'If Yukoners want a university, there will be a university,' says Paul Driscoll, the dean of arts and science at Yukon College.

Driscoll was among a panel addressing the question of if the territory is ready to establish its own university.

Tuesday evening's discussion, hosted by the New Democratic Party, enabled 34 attendees to explore the economic, social and environmental impacts the creation of a Yukon university may have.

'We think now is a good time to re-explore the idea,' said acting NDP Leader Steve Cardiff. 'It was really obvious to me that people were interested in the discussion.'

NDP Leader Todd Hardy has previously announced that a university will be included in the party's platform in the pending territorial election.

Hardy had drawn reference to the University of Northern British Columbia in Prince George as an example of what could be achievable in the Yukon.

In 1990, British Columbia's then-NDP government announced it would be establishing a university in the town. By 1992, sod was being turned and in 1994, the university was officially opened.

It now has more than 3,500 students and offers 25 bachelor degrees, 14 masters programs and one doctoral program.

Providing post-secondary education can provide an extraordinary transformation for individuals and communities, said Deborah Poff, the founding dean of arts and science at the University of Northern British Columbia.

'You have to think about the fit of the kind of university you want to have for your community,' Poff told the audience.

A university that caters to the wants of the public and the community is often the most beneficial, she said, and has provided a lasting sense of ownership among the residents of northern B.C.

She added that establishing a university is one of the best ways to curb the exodus of the best and brightest from a community.

So much of the Yukon's economic initiatives are based around the economy that sees young people develop a skill, only for the natural resource-base employment to eventually disappear, said Norm Easton, an anthropology lecturer at Yukon College.

The commodity-based economy sees many people leave to secure employment elsewhere, said Easton. A university could change that, he said.

'I want us to be able to see people with training and education that allows them to make useful and dignified lives,' he said. 'There has to be a focus on the building of skill capacities that will allow people to have sustained employment beyond boom and bust.'

Universities provide people with the tools they need to be creative about finding ways to stay in the territory and to provide to its economic and social fabric, he argued.

Poff added that research has shown that up to 70 per cent of professionals work within 70 kilometres of where they received their upper education.

And with statistics showing that up to 60 per cent of Canadian university applicants are turned away, even if the Yukon could net two per cent of those 180,000 individuals, it could have a huge benefit for the territory, said Easton.

Research conducted by the Whitehorse Chamber of Commerce has found that students in other jurisdictions of Canada spend up to $10,000 a year on food, housing and their social lives, said Donna Mercier, speaking on behalf of the chamber.

'It's a dollar-for-dollar impact on the economy,' said Driscoll, citing that current Yukon College students coming to the school from Outside spend about $9,000 a year.

But establishing a university is not without its challenges, Poff warned.

Convincing students they will receive a high standard of education, attracting professors and gaining funding can be daunting, she said.

The Yukon must also be clear on what it wants in relation to the courses and research it provides, she said.

She also warned that creating a university-college may cause the entire institution to lose sight of itself.

'A university college structure has its funniness,' she said. 'It's neither the one nor the other. I've seen some struggle in figuring out what their mandate was.'

Easton suggested that establishing a polytechnical institute, such as Ryerson University in Toronto, might be a good model for the Yukon.

It could provide the technical programs that are already provided at a college level and allow for university level classes.

Yukon College already offers degrees in circumpolar studies, education, social work and public administration in conjunction with the University of the Arctic, the University of Regina and the University of Alaska Southeast.

The college is also looking at expanding those offerings, said Driscoll. He drew reference to criminal justice, psychology and arts programs that are currently being confirmed with Outside schools such as Brock University and the Alberta College of Art and Design.

The Yukon needs to focus on what it is good at and what the community needs to create partnerships in the territory and with other institutions, suggested Poff.

Driscoll said the Yukon must also remember it is dealing with some very different demographics a highly educated population in Whitehorse and gaps experienced in rural communities.

The needs of the communities cannot be lost in the discussion, said Easton.

'There's always a very strong belief in the necessity and the need for community-based education,' he said.

Yukoners should also remember that their college is very good at what it does, said Driscoll.

'We have become well-known throughout the system,' he said, referring to the pending cold climate innovation cluster at the college and the Northern Climate Exchange. 'People come to us for advice.

'We're a good college and we have a lot of respect. We are well-known internationally,' he said. 'We've earned that as a college, but it doesn't mean we will have the same respect as a university. You have to earn it.'

Cardiff agreed it is important to stick to the Yukon roots, but added the discussion is a great opportunity to explore post-secondary's education role in the territory and to create a forum to define the region from an environmental, economic, social, cultural and research standpoint.

It is not a project that will happen overnight, he said, nor is it something that could likely be achieved in a single mandate.

'But this is something we're going to pursue,' he said. 'Once you get the ball rolling, it will carry forward.'