Government of Yukon
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Economic Sectors
Yukon is a majestic and engaging land with a wide range of industry and business activity.
For more information on investment opportunities in Yukon, visit the Invest Yukon website.
Agriculture is a small but increasingly significant industry in Yukon. Its economic growth stems from produce sales and supply to local markets.
The total amount of land devoted to agriculture is approximately 12,500 hectares. Forty per cent of this land is cropland and another 20 per cent is under development for future agricultural use.
Most of the land used for agricultural purposes is located near the major communities. Seventy per cent of Yukon’s farms are located within . 100 kilometres of Whitehorse. Approximately half of the developed land is in. crops, while the remainder is used for pasture or grazing.
The Takhini Valley agricultural area, west of Whitehorse, is the largest agricultural area. Significant agricultural areas are also found near Dawson City, Watson Lake and Mayo.
The Government of Yukon Agriculture branch offers a range of programs and services in support of this budding industry.
Energy
Energy is vital to everyday life. In Yukon, hydro has historically been the predominant energy source. Diesel combustion sources, as well as a small amount of wind energy also serve Yukon.
Yukon’s coal resources are largely undeveloped. Similarly, oil and gas resource potential remains largely unexplored and undeveloped.
Yukon is a natural gas producing jurisdiction with three active natural gas wells in the Kotaneelee field but is not home to a natural gas processing facility. As a result, all energy derived from natural gas consumed in Yukon is imported from outside gas refineries.
Solar energy is used for space heating, hot water heating and generating electricity. Micro-scale wind and hydro installations are also used to produce electricity in remote locations. Biomass, in the form of cordwood and wood chips/pellets, is used for space heating as is geothermal energy, which is also used to prevent municipal water systems from freezing. Renewable energy sources, however, are virtually untapped.
The Government of Yukon is exploring and planning alternative energy options. It is also seizing opportunities for more efficient energy production and conservation to further strengthen and diversify Yukon’s economy.
Film and Sound
Yukon is home to a vibrant and exciting film industry that includes talented filmmakers and skilled crews.
Yukon has played both a leading role and a backdrop for many film productions, including major Hollywood pictures, documentaries, commercials and live animation series.
Yukon was always known for its beautiful locations and snowy, winter scenery. Now Yukon is gaining popularity around the world for its fresh, unique vistas and ample summer sunlight that allows for long shooting days.
Yukon’s sound recording industry has award-winning and platinum recording artists. Musicians and artists from across Canada can also take advantage of excellent recording facilities in Yukon.
Fishing
Yukoners and visitors have long enjoyed fishing for both food supply and sport. Yukon is home to a variety of fish species including four species of whitefish, five species of salmon and nine different game fish.
First Nation subsistence fisheries still operate in several parts of Yukon and are an important part of many families’ lives. Salmon and freshwater species are harvested with gill nets and then dried and smoked using traditional methods. Commercial fisheries harvest salmon, lake trout and whitefish for local sale.
There are 24 lakes that are stocked with rainbow trout, Arctic char, Kokanee salmon and Chinook salmon. By absorbing some of the angling pressure, stocked lakes are helping conserve slow-growing native fish such as lake trout.
The Whitehorse Rapids Fish Hatchery and Fishway were constructed to maintain the annual return of the world’s longest migration of Chinook salmon. An exciting tourist site, the facility provides the general public with an opportunity to view migrating Chinook salmon and other freshwater species.
Forestry
A substantial portion of Yukon is located south of the tree line with roughly 57 per cent or 270,000 km2 of land covered by the boreal forest. Of that, 81,000 km2 has tree cover that can support timber harvesting activities.
Yukon’s forest industry is comprised of small operators who cut small volumes of timber for building materials, log homes and fuel wood. White spruce, black spruce, lodgepole pine, Alpine fir, aspen and balsam poplar are the most common tree species.
The Government of Yukon has made a commitment to manage the forest as a fully functioning forest ecosystem that benefits all living things, while providing environmental, economic, social and cultural benefits for present and future generations.
Hunting
Hunting in Yukon is a common practice. People hunt for a variety of reasons: to put meat on the table, to be closer to nature or to bring home a trophy set of antlers. Hunting is deeply rooted in the social fabric of Yukon First Nation culture.
Guided hunting trips with non-resident hunters have been recorded since 1912. Many outfitters rotate their remote hunting locations which are usually only accessible by horses, airplanes and boats.
Mining and Exploration
The Klondike Gold Rush of 1898 put Yukon on the world map. Today, Yukon’s worldclass mineral deposits support a developing mineral industry.
While gold mining remains an important economic sector, the focus has shifted to the large undeveloped deposits of lead/zinc, silver, tungsten, iron, molybdenum, nickel, copper and coal. These deposits include the second largest undeveloped iron ore deposit in the world and one of the world’s largest undeveloped zinc-lead deposits.
Mineral resources have caught the attention of national and international investors. Not only does Yukon have an abundance of untapped mineral resources, but it also has the roads and transportation facilities to enable companies to ship minerals to market. Increased demand for natural resources has stimulated investments in Yukon mineral exploration and in developing new mines.
The Yukon Geological Survey has developed and maintains a modern geoscience database of mineral deposits in Yukon. The Geological Survey staff carries out regional bedrock mapping projects, mineral assessments and geochemical, geophysical and environmental studies.
Tourism
Yukon is a destination of unparalleled scenic beauty. It is a land that provides larger than life outdoor experiences distinguished by its vast open spaces and its pristine wilderness. Yukon captivates visitors and residents alike. The summer midnight sun and the winter northern lights are just two of its larger than life natural phenomena.
The Yukon tourism industry is the largest private sector employer and impacts nearly all other economic sectors. The industry is grouped into eight sectors: accommodations; food and beverage; transportation; adventure tourism, wildlife viewing and recreation; events and conferences; travel trade; attractions; and tourism services. A large percentage of tourism businesses are sole proprietorships and are often seasonal operations. Aboriginal, cultural and adventure tourism are some of the most promising segments for future growth.
Yukon’s tourism services are being actively and successfully promoted in domestic and international markets. Six visitor information centres provide travel advice to over 230,000 visitors annually. The Canadian Border Service Agency greets almost 300,000 people crossing into Yukon from Alaska, with over 80 per cent arriving between May and September.
Trapping
The fur trade is the oldest industry in Yukon. It dates back to the early 1800s when the Coastal Tlingit, acting as middlemen for Russian traders, began trading with interior Athapaskans. By the mid to late-1800s, Yukon First Nation people were dealing directly with American and British traders.
Today the economic value of trapping is significant in Yukon and it is an important winter revenue source in many smaller communities.
Yukon is home to 14 species of furbearing mammals that are trapped for their fur: beaver, coyote, fisher, coloured fox, Arctic fox, lynx, marten, mink, muskrat, otter, squirrel, weasel, wolf and wolverine.
Trapping areas are assigned as registered trapping concessions, or parcels of land on which the holder is given exclusive rights to harvest furbearing animals. There are 333 registered trapping concessions. To date approximately 50 per cent of Yukon trappers are First Nations. This system encourages trappers to manage an area the way farmers manage their land and livestock, through monitoring of furbearer populations, their habitat and sustainable harvests.