Updates & Press Releases

One Yukon Coalition Acknowledges Peter Gilgan Foundation Support for Indigenous Youth Health Initiative 

Whitehorse, Yukon - One Yukon Coalition (OYC) is pleased to acknowledge support from the Peter Gilgan Foundation for an Indigenous youth-focused public health initiative, representing the organization’s inaugural philanthropic investment following its recent transition to charitable status.

The support will help expand youth-centered programming within OYC’s existing public health platform, including culturally grounded health education, youth outreach, and translation of real-time public health insights into accessible and actionable information for young people. The work builds on Ask Auntie, OYC’s non-judgmental and community-informed health engagement initiative designed to support safer decision-making and improve access to care for Indigenous youth.

Earlier this year, the European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA) and the SCORE Network released findings from an international wastewater monitoring study comparing approximately 120 participating sites worldwide. Whitehorse data was generated through the One Yukon Coalition Wastewater Monitoring Program in collaboration with the University of Calgary’s Alberta Centre for Water and the Environment (ACWA). The study found that Whitehorse ranked as the highest participating site globally for estimated cocaine consumption based on wastewater metabolite analysis, and the second highest for ketamine. 

These findings are significant and underscore the importance of supporting evidence-informed, end-to-end programming, including health promotion, education, harm prevention, harm reduction, and connection to care and treatment services.

“Youth in the North are navigating increasingly complex public health environments, often with limited access to trusted, culturally relevant, and stigma-free information,” said Dr. Carolina Koutras, Chief Operating Officer at OYC. “This support helps strengthen our ability to translate real-time public health intelligence into meaningful youth engagement, prevention, and earlier connection to care. Long-term community wellbeing depends not only on monitoring emerging risks, but on ensuring young people are equipped with the knowledge and support needed to navigate them safely.”

The initiative reflects OYC’s broader One Health approach, recognizing the interconnectedness of human, environmental, and community wellbeing, while supporting Indigenous leadership, Indigenous youth empowerment, and equitable access to public health information across Northern and remote communities.

Learn More

European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA) & SCORE Network. (2026). Wastewater analysis and drugs – a multi-city study. EUDA Wastewater Analysis Study

Ask Auntie Yukon: www.askauntieyukon.ca

Media Contact

For all media inquiries, please contact: hello@oneyukon.ca 

One Yukon Coalition Launches Indigenous-Led Genomics Training Initiative for Northern Communities

Whitehorse, Yukon - One Yukon Coalition (OYC), with support from Genome British Columbia and Genome Canada, is launching an Indigenous-led genomics training initiative focused on One Health, environmental DNA (eDNA), and climate resilience in Northern and Indigenous communities.

Led by OYC in collaboration with communities and academics, the initiative will co-develop and deliver a culturally grounded genomics curriculum for Indigenous youth, students, and Yukon First Nation Land Guardians, integrating First Nations knowledge systems with modern genomics, environmental monitoring, and public health science.

The program will build local capacity in areas such as eDNA sampling, biodiversity monitoring, sequencing technologies, and data governance. The initiative will bring some of the most advanced portable field genome sequencing technologies into the territory for the first time, helping decentralize genomics capacity and expand Northern leadership in community-led environmental and public health monitoring. The program also builds on a longstanding collaborative relationship between OYC and the the laboratory of Dr. Fiona Brinkman at Simon Fraser University.

The training model includes hands-on field and laboratory learning, mentorship opportunities, community-based projects, and a train-the-trainer pathway designed to support long-term sustainability and scalability across Northern, rural, remote, and Indigenous communities beyond the territory. The initiative creates pathways for long-term community leadership in genomics and environmental health.

“This initiative is about ensuring Northern and Indigenous communities are not simply participants in genomics research, but leaders in shaping, governing, and applying it. By bringing advanced portable sequencing technologies and hands-on genomics training directly into the North, we are helping build long-term community capacity rooted in Indigenous governance, local priorities, and One Health approaches that connect environmental, animal, and human health,” said Alison Perrin, PhD, Board Director with OYC.

“Genome BC is deeply committed to supporting Indigenous-led initiatives centered on OCAP® principles, emphasizing true shared governance and self-determination. Moving beyond traditional consultation ensures that participating communities retain full ownership and strategic control over their data generation, governance and dissemination,” said Dr. Zsuzsanna Hollander, Genome BC’s Interim Vice President, Research and Innovation. “True innovation happens when technologies and knowledge are placed directly in the hands of communities to solve local environmental and health challenges, on their own terms.” 

The program reflects a growing movement toward community-led One Health approaches that connect climate resilience, biodiversity monitoring, environmental stewardship, and public health under Indigenous governance.

Learn More

OYC’s One Health Initiative
Explore how One Yukon Coalition is advancing community-led monitoring and integrating environmental, animal, and human health approaches across Northern and Indigenous communities, including wastewater monitoring, eDNA, and public health initiatives: https://www.oneyukon.ca/impact

Genome Canada Indigenous Genomics Initiative
Learn about Genome Canada’s announcement supporting Indigenous-led genomics projects focused on community priorities, technology adoption, and capacity development: https://genomecanada.ca/indigenous-genomics-projects-to-support-community-led-research-and-technology-adoption/

Media Contact

For all media inquiries, please contact: hello@oneyukon.ca 

Important - Whitehorse Community Update 

We have detected para-fluorofentanyl in wastewater in Whitehorse. This is a highly potent synthetic opioid that has been identified in other regions and is associated with increased overdose risk.

Recent results show this substance has been present across multiple samples over a sustained period, indicating it is not an isolated detection and may reflect ongoing presence in the local drug supply. We will continue to monitor closely and share updates as we learn more.

We encourage everyone to take extra care:

• Go slow and use less

• Avoid using alone or have someone check in

• Test your supply when possible

• Carry naloxone and make sure people around you know how to use it

• If using with others, stagger use so someone can respond

Naloxone is expected to work, but more than one dose may be needed. If it’s not working right away, continue breathing support and stay with the person until help arrives.

Please take care of one another and share this information within your networks.

Contact:

One Yukon Coalition
201 - 307 Jarvis Street
Whitehorse, YT Y1A 2H3
Email: hello@oneyukon.ca
Website: www.oneyukon.ca

Important - Whitehorse Community Update 

We have recently detected para-fluorofentanyl in wastewater in Whitehorse. This is a highly potent synthetic opioid that has been found in the drug supply in other regions and linked to increased overdose risk.

At this time, it is not yet clear if this is a sustained signal. We will continue to monitor closely and share updates as we learn more. Because the drug supply can be unpredictable, we encourage everyone to take extra care:

• Go slow and use less

• Avoid using alone or have someone check in

• Test your supply when possible

• Carry naloxone and make sure people around you know how to use it

• If using with others, stagger use so someone can respond

Naloxone is expected to work, but more than one dose may be needed. If it’s not working right away, continue breathing support and stay with the person until help arrives.

Please take care of one another and share this information within your networks.

Contact:

One Yukon Coalition
201 - 307 Jarvis Street
Whitehorse, YT Y1A 2H3
Email: hello@oneyukon.ca
Website: www.oneyukon.ca

One Yukon Coalition Receives Charitable Status and Launches New One Health Website

Whitehorse, Yukon - October 28, 2025 - One Yukon Coalition (OYC) is proud to announce that it has been officially registered as a Canadian charity, marking an important milestone in advancing community-driven health research and education across the North.

Effective July 23, 2025, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) designated One Yukon Coalition as a Charitable Organization (Registration No. 748542214 RR0001) under the Advancement of Education – Research category. This designation recognizes OYC’s commitment to fostering local capacity, strengthening One Health approaches, and advancing equitable, evidence-based health and ecosystem solutions across Yukon and northern communities.

“Obtaining charitable status is a significant step in ensuring the long-term sustainability of our mission,” said Math’ieya Alatini, Board Chair of One Yukon Coalition. “It allows us to continue bridging Indigenous, environmental, and public health perspectives through research and education – by the North, for the North.”

To celebrate this milestone, One Yukon Coalition has launched its new website – www.oneyukononehealth.ca – a central hub for sharing research updates, educational resources, and community stories. The platform highlights OYC’s One Health programs, combining environmental monitoring, data innovation, and Indigenous knowledge to improve health outcomes and resilience across Yukon communities.

About One Yukon Coalition
One Yukon Coalition is a registered charitable organization based in Whitehorse, Yukon, dedicated to advancing One Health education and applied research in partnership with northern, rural, and Indigenous communities. Through programs that integrate environmental, animal, and human health, OYC supports inclusive and community-driven approaches to data, health, and sustainability.

Contact:

Carolina Koutras
Chief Operating Officer

One Yukon Coalition
201 - 307 Jarvis Street
Whitehorse, YT Y1A 2H3
Email: hello@oneyukon.ca
Website: www.oneyukon.ca