Dawson City has formed a community advisory group to explore the possibility of applying for World Heritage Status for the Klondike Region.

The project is being managed by the Tr'ondek Hwech'in with funds from the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency and the Yukon Department of Economic Development.

Wayne Potoroka, Dawson's mayor, said "on a practical level it will allow us to brand our community, our region as a special place.”

"I think it will also recognize what a lot of people here already know which is there's something special about this place that's worth commemorating for all time to human memory,” he added.

The application can be a lengthy one, Potoroka noted.

The community advisory committee will spend time researching the cultural, social, and economic feasibility of Dawson receiving world heritage designation.

An application will have to outline a set of outstanding universal values and include a one page reasoning why Dawson is worthy.

That one page will have to backed-up by about 500 pages further detailing the unique attributes of the area, Potoroka explained.

"It's more than just preferred tourism status. It's making almost an academic case for your community,” he said.

"Clearly there's a lot of work that needs to be done before we get that but I think it holds great promise for this community,” the mayor said.

"There's really something important that's happened here during the Gold Rush and there's something that still continues here with the gold mining industry and there's also the First Nations people here who've made this their home for many, many years and have thrived in incredible and sometimes overwhelming circumstances.

"You just don't see that collision of activity anywhere else in the world that I can think of except for here. Something really special has happened here and continues to happen here and I think that that's worth sharing with the world, I think that the world needs to know about that. I think the world would be a better place if they knew about this one,” Potoroka said.

Applying for world heritage status for the Klondike region has been discussed for years, according to a press release issued earlier this week.

It's recently gained new momentum after being prioritized through regional economic development planning.

Jackie Olson, Tr'ondek's acting executive director, is spearheading the project through the First Nation but she noted in the release that it's still a community-driven process.

Several sites in the Klondike are already designated as National Historic Sites of Canada, including the Dawson Historical Complex, the S.S. Keno, the Dredge No. 4, and the Discovery Claim, but a World Heritage designation would cover the entire region.

There are currently 17 World Heritage Sites in Canada, including the first bi-national entry on the list, which includes the Kluane National Park and Reserve, British Columbia's Tatshenshini-Alsek Park, the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Glacier Bay National Park, both in Alaska.