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Media Releases
Nov 03, 2003  Comment

Yukon Energy Requests Audit of Mayo/Dawson city Transmission Line Project

(Whitehorse) - David Morrison, Chair of the Board of Yukon Energy Corporation, in consultation with the Minister responsible, Archie Lang, announced today that the Board of Directors has requested the Auditor General of Canada conduct a special examination of the Mayo/Dawson City Transmission Line Project. "Given the magnitude and significance of the transmission line to the territory, the board felt it prudent and responsible to conduct a thorough review of the project," Morrison said. "The project has experienced cost overruns and construction delays. The audit is one way to determine that the proper controls and project management systems were implemented and managed in a cost effective manner." Construction of the 232-kilometre line from the Mayo hydro generating station to Dawson City started June 2001. The transmission line was commissioned on September 6 of this year. It was originally anticipated that the line would have been complete in November 2002. The original budget estimate for the project was $27.2 million and the current cost is $36.2 million but this amount is expected to increase. Morrison, on behalf of the Board of Directors, requested the Special Examination in a letter to the Auditor General dated October 20th. The letter asks for a detailed review of the financial control systems, the project management systems as well as the spending authorities and control processes. "We have asked the Auditor General to make the final report available to the Legislative Assembly as well as to our Board of Directors," Morrison said. "We want to be certain that the best interests of the ratepayers are being looked after and we want to be publicly accountable." Yukon Energy is a wholly owned subsidiary of Yukon Development Corporation. -30- Contact: Janet Patterson Supervisor, Communications Yukon Energy Corporation Phone: (867) 393-5333 Email: communications@yukonenergy.ca

Media Releases
May 12, 2004  Comment

Yukon Energy to Provide Scholarships to Local Students

(Whitehorse) – Once again this year, Yukon Energy will award several scholarships to Yukoners studying at post-secondary institutions. "Some of these awards were started several years ago, as a way of showing our commitment to the people and the communities we serve," Yukon Energy spokesperson Janet Patterson said. "It feels great to be able to help these young people, and if we're lucky they may choose to return to the Yukon to work after their studies are finished. Who knows, they may even end up working for us, although that's certainly not a stipulation of the scholarships." The awards will be broken down into three categories. In the general category, two students will receive $4,000 each over two years. To be eligible, students must be studying full-time at a post-secondary school in Canada or Alaska for a diploma or undergraduate degree. They must be pursuing studies in the sciences, engineering, technologies, business administration, commerce or economics. This scholarship was made possible because of a partnership between Yukon Energy and its parent company Yukon Development Corporation. There is also a two-year scholarship worth up to $4,000 for one Francophone student. The same qualifying rules apply as for the general scholarship, with the exception that the recipient must have French as their first language. Yukon Energy is partnering with the Yukon government's Bureau of French Language Services to offer this scholarship. A scholarship of $1,000 will be awarded to a member of the First Nation of Nacho Nyak Dun, and a second $1,000 scholarship will go to a member of the Tr'ondek Hwech'in First Nation. In these cases,the recipients must be studying at a post-secondary institute for a certificate, diploma or an undergraduate degree. These two scholarships were established as part of the benefits agreement with the two First Nations when the decision was made to build a power transmission system from Mayo to Dawson City. Whitehorse resident Mladenka Dokic is one of the students who is currently benefiting from a Yukon Energy scholarship. "This is a great opportunity," Dokic said. "In the short term it has helped pay for my books and tuition. But more importantly, it's contributing to my career development over the long term. I'd certainly encourage students to apply." Application forms are available from local schools, admission offices, guidance counselors, the First Nation offices in Mayo and Dawson City, or from Yukon Energy or Yukon Development Corporation. The deadline to apply is June 30. -30- Contact: Janet Patterson Supervisor, Communications Yukon Energy Corporation Phone: (867) 393-5333 Email: communications@yukonenergy.ca

Media Releases
May 13, 2004  Comment

Yukon Energy and Nacho Nyak Dun to Work Together on Salmon Enhancement

(Whitehorse) – Yukon Energy is contributing $15,000 to a project aimed at improving the habitat of young chinook salmon in the Mayo area. The Nacho Nyak Dun First Nation is spearheading the project, which will see a number of small channels excavated along the lower Mayo River. These channels provide a safe place for juvenile salmon to spend the first year of their lives before heading off down the Stewart River, then the Yukon River, and finally to the Bering Sea. These new rearing areas will give a larger number of juvenile salmon a better chance at survival. "Healthy chinook salmon populations are extremely important to the Yukon, and we're happy that we can play a role in enhancing fish habitat in Mayo," Yukon Energy spokesperson Janet Patterson said. "This is another example of our strong commitment to environmentally-sound practices and our desire to support sustainable development in the territory." The full cost of the project is expected to be about $55,000. In addition to Yukon Energy's contribution, money will come from the Yukon River Panel Restoration and Enhancement Fund. The Fund is an agreement enacted by the U.S. Congress that provides $US 1.2 million for restoring and enhancing Canadian origin salmon stocks, developing stewardship salmon habitat and resources, and maintaining viable fisheries within the Yukon River drainage system. "We're happy that we've been able to find the money to go ahead with this project," Nacho Nyak Dun Chief Stephen Buyck said. "Not only will it help the survival rate of our salmon, but it will provide employment and training opportunities for local residents." The trenching work is to begin this August and should take about two weeks. Two members of Nacho Nyak Dun are expected to help in the construction phase. Follow-up monitoring will provide another 10 days of work for a local resident in the fall. This is a pilot project; work of this nature has not been attempted in the Yukon before. If additional funding can be found in the future, there'll be a long-term monitoring period of several years to determine the success of the project. This will provide employment for 20-25 days each year for other Nacho Nyak Dun citizens or local residents. -30- Contact: Janet Patterson Supervisor, Communications Yukon Energy Corporation Phone: (867) 393-5333 Email: communications@yukonenergy.ca

Media Releases
Jun 01, 2004  Comment

New Initiatives at the Whitehorse Fishladder Make Visiting Even More Enjoyable

(Whitehorse) – One of the Yukon's most popular tourist attractions has just gotten even better. Yukon Energy's Whitehorse Rapids fishladder opened today for another season, offering newly purchased underwater cameras, a TV monitor and a new freshwater fish aquarium. The added equipment will make the facility more informative and enjoyable to the public. "The four underwater cameras are quite something," said Jim McIntyre of the Yukon Fish and Game Association, the group that operates the facility for Yukon Energy. "They allow people to view fish from different locations starting from a holding pool at the entrance of the ladder and then moving up through the ladder." A TV monitor inside the viewing facility has the ability to show a full screen shot of each camera or it can split the screen to show all four camera shots at once. The Yukon government's Department of Environment provided $5,000 to cover the cost of the camera equipment, and gave another $1000 for the new aquarium, which contains a variety of fresh water fish including rainbow trout and arctic char. "We're very excited about the addition of this new equipment," Yukon Energy spokesperson Janet Patterson said. "People can now see the fish like they never have before, and I think it will give them an even greater appreciation of the amazing life story of these creatures." Other improvements to the facility planned for later this summer include interpretive talks and display materials that will focus on traditional First Nations' use of the Whitehorse portion of the Yukon River. The fishladder was built following the construction of the Whitehorse dam in 1959 to allow migrating Chinook salmon and other species to pass by the structure. The facility is open to the public from June 1 till the Labour Day long weekend. It's one of the principal tourism attractions in Yukon, drawing approximately 30,000 visitors annually. In 2002, the fishway was given two awards from Attractions Canada, a national program recognizing excellence in tourism. -30- Contact: Janet Patterson Supervisor, Communications Yukon Energy Corporation Phone: (867) 393-5333 Email: communications@yukonenergy.ca

Media Releases
Jun 04, 2004  Comment

Yukon Energy Board of Directors Hires Permanent President and CEO

(Whitehorse) - The Board of Directors of Yukon Energy has hired David Morrison on a permanent basis as President and Chief Executive Officer. Morrison has acted in the position for the last five months. "The board is extremely pleased to be able to hire someone of Mr. Morrison's caliber," said Pat Irvin, Chair of the board's Human Resources committee. "He has proven himself to be a strong leader with excellent management skills. He is very knowledgeable in the energy field and has good contacts both within the industry and in government." Morrison's professional experience includes several years work for the Northwest Territories Power Corp. The Yukon government is now actively looking to replace Morrison as chair of Yukon Development Corporation and it subsidiaries Yukon Energy and the Energy Solutions Centre. The government appointed him as chair of YDC a year ago and has extended his term for six months while it recruits a replacement. -30- Contact: Janet Patterson Supervisor, Communications Yukon Energy Corporation Phone: (867) 393-5333 Email: communications@yukonenergy.ca

Media Releases
Jul 16, 2004  Comment

First Nations Interpretive Program Now Offered at Fishladder

(Whitehorse) - Visitors to one of the Yukon’s most popular tourist attractions now have an opportunity to learn more about the traditional First Nations’ use of the Yukon River in the area of the Whitehorse Rapids Generating Facilities. An interpretive wall tent has been set up at the Whitehorse Fishway and local elders will be on hand two afternoons a week to share their memories and knowledge. The tent is called Kwädąy K’è Gyü Kù, which means ‘Long Ago Day King Salmon Tent’ in Southern Tutchone. “We felt this was an important piece of the Yukon River story that needed to be told,” said Joan Viksten, who was hired by Yukon Energy to develop the interpretive program. “It will give people a sense of what the river was like and how it was used prior to the building of the Whitehorse dam in 1959.” An 1898 map of the Yukon River shows traditional fishing spots. There are also replicas of some of the fishing tools used by First Nations people. While the focus is on past uses of the river, part of the display also looks at current practices for managing fish species. This includes information about Yukon Energy’s fish hatchery, which is located a short distance downstream from the fishladder.  The interpretive tent will be open to the public during the regular operating hours of the fishway. The elders’ talks will take place on Monday and Wednesday afternoons from 2 to 3 o’clock, starting this Monday, July 19. The fishladder was built following the construction of the Whitehorse dam to allow migrating Chinook salmon and other species to pass by the structure. The facility is open to the public from June 1 till the Labour Day long weekend.  It’s one of the principal tourism attractions in Yukon, drawing approximately 30,000 visitors annually. In 2002, the fishway was given two awards from Attractions Canada, a national program recognizing excellence in tourism.  -30- Janet Patterson Supervisor, Communications Yukon Energy Corporation Phone: (867) 393-5333 Email: communications@yukonenergy.ca Joan Viksten Fish Hatchery Interpretive Coordinator Email: joanviksten@klondiker.com

Media Releases
Jul 19, 2004  Comment

Yukon Energy Launches New Customer-Centered Web site

(Whitehorse) – Whether you're looking for rate information, a detailed explanation of your bill or updates on Yukon Energy's latest community and environmental initiatives, you'll be able to find it at www.yukonenergy.ca. That's the web address of Yukon Energy's new site, which the company launched today. “The new web site is much more comprehensive than our previous one,” Yukon Energy spokesperson Janet Patterson said. “We think it gives people a better sense of who we are, what we believe in and what we do.” While the site is content-rich, it's also customer-service based, which means it's built so people can easily find what they're looking for. It includes everything from the company's financial statements to an explanation of how electricity is produced to how people can apply for scholarships and financial donations. Future plans including adding a virtual tour of the Whitehorse facilities and a web cam in the viewing tanks at Yukon Energy's Whitehorse Rapids Fishladder. As a way of encouraging people to explore the new site, Yukon Energy is hosting an on-line treasure hunt. “There are ten icons in the shape of a bolt of energy hidden on the site,” Patterson explained. “Once people find all the icons, they can call or email us and tell us the locations of the energy bolts. If they're correct we'll enter their names in a draw for one of several prizes, including Yukon Energy fleece jackets and vests, t-shirts, ball caps and coffee mugs.” The contest runs until the end of August. The prizes will be awarded Friday, Sept. 3. -30- Contact: Janet Patterson Supervisor, Communications Yukon Energy Corporation Phone: (867) 393-5333 Email: communications@yukonenergy.ca

Media Releases
Jul 29, 2004  Comment

Repairs to Wind Turbine Slated for Early Fall

(Whitehorse) – Yukon Energy’s large wind turbine on Haeckel Hill should be operating once again by mid- to late September.  The 660 kilowatt turbine, which has the capacity to supply about 120 homes with electricity, stopped working in mid-March because of a problem with the ring gear. That’s a piece of equipment that makes the blades turn into the wind.  “It’s an expensive repair, because there isn’t a working crane in the Yukon big enough to do job, and bringing up a crane from down south gets pricey,” Yukon Energy spokesperson Janet Patterson said. “We’ve narrowed our search for a crane down to three Alberta companies and will be awarding the contract to one of them within the next week or so.”  While the piece of equipment costs about $24,000, the labour, crane and related expenses will bring the total bill to about $180,000.  “With the fires and high water levels in the Yukon this summer, repairs on the wind turbine have taken a back seat for the last several weeks,” Patterson said. “Since we currently have a surplus of power on our system, this wasn’t a top priority. However we do want to see the experimental turbine operating again by the end of September. After that time, winds tend to pick up and it becomes a safety issue for crews working on the equipment.”  Yukon Energy has ordered the new part and has arranged to bring a crew of specialists to Whitehorse to help disassemble the wind tower and install the new ring gear. The work is expected to start by early September and should take several days to complete.  Yukon Energy has two wind turbines on Haeckel Hill as part of a pilot project to test the feasibility of wind generation in the territory. The first turbine was installed in July 1993, and the second larger one in the fall of 2000. -30-  Contact:Janet Patterson                                                            Communications, Yukon Energy Corporation                  (867) 393-5333                                                             janet.patterson@yec.yk.ca       

Media Releases
Aug 24, 2004  Comment

Yukon Energy Gets Green Light for Fish Hatchery Expansion

(Whitehorse) – Whitehorse City Council has voted in favour of a proposal to expand Yukon Energy’s fish hatchery in Riverdale. The approval will allow the energy corporation to purchase a small parcel of land adjacent to the existing property so that it can set up more fish tanks. “The hatchery was initially built to accommodate the rearing of Chinook salmon fry for release back into the Yukon River,” Yukon Energy’s Director of Resource Planning Hector Campbell explained. “In more recent years the program was expanded to freshwater species of fish for use in stocking pothole lakes. Now that we have the go-ahead for the expansion, we can work with the Yukon government’s fisheries branch on a plan to maintain sufficient numbers of freshwater species.” While Yukon Energy owns the facility, it is co-managed and co-funded by the Yukon Department of the Environment. “The hatchery program has been very successful in terms of providing additional fishing opportunities for Yukon residents, as well as diversifying the species available for fishing in pothole lakes,” Chief of Fisheries Management Don Toews said. “We’ve had tremendous positive feedback from the public, and this expansion will allow us to maintain and improve the program.” Yukon Energy will purchase the 17 by 30 metre parcel of land from the Yukon government for the appraised value of $13,500. It will extend the existing fencing and begin to prepare the lot for three new tanks which are to be installed next spring. The expansion will not affect access to the Millennium Trail. The fish hatchery was built in the early 1980s to compensate for the loss of fish through the Whitehorse Rapids facility. Along with Chinook salmon, bull trout, Kokanee, char, lake trout and rainbow trout are now reared at the hatchery. -30- Contact:Janet Patterson                                         Communications, Yukon Energy Corporation(867) 393-5333janet.patterson@yec.yk.ca Don ToewsChief, Fisheries Management BranchGovernment of Yukon(867) 667-5117don.toews@gov.yk.ca

Media Releases
Sep 09, 2004  Comment

Strong Currents Wash Away Yukon Energy Fish Screens

Yukon Energy will call on the services of the large crane it’s brought up from Alberta to help with a problem that occurred yesterday with the company’s fish screens at the Whitehorse Rapids facility. The large screens, weighing 1000 pounds each, are put in place each summer to guide migrating fish away from the turbines and towards the fishladder. Yesterday afternoon, Yukon Energy employees noticed that four of the 32 fish screens had broken away. “Late yesterday afternoon, and last night, people in the Riverdale area may have noticed the water levels at our facility going up and down quite dramatically,” Yukon Energy spokesperson Janet Patterson said. “In order to locate the screens, we had to first spill as much water as we could from Schwatka Lake, and then close off the water flow. The river was at one point about a third lower than it normally is at this time of year.” The screens were spotted about a meter from where they had broken away from their shackles. “We’re now planning to use the large crane that’s in town for our turbine repairs to help us retrieve the screens from the river,” Patterson said. “And because the salmon run has ended, we have permission from Fisheries and Oceans to remove the rest of the screens, so there’s no danger of any more of them coming away from their moorings.” Patterson said that at least one of the screens is bent, but at this point Yukon Energy doesn’t know how much damage there is, nor if the screens can be repaired or if some or all of them will have to be replaced. She has a warning for the public. “Last night after we had lowered the water levels, a number of people were walking their dogs on the wet rocks. There were also kayakers in the area. I can’t emphasize enough how dangerous this can be. When we’re dealing with situations like this, we have to raise and lower water levels without warning, and the public must understand it’s unsafe to be in or near the Yukon River at our plant.” Work to retrieve the screens is expected to take place in the next day or so, as soon as the work on the company’s wind turbine is complete. Contact:Janet Patterson                                                            Communications, Yukon Energy Corporation                 (867) 393-5333                                                             janet.patterson@yec.yk.ca                                 

Media Releases
Sep 10, 2004  Comment

Wind Turbine Working Once Again

Yukon Energy’s large wind turbine on Haeckel Hill is once again producing energy. The 660 kilowatt turbine, which has the capacity to supply about 120 homes with electricity, stopped working in mid-March because of a problem with the ring gear. That’s a piece of equipment that makes the blades turn into the wind. A large crane had to be brought up from Alberta to help with the repairs, since there wasn’t an operating crane in the Yukon large enough to do the job. The work began on Tuesday, Sept. 7 and was finished last night, Sept. 9. “The repairs went very smoothly,” Yukon Energy spokesperson Janet Patterson said. “The weather cooperated for the most part, so the crew was able to get the job done without any lengthy delays.” In order to do the work, the hub of the turbine, with the three blades still attached, was removed and gently lowered 37 metres to the ground, where it was set on a metal stand. “That part of the turbine is 47-metres in diameter and weighs about 20-tonnes,” Patterson said. “It was amazing to watch how effortlessly the crane lifted it.” Next, the rectangular box at the top of the turbine’s column was removed, the new ring gear installed, and the turbine put back together. While the final bill for the repairs, including equipment, labour, crane and related expenses is still to come in, it’s expected the cost will be about $180,000. Yukon Energy has two wind turbines on Haeckel Hill as part of a pilot project to test the feasibility of wind generation in the territory. The first turbine was installed in July 1993, and the second larger one in the fall of 2000. Contact:Janet Patterson                                                            Communications, Yukon Energy Corporation                  (867) 393-5333                                                             janet.patterson@yec.yk.ca

Media Releases
Sep 27, 2004  Comment

Float Plane Mishap Causes Outage in Dawson City

A float plane that flew into Yukon Energy’s power lines near its Mayo plant caused an outage in Dawson City on Friday night. The plane was flying near the Wareham dam in poor visibility, and one of the aircraft's wings clipped three lines that are used to transmit power to Dawson City. While the pilot was able to land the plane safely, the incident resulted in residents of Dawson losing power for up to two hours, until the back-up diesel units could be started up. A second outage on Saturday morning was the result of one of the diesel units overheating. Dawson will continue to be fed by diesel until repairs can be made to the downed Mayo lines later this week. - 30-  Contact:Janet PattersonSupervisor, CommunicationsYukon Energy(867) 393-5333janet.patterson@yec.yk.ca

Media Releases
Oct 28, 2004  Comment

Yukon College Students Benefit from Yukon Energy Donation

Yukon Energy’s donation of some used computerized equipment will be a big boost to trades and technology students at Yukon College. The energy corporation has given the college several programmable logic controllers (PLC), which are shoe-box sized computers that can monitor and help control everything from diesel generators and substations to general heating and cooling systems. The PLCs also have the ability to send a message to an operator should they detect an equipment problem and can shut down a piece of equipment to prevent damage. Yukon Energy used the units to monitor one of its substations. The controllers are in good working order, but are not compatible with Yukon Energy’s current system. “These will be a great training tool for the electrical students at Yukon College as well as the students we help train at the Skills Centre outside the college,” electrical instructor Jerry Wald said. “While this isn’t officially part of the course at this point, any time we can expand the students’ knowledge we do.” Wald expects they’ll use the equipment to control motors and lighting in the lab at Yukon College and may find other uses later on.  “We’re delighted this equipment will be used for educational purposes,” Yukon Energy’s Director of Technical Services Alex Love said. “Whenever possible, we try to find organizations or community groups that can benefit from our fully functional but redundant equipment. We think Yukon College is the perfect fit for these controllers.” If the college were to purchase this equipment new it would cost between $7,500 and $10,000. -30- Contact:Janet Patterson                                                Communications Supervisor                                         Yukon Energy Corporation                                          (867) 393-5333                                                          janet.patterson@yec.yk.ca    

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