Yukon University launches contest to celebrate 60th anniversary - sixty years strong and growing

YukonU is celebrating its 60th anniversary, and we are looking for memories and stories to help us reflect back on six decades of educational experiences shaped right here in the North.  

“We are a university rooted in vision and opportunity," says Dr. Lesley Brown, President and Vice-Chancellor, Yukon University. “From the very beginning, students have gained exciting career and education training to meet the demands of a growing North.” 

Yukon University is marking this major milestone with the 60th Anniversary Contest from October 23 to November 30, 2023. Students—past and present—are invited to enter the contest and share memories from their time at Whitehorse Vocation and Training Centre, Yukon College, or YukonU. Contest draw prizes include a $500 gift certificate for Air North, Yukon's Airline, and YukonU apparel. 

“There’s so much to celebrate,” says Brown. “Over the past 60 years, we have stayed committed to providing inclusive, quality education experiences that equip students to seize opportunities.”  

In 1963, Whitehorse Vocation and Training Centre opened its doors to provide students with training in burgeoning northern industries. Twenty years later, a strong foundation in training excellence set the stage to meet the emerging educational needs of the North as Yukon College. By the 1990s, 13 campuses were up and running across the Territory, with an emphasis on supporting Yukon First Nations capacity building. In 2020, the institution was granted university status, making Yukon University Canada’s first university North of 60.  

Brown says “And we are only getting started, our vision as Yukon University is to become a thriving learning and research community leading Canada’s North. We honour, respect, and are guided by Yukon First Nations’ leadership and wisdom, and we are deeply committed to advancing reconciliation in all that we do. Together, we are building on the success of the institution’s 60-year history and are looking ahead to the promise and potential of being Canada’s first university North of 60.”  

A 60th anniversary webpage, featuring photos and milestones from Yukon University’s 60-year history, along with the contest rules and entry form is available at YukonU.ca/60.