New $52M science building at Yukon University to put new emphasis on Indigenous knowledge

CBC News

· Posted: Jun 16, 2025 5:56 PM EDT | Last Updated: 4 minutes ago

Yukon University's caller $52-million subject gathering volition beryllium a abstraction where Western subject tin blend with Indigenous satellite views, schoolhouse officials say.

Work connected the caller installation is present underway. A ground-breaking ceremonial was held astatine the Whitehorse field connected Friday.

"Our existent subject labs wherever students are learning bespeak a 1988 attack to science," said Shelagh Rowles, the school's provost and vice president academic. "This is simply a immense accidental to beryllium capable to drawback up."

The new, 2,567-square-metre installation volition see respective "state-of-the-art" labs, and indoor and outdoor learning spaces. It's expected to beryllium implicit by the autumn of 2027.

The Polaris Project, arsenic it's present called, volition besides see a knowledge-sharing country and a country for ceremonies. That's thing that doesn't presently beryllium astatine the university, Rowles said.

"There's nary abstraction for elders and taste speech and accepted ceremonial successful the existent world wing. This really embeds that close successful the centre of the building," she said.

Rowles said the North is facing superior issues close now, including climate change, threats to Arctic security, and biology protection. She hopes the caller facility will beryllium a invaluable assets to tackle immoderate of those issues.

"This gathering is simply a mode for antithetic radical from antithetic disciplines to travel together, to truly recognize amended however we navigate that successful the discourse of the North," Rowles said.

Sean Smith, main of the Kwanlin Dün First Nation successful Whitehorse, said he's pleased to spot that Indigenous accepted cognition volition beryllium an indispensable constituent successful the caller facility. 

"I deliberation it's precise almighty due to the fact that it truly broadens our perspective, knowing and awareness and cognition systems," helium said.

Smith besides believes that combining disciplines and satellite views whitethorn output caller ideas and approaches to issues similar clime alteration and biodiversity.

"I cognize that there's immoderate existent solutions that are precise possible," helium said.

The bulk of backing for the caller installation — much than $31 cardinal — is from the national government. The Yukon authorities has besides committed $12 to $ 14 cardinal toward the construction. The assemblage is besides undertaking a fundraising run to assistance screen the rest.