Backgrounder - Funding to Support New Yukon Tourism and Employment Opportunities

The Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNor) has approved a total of $237,138 in funding to support three different initiatives over two years that will identify and plan strategic tourism projects and develop employment opportunities in Yukon.

Old Crow Inn Feasibility Study
CanNor funding: $ 46,638 over two years

The Vuntut Development Corporation (VDC) was created in 1999 and is a for-profit economic force participating in, planning for, and facilitating the creation of successful business ventures for citizens of the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation. The VDC assists individuals and businesses to succeed and plays a major role in the creation of a diversified, balanced, and sustainable economy in northern Yukon, an economy that provides prosperity and certainty for the future for all Vuntut Gwitchin.

Vuntut Development Corporation (VDC) wants to explore the viability of a hotel in Old Crow. As a partner in Air North which flies into the community, they want to assess the potential that quality accommodations would have on expanding Old Crow’s economic base with increased tourism and employment opportunities in the community. Accommodations could also result in increased passenger sales and freight revenues for transportation providers offering Old Crow residents the possibility of diversifying their income.

CanNor funding will cover the cost of a feasibility study that, along with assessing viability, will ensure that any such development is in keeping with the VDC’s mandate.

Ross River Dena Council – Economic Development Strategy – Tourism Update CanNor funding: $68,000 over 2 years

The Ross River Dena Council (RRDC) developed its Economic Development Strategy –Building on Strength in 2005 with a goal of economic self-sufficiency for the Ross River Dena Council. It developed a successful mining strategy that provided a framework for moving forward in that sector. Now, the RRDC is looking at other opportunities for economic diversification consistent with its community interests.

The Ross River Dena Council will receive funding to develop a tourism strategy to add to its Economic Development Strategy which will be used to guide economic development decisions of the Council over the next several years. The strategy will focus on community members and entrepreneurs working together to create an environment that encourages development in the tourism economy in the Ross River region. This new tourism strategy will enable the RRDC to develop plans for new tourism initiatives that that could also result in increased employment for community members. The tourism strategy will also examine capacity and tourism infrastructure requirements.

L’Association Franco-Yukonnaise Tourism Capacity and Impact Study
CanNor funding: $122,500 over two years
Other funding: $78,000

L’Association Franco-Yukonnaise (L’AFY) is a non-profit organization in Whitehorse. As the voice for the Franco-Yukoners it is also active in promoting community development, stimulating economic participation for its members, maintaining and strengthening French culture and language, and representing francophone interests through its main economic development arm, Economic Development and Employability Network known as the RDEE.

L’AFY will receive funding to develop and create two package tours and accompanying marketing strategy for the French-language market. This will be done in two phases. The expectation is that the new tourism products will generate direct and indirect opportunities for local participation in economic activities.

In Phase 1, L’AFY will participate in trade shows and seminars in Quebec and France to better understand the francophone markets in those areas. In Quebec, it will work with Nunavut and the Northwest Territories RDEEs to present a unified Canadian ‘far-north’ brand identity to encourage francophone tourism in the North, using shared promotional materials. In France, Yukon RDEE will partner with the Canada Tourism Commission to present Yukon travel opportunities to a number of travel agencies specializing in Canada.

In Phase 2, the Yukon RDEE will hire a consultant to gather feedback from Yukon tourism operators and businesses interested in expanding and developing francophone markets and products. That information, together with the data acquired in the first phase will be used to develop two francophone tourism packages to be integrated into existing Yukon tourism products.