Heritage Reserves

Heritage reserves are internal government reserves managed by Tourism and Culture for the purpose of conserving heritage resources throughout the Yukon. Sixteen reserves have been identified by the Historic Sites Unit for conservation prioritization and future planning. These reserves include sites on many First Nation’s traditional territories and in many parts of the Yukon. Please see the documents below for the full list of sites included in the project.

In 2022 ERA Architects Inc. used information held by the Historic Sites Unit to develop a public and First Nation outreach project, called OurYukon, to gather information on what heritage values are associated with these sites by Yukoners. An on-line questionnaire was shared with First Nation governments and through social media. Additionally, in-person open houses were held in both Dawson and Whitehorse during the fall of 2022. Thank you to all who provided feedback. This input was used to create Statements of Significance which outline the heritage sites' value and will guide conservation activities moving forward. Additionally, the consultant made recommendations for the best way to conserve and interpret the sites based of a variety of factors. A final report-available below- was complete in March, 2023.

Moving forward the Historic Sites Unit will review the recommended priorities, continue discussions with stakeholders, evaluate funding options, and develop conservation plans where appropriate.