lunchtime as the community gathered to celebrate seven students graduating the Heavy Equipment Technician pre-apprentice, Skills for Employment, and dual credit training programs.

Nicole Etzel, Matthew Hersom-Petersen, Dylan Loblaw, and Keifer Sterriah graduated from the Pre-Apprenticeship Program. Robby Dick and Bradley Sather graduated from the Skills program. 16-year-old Crandall Hebb graduated from the dual credit program.

The students are now preparing to challenge the Heavy Equipment Technician Apprenticeship Level I (first year) exam in the next two weeks. The three streams were taught alongside each other in the Mobile Trades Training Trailer which has been located beside the Ross River arena since January.

The Yukon Research Centre (YRC) has partnered with the Liard First Nation (LFN) to examine the drinking water quality in LFN traditional territory. Results will be used to support water management in 2/2.5 Mile, Upper Liard, Windid Lake, and Albert Creek.

LFN has directed YRC to establish base-line data on drinking water quality, access, and safety. Researchers have completed well water testing and ground and surface water mapping, and will survey community members about values, concerns, and practices related to drinking water from Monday, April 20th until Sunday,  April 26th.

Whitehorse – Four Yukon innovators have been short-listed for the 2015 Yukon Innovation Prize. These finalists will each receive $10,000 to further develop their idea and compete for the grand prize of $60,000.

Cold Climate Innovation at the Yukon Research Centre (YRC) and Government of Yukon’s Economic Development created this prize to support Yukon innovators whose ideas have an environmental or economic benefit to the Yukon.

The selection committee reviewed 27 proposals and chose four finalists whose ideas have high market and commercialization potential in the building technology, construction, and manufacturing industries.

Whitehorse – 222 bridge builders have registered for the 22nd Annual Bridge Building contest to be held this Saturday April 11, at the Porter Creek Secondary School gym.

The event, organised by Science Adventures at Yukon College and the Association of Professional Engineers of Yukon, will feature a total of 121 bridges created by students from 11 Yukon schools, home educators, plus adults in the All-Can category.

Robert Service School in Dawson City is leading the way with a total of 22 bridges submitted. Each bridge is made only from wooden coffee stir sticks, white glue and dental floss.  The challenge is to build the lightest bridge that can hold the most weight. The excitement is seeing how big a load these bridges can endure before they break.

Yukon College statistics students have gone beyond their textbooks by applying their skills to a simulated climate change-related research project in the territory. Math 105 Introduction to Statistics students have used real-life weather data from a collaborative research project between the Yukon Research Centre (YRC) and Yukon Energy Corporation that could prove beneficial to the hydro security of the Yukon River.

Math 105 students have analyzed weather data from remote meteorological (met) stations situated on the Llewellyn and Fantail glaciers, the headwaters of the Yukon River. The information from these met stations will help understand how the Whitehorse dam is affected by a changing climate. Students worked in groups to simulate research on various aspects of the weather data, including: temperature, atmospheric pressure, rain and snow, wind direction and speed and solar radiation. 

WHITEHORSE – The Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Society of Yukon (FASSY) is launching an innovative Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder (FASD) prevention initiative which will place pregnancy test kit dispensers in two women’s washrooms in Whitehorse. Dawson City’s Healthy Families Healthy Babies project sponsored by CPNP (Canadian Prenatal Nutrition Program) will also be doing the same soon in Dawson. The initiative has also connected with a University of Alaska Anchorage study being conducted to assess effective FASD prevention strategies.

“Having pregnancy test kits more accessible can empower women to make responsible choices in the earliest stage of fetal development. We encourage women to ‘Think before you drink’ – to consider whether they could be pregnant when making the decision to consume alcohol,” said Wenda Bradley, FASSY Executive Director.

Whitehorse – Northern greenhouse experts across the country are gathering in Whitehorse to attend the 4th annual Research, Innovation, and Commercialization (RIC) Workshop on March 24th and 25th. The theme of this year’s event is Innovation in Cold Climate Greenhouses and is hosted by Cold Climate Innovation of the Yukon Research Centre.

Yukoners are invited to spend two days focusing on what is integral to Northern food security: the development of year-round food production. The event will include a series of keynote speakers and panel discussions on the latest design, technology and practical innovations in cold climate greenhouses.

Whitehorse – Zucchini, beans and other vegetables have been growing in the dead of winter at Yukon College. Cold Climate Innovation (CCI) of the Yukon Research Centre (YRC) has partnered with AgriArctic Yukon Inc., to explore affordable technologies for growing food year round.

The vegetables are housed in a small spaceship-like dome lined with Mylar; a shiny silver material that reflects the energy efficient lighting. The vegetables lay within an aeroponics unit where their roots are exposed to the air.  No soil is used in this system and the vegetables receive nutrients through a fine nutrient-rich mist or spray which is applied directly to their roots.  One of the major benefits of using this system is the reduction in the amount of water usage compared to traditional farming techniques.  Also by arranging plants vertically, rather than horizontally, northern growers will optimize space and energy efficiency.