Visit Yukon Archives

Yukon Archives is at the Yukon University Whitehorse Ayamdigut campus.

Find when we're open or contact us.

We encourage you to talk to our reference staff before your visit. They can:

• help determine what collections you need;
• tell you which materials can be retrieved; and
• explain any restrictions which may apply.
   

Email: yukon.archives@gov.yk.ca or phone: 867-667-8061; or toll free in Yukon: 1-800-661-0408 ext. 8061.

COVID-19 reopening

Starting June 23, Yukon Archives is gradually re-opening to the public. Reference services are offered by appointment. 

Archives staff are available by phone and email to prepare materials and arrange for in-person research. Make an appointment by email: yukon.archives@gov.yk.ca or phone: 867-667-8061; or toll free in Yukon: 1-800-661-0408 ext. 8061.

Offering services by appoinment only allows us to:

• schedule individual visits to maintain appropriate physical distancing;
• provide better help with identifying records before visitors arrive; 
• prepare records to be ready for review upon arrival; and
• fine-tune proceedures for reopening. 

Visitors that arrive without an appoinment may enter if space is available. Each day a calendar of appointments will be posted at the entrance to Yukon Archives. Walk-up visitors can see the next available slot they can sign up for.

Yukon Archives closed to walk-in access on March 17, 2020 due to health advisories about the COVID-19 pandemic.

Our Exhibition Room will remain closed.

Notice: limited retrievals

Our elevator is currently out-of-service. This limits our ability to move materials stored in our vault to our Research Room.

We may not be able to fulfil requests to view large volumes of material and/or heavy and over-sized items. Talk with our reference staff before your visit to plan ahead.

Yukon Archives holds government and non-government records.

We hold unique and original records including:

• letters;
• diaries;
• manuscripts;
• photographs;
• films;
• videos;
• sound recordings;
• maps; and
• architectural drawings.
   

Our library holds an assortment of materials including:

• fiction and non-fiction books;
• newspapers;
• newsletters;
• pamphlets;
• periodicals; and
• federal, territorial and municipal government publications.
   

We've focused on acquiring records and published material on topics including:

• the Klondike Gold Rush;
• the Alaska Highway and Canol Road;
• northern oil and gas research and development;
• cold climate research; and
• content relevant to Yukon and Yukon issues. This includes the ethnography, science and development of the circumpolar north.
   

Use our research guides to find relevant records for your research. You can also search our collections online.
 

​Government of Yukon records

We get Government of Yukon records through our records management program. Documents date back to 1896. Subjects include education, elections, wildlife, transportation, legislation and land.

Government records include:

• Territorial Court and the Gold Commissioner's Court records;
• estate files of the public administrator; and
• contemporary records from government departments. These date from the 1980s to the early 2000s.
   

These records cover subjects such as:

• education;
• elections;
• wildlife;
• transportation;
• legislation; and
• land.
   

Municipal records

We acquire records of Yukon municipalities. If the material you are researching is not available online, email yukon.archives@gov.yk.ca.
 

Private records

We acquire private records by donation. There are a variety of records including:

• White Pass and Yukon Route papers from 1898 to 1980;
• founding documents of the Yukon Order of Pioneers;
• the Erik Nielsen fonds; and
• many smaller photograph and manuscript collections from all over the territory.
   

Archives library

Our library houses over 37,000 titles. This includes:

• 1,500 historical, archival and scientific newspapers, newsletters and periodicals;
• a pamphlet collection of over 21,614 extracted, ephemeral and small items; and
• a newspaper collection with:
  • over 120 individual mastheads;
  • more than 30 northern-oriented current newspapers; and
  • Yukon community papers.
     

We also hold these Government of Yukon reports:

• Yukon Hansard;
• Yukon Gazette;
• Yukon ordinances and statutes; and
• Yukon financial and annual reports.