The Yukon is in the far north, a long way from most centres in Canada. This affects life, work and business in the Yukon. In some ways, however, distance and location have surprisingly little impact.
Travel is affected most by the Yukon's location. Air service connects Whitehorse directly with Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton year-round, but daily scheduled flights can be busy. Booking ahead is important as airfares can be expensive and seats can be hard to find during busy periods. Increased competition has brought some reduction in fares. Major airlines serve the Territory on a regular schedule throughout the year with increased service in the summer. For the size of the population, the Yukon has good roads, including a major section of the Alaska Highway. Major roads are paved, and all communities except Old Crow have year-round road access. When driving in winter, it's still wise to carry emergency equipment. Public ground transportation within the Yukon is limited to bus service, mainly within Whitehorse. Small airlines offer year-round scheduled flights to a few communities and charter flights to others, but extreme winter weather can ground planes with little warning. Cars and trucks can be hired from rental firms in Whitehorse and in a few of the larger communities.
The climate requires a certain amount of planning for all activities. Yukon winters are a couple of months longer than those of southern Canada, and temperatures can drop to minus 50. They can also soar above freezing, however, even in the middle of winter. Summers are short and warm, at times hot, with long sunlit days, but even in July and August night-time temperatures can drop to freezing. The best approach is to expect variability in every season, and in winter expect cold.
Other aspects of location and distance have less impact. Mail is delivered regularly to all Yukon communities, but not necessarily on a daily basis. A few national couriers serve Whitehorse, and local couriers serve a couple of communities. There is regular freight traffic within and from outside the Yukon. In spite of all this, it is a good idea to allow ample time for delivery of parts and supplies.
All communities have standard telephone service, but some rural areas have radiophones only or no phones at all. Cell phone coverage is restricted to Whitehorse and its immediate surroundings, and limited service in Tagish as of March 2004. Most major Canadian service suppliers and some American companies have "roaming" agreements with the Yukon supplier, NMI Mobility, but it is important to check with service suppliers to find out if cell phones from elsewhere will work in the Yukon.
The tourist season is very intense in the Yukon. From late May until late September, the Yukon is flooded with tourists. Hotels and restaurants are all open, and they are busy. People in tourism-related businesses are very busy during this season. Business travelers need to plan with the tourist season in mind. The best approach is to book travel, accommodation and meetings well ahead. In the off-season, people are easier to contact and prices often drop. Some hotels and restaurants, particularly in the small communities, simply shut down until spring. Although all communities have some form of year-round accommodation and services, it's still a good idea to book ahead to have the best choice. Whitehorse and the larger communities all have many hotels, motels and restaurants open year-round.
Certain holidays and events in the Yukon may also require some planning for business visitors. Although most of the rest of Canada takes its long weekend at the beginning of August, Yukoners wait to celebrate the anniversary of the discovery of Klondike gold on the weekend closest to August 17. In February and March, most communities hold a winter festival. Whitehorse's Sourdough Rendezvous, in the third week of February, fills local hotels and takes much of the city's attention for at least part of the week. Another winter event that fills airplanes and hotels is the Yukon Quest sled dog race, run between Whitehorse and Fairbanks, Alaska, in late February and early March.
The proximity to wilderness and the sense of frontier are reflected in various ways in the Yukon. It is not surprising to see wildlife, such as elk, moose, or even bear. Most Yukoners are interested in outdoors activities and may hike, ski, canoe or hunt. Sports facilities both for children and adults are very well supported. Dress is sometimes casual, although office workers may also dress in standard business wear. Boots are of course standard wear in winter, and practicalities mean that many passenger vehicles are SUVs or pick-up trucks.
Yukoners, on the whole, have considerable contact with and often first-hand knowledge of the rest of the world. Many residents travel extensively outside the Yukon, to visit family or conduct business. Yukon restaurants, delis, and bakeries attest to residents' knowledgeable tastes.
Cultural life is rich. Northern interests and isolation inspire residents to support many active arts organizations, drama groups, and museums. The Yukon Arts Centre hosts performances by local artists, musicians, dancers and theatre groups, as well as performers brought in from around the country. First Nations cultural events, arts, and crafts add to this richness. Special events happen all year long. The Yukon's annual calendar includes folk music festivals, rodeos, storytelling festivals, trade shows, and races involving every imaginable form of locomotion.
Yukon College, with a presence in most communities, provides education ranging from vocational training to university credits. It also houses the Northern Research Institute. The main campus in Whitehorse has a residence for students from other communities and international students.
Modern technology and communications also work to reduce the impact of location. Most Yukoners have ready access to television, radio, and film videotapes and DVDs, and every communitiy except Ross River and Faro has high-speed access to the Internet.
A 2003 Yukon Bureau of Statistics survey of Yukon business operations revealed a high diversity of businesses in the Yukon. Just over a third of the businesses have been in operation since before 1990 and there has been active business development since 2000. The professional, scientific and technical services sector has seen the most rapid growth, with almost 100 new businesses established between 2000 and early 2003, when the survey was done. While Whitehorse is home to the majority of businesses, Dawson, Watson Lake and Haines Junction also have a sizeable number, with smaller numbers of firms in other communities.
An increasing number of home-based businesses started up during the 1990s and up to 2003. In many cases this was linked to the strong growth in professional and technical areas, as well as to tourism. The majority of business owners or managers said that they expected their businesses to grow. A significant proportion of tourism-related businesses (accommodation, arts and recreation, culture, retail trade and transportation) noted that they expected growth. This was also the case in the professional and technical area.
The most common advantage identified by non-home-based business operators was a stable customer base. Home-based businesses felt the major advantage was the small, tight-knit community. Lifestyle choice was identified as the second most popular advantage to doing business in the Yukon.
