Education from elementary to post-secondary is available in Dawson City. Kindergarten to Grade 12 is available at Robert Service School. Like all Yukon schools, the core curriculum (80%) follows the British Columbia Ministry of Education curriculum, and students are eligible to write B.C. departmental exams.
The Dawson City Campus of Yukon College was given its First Nation name of Tr'odek Hatr'unohtan Zho (Klondike School House) in 1990. It works closely with the First Nation and KIAC to offer a variety of educational programming for adults in the community.
Health care is provided Monday to Friday by the Community Health Centre. The centre also provides after-hours emergency service and ambulance dispatch. Four doctors (two of whom work at any one time) and one dentist have practices in Dawson City.
Policing is provided by an RCMP detachment of one sergeant, one corporal and five constables.
Fire and ambulance services are provided by a volunteer service, 25 strong, with members trained in first aid and CPR. This service operates within town limits.
Other community social services include the Yukon Family Services Association, the Housing Corporation, a YTG Health and Social Services social worker, a probation officer, and the Dawson City Women's Shelter, which is open 24 hours a day.
Tr'ondëk Hwëch'in offers social services to its members, including counseling, court assistance and support through the native courtworker service, social assistance, and adult and home care. There is also an Education Coordinator.
Klondike Outreach Employment Services provides services related to employment and career development, including job postings. Two public computers are also available for job searches. The office is open year round and registration is free. The office is funded through Human Resources and Skills Development Canada and is managed by a volunteer board of directors.
The Yukon Energy Corporation began construction of a 223-km transmission line from the Mayo Hydro Generating Station to Dawson in June 2001; the line was put into service in 2003. This will reduce Dawson's former dependency on diesel-generated power.
The town's piped water supply is available to most residents. Outlying homes use private wells. Sewage is micro-screened and discharged into the Yukon River, while garbage is disposed of in a dump.
Territorial Agent services are provided through the Yukon Liquor Corporation facilities in Dawson City. These services include providing information and forms, accepting various applications, and issuing licences and permits.
Post office service includes mail trucked or flown in five times a week. There is also public local dial-up and high-speed Internet access.
Full library services are available through the Dawson City Community Library both winter and summer, including Internet access for the public.
Banking services are available in Dawson City through a CIBC branch.
The community's airport is located about 16 km outside Dawson City, and Customs service is available there. There is regular air service from Whitehorse and Fairbanks, Alaska. Road access is by the Klondike Highway (to Whitehorse), Dempster Highway (to Inuvik, NWT), and Top of the World Highway (summer only, to Tok, Alaska). Whitehorse is 536 km away or six and a half hours' driving time.
Many community services are designed to cater to a transient population because of the heavy tourist traffic, much of it in RVs or cars. The community has a range of commercial campgrounds, hotels and motels, and entertainment travel suppliers. Of note are the Dawson City Museum, the Klondike National Historic Sites, and Diamond Tooth Gertie's Gambling Hall - the only casino in the Yukon.
Two grocery stores, one video and convenience store, four clothing stores, two beauty shops, four RV parks, four gas stations, several gift shops, two hardware stores, a Sears outlet, a drugstore, a laundromat, several restaurants, an office supplies store and a bookstore serve both locals and visitors.
Many of the industrial firms are located at the Callison industrial subdivision on the Klondike Highway, five km south of Dawson. These services include tire repair, propane sales, welding and machine shops, heavy equipment repair and rental, a lumber mill, and freight and trucking companies.
During the summer, YTG provides a free ferry service across the Yukon River to the Top of the World Highway. A public campground, golf course, and residential subdivision are located across the river. During the winter, vehicles cross the river on an ice bridge, also maintained by YTG. A bridge across the Yukon River is in the planning stages, with completion estimated in 2007.
