By next summer, Yukon motorists will be issued new driver's licences from the motor vehicles branch, but the improved document, to include a hologram and barcode, will not replace passports as valid identification necessary to cross U.S. borders.

As of last June 1, Canadian citizens seeking entry to the U.S. have been required to present a passport, or enhanced driver's licence (EDL), issued in British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec.

But according to Walter Brennan, the manager of the territorial motor vehicles branch, several factors swayed the government away from going the route of EDLs.

"One, (the government) didn't think there was a demand for it, two; there was an increased cost, three; it had to be produced Outside,” said Brennan, who noted that in 2007, 50 per cent of Yukoners had passports.

"And four; only three jurisdictions have (EDLs) and the rest aren't even considering it.”

On Wednesday, the government announced a new $500,000 program to replace the territory's current driver's' licence, while jurisdictions that opted for EDLs have been saddled with implementation costs exceeding $2 million.

Today, Liberal highways critic Don Inverarity applauded the new licences; the current ones being the butt of many jokes and source of documented inconveniences, particularly outside the Yukon.

"For two years, I've been harping on this thing and now finally, I guess perseverance and patience pays off in the end,” Iverarity said of the news and his efforts to spur a serious look at the Yukon's outmoded drivers licence.

In July, Inverarity placed a newspaper ad soliciting "horror stories” from those who encountered trouble related to the document, which to many Outside officials appears little more than a teenager's effort to craft fake ID.

What Inverarity got was a flood of anecdotes from Yukoners refused entry to pubs, vehicle rentals and, in one unfortunate case, denied a job.

"There was this one fellow faced with having to return to a graduated (driver's) licence in Alberta after he tried to change his Yukon licence to Alberta's, because the department of motor vehicles would not recognize it,” Inverarity related about what his ad generated. "And he lost out on work in the oil patch because of it.”

When faced with a mounting pile of ridiculous stories, including a middle-aged woman and her mother barred from a New Orleans casino because "the Yukon jurisdiction was not registered,” Premier Dennis Fentie dismissed Inverarity's exercise as a cheap publicity stunt.

"We're waiting on a pilot project between B.C. and Washington State on (enhanced) driver's licences and the work is being done,” Fentie told the Star in August. "We're not going to redesign our driver's licence today if it won't satisfy cross-border travel regulations.”

While both Brennan and Iverarity are pleased that Yukoners will now be issued with licences similar to those used in Saskatchewan and the four Maritime provinces, they are not disappointed the territory opted out of EDLs.

"I was originally in favour of them until I found there were several issues, in particular privacy issues surrounding enhanced licences,” said Inverarity.

"My position is we need a new driver's licence. Should it be something that allows you to go to Skagway and back?

"Most Yukoners already have passports so it's not worth it at this point ... so let's leave citizenship issues (to the federal government).”

From Brennan's perspective, Yukoners have long been asking when the territory was going to improve its driver's licences and has heard stories similar to the ones Inverarity has.

"Staff at motor vehicles are pretty excited because we've been getting these questions for a while ... people have seen the licences from other jurisdictions and say they'd like to have ones like that,” Brennan said.

For Whitehorse residents, the time and process of getting a new licence, expected to be available next June, will be the same one-day service.

The charge is also anticipated to remain at the current $50 level.

As well, all Yukon driver's licences in circulation remain valid until the issued expiry dates.