News & Events

Check this section for Yukon Energy's latest news and coming events.

If you have questions about any of the information posted here, please contact:

Lisa Wiklund
Manager, Community Relations
Yukon Energy Corporation
Phone: (867) 393-5398
Email: Lisa.Wiklund@yec.yk.ca

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

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