Yukon First Nations Take Ownership of Northern Connectivity

(traduction en cours - disponible en anglais seulement)

Yukon First Nations are leading the way in showcasing how partnerships are the key to creating essential infrastructure that collectively supports their Citizens across large geographical spans.

In 2022, 13 Yukon First Nations development corporations came together to purchase in-community internet infrastructure. This is the first time a majority of the First Nations in one region got together to buy Teleco assets.

Once a luxury, high-speed internet is now as essential as electricity and gasoline for life in Canada’s North.

Virtual schooling, community relationships, economic opportunities, and digital healthcare all depend on connectivity. Without access to affordable, reliable and fast internet, Yukoners residing in rural areas miss out on key opportunities and can have their personal and community health and safety put at risk.

Through connectivity, people living in remote communities can access a larger breadth of job and educational opportunities without leaving their home communities. It has made it possible for Yukoners to stay competitive in their field.

The Internet can bridge geographic distances as a critical tool for delivering healthcare throughout the Yukon and allowing access to specialists, remote monitoring and mental health professionals. Residents can receive care at home, reducing travel costs and long wait times required to schedule in-person appointments.

Unfortunately, it has been challenging for commercial telecommunications providers to offer their services in rural areas.

For rural Yukoners, the need to close the digital divide and foster economic, educational, and cultural independence is increasingly urgent with the impact being predominately felt by the Yukon Indigenous communities who are overrepresented in rural areas.

Recognizing this gap between community needs and service delivery, 13 Yukon First Nations came together to implement a solution.

They created a collaborative development corporation called Yukon First Nations TeleCo Limited Partnership and purchased the internet infrastructure in the communities of Dawson City, Teslin, Watson Lake and Fort Liard. Their plan is to expand into the remaining Yukon communities in the years to come. With the infrastructure owned by the First Nations development corporations, telehealth, distance learning and partnerships with Yukon University could be offered in a reliable and consistent way that would grow with the communities.

The infrastructure is currently leased back to Northwestel, making the solution financially sustainable the First Nations and the commercial provider.

The First Nations development corporations work on a longer time-horizon than commercial operations. This allows for time for planning investments and developing impactful solutions.

“The First Nations aren’t going anywhere so our long-term investments can go out 7-10 years, whereas [commercial enterprises] may look out 2 to 5 years max,” said Stephen Mooney, president of the Kluane Dana Shaw LP, the Kluane First Nation's development corporation.

Not only is the Yukon First Nations TeleCo project providing a much-needed solution to an increasingly urgent problem, but it also laid the groundwork for other partnerships among the First Nations to collectively respond to the needs of their Citizens.

“What [the project] proved was that development corporations can come together and buy a large chunk of infrastructure,” said Mooney. “What you’re seeing is our first foray of working together on a great project. What this has led to is the Yukon First Nations Air Leasing. We have partnered with Alkan Air and have the medivac project. And more of that is coming.”

The Yukon First Nations Air Leasing project is where seven Yukon First Nations development corporations own two King Air 350 airplanes that are leased to Alkan Air and used to provide medivac services to the Government of Yukon.

Yukon First Nations TeleCo is a partnership of 13 Yukon First Nations development corporations: Carcross/Tagish Management Corporation, Carmacks Development Corporation, Chief Isaac Group of Companies, Chu Niikwan Development Corporation/Chu Níikwän Limited Partnership, Copper Nïïsüü Limited Partnership, Da Daghay Development Corporation, Dakwakada Capital Investments, Dena Nezziddi Development Corporation, First Kaska, Kluane Dana Shaw Corporation, Na-Cho Nyak Dun Development Corporation, Selkirk Development Corporation, and Vuntut Gwitchin LP/ Vuntut Gwitchin Trust.