March 2026

BYTE–Empowering Youth awarded $6.64M from Health Canada; YukonU receives $1.6M from Canadian Institutes of Health Research

WHITEHORSE – Most mental health challenges start before the age of 25. Without support, young people and their families can face unnecessary struggles, missed opportunities, and long-term impacts on their well-being. New initiatives led by BYTE–Empowering Youth, the Territorial Youth Collective, Yukon government Mental Wellness and Substance Use Services (MWSUS) and the Yukon Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research (YSPOR), with support from Yukon University, aim to make it easier for youth to access the services and supports they need through an integrated hub approach.

Earlier this month, BYTE–Empowering Youth and the Territorial Youth Collective were awarded $6.64 million from Health Canada to develop a hub for integrated youth services (IYS), supported by MWSUS and YSPOR.

Whitehorse – Today, the Yukon University Board of Governors approved a new collective agreement for its unionized employees. The tentative agreement was ratified by the Union membership on March 5th. The new three-year agreement includes 12.75% wage increase for staff, 10.75% increase for faculty and raises the stipend for sessional instructors; it also includes a number of non-financial changes including the addition of a teaching stream within faculty.

“On behalf of the Board of Governors, I want to express thanks to the bargaining teams for their work to reach this agreement. The agreement reaches a balance between the very real increased cost of living that people are experiencing, with the constrained fiscal environment at the national, territorial and university level.”

– Chris Mahar, Chair, Board of Governors