Premier Ranj Pillai and Community Services Minister Richard Mostyn have thanked Yukon First Nations wildland fire-fighters for their efforts this year.

“As wildfire season draws to a close, our government – on behalf of all Yukoners – thanks Yukon First Nations for their contributions to wildland fire management,” the two said in a statement last Thursday.

“We are proud of the ongoing partnership between Wildland Fire Management and Yukon First Nations, and we strongly support the Yukon First Nations Wildfire’s Warrior and Beat the Heat initiatives, two unique initiatives aimed at providing learning and skill development.”

With the Beat the Heat and Warrior programs in Whitehorse, Watson Lake and Dawson City, Pillai and Mostyn said, “Yukon First Nations Wildfire is encouraging First Nations youth to grow, challenge themselves, and find their role in community service and as future leaders.

“While each First Nation government handles initial-attack contracts differently, 13 First Nations signed contracts for the 2023 season. Their contributions to the Yukon’s wildfire management operations demonstrate the importance of First Nations involvement in this criti-
cal workforce.”

These partnerships, the premier and minister added, “are continuously evolving to help meet the changing needs of communities.

“This is exemplified by a recent agreement between the Government of Yukon and the Carcross/Tagish First Nation (C/TFN).

“This new, unique agreement is aimed at supporting Wildland Fire Management’s capacity to train and deploy C/TFN Citizens on an initial-attack crew while expanding wildfire resiliency projects on traditional territories.”