Since the beginning, one of our major focuses has been housing and available property in Dawson City. You may recall the Housing Demand Survey conducted in the spring of 2011, or the well-attended Housing Information Fairs we hosted in March of 2011 and March of 2012. We have also hosted several events for the business community, and it became evident that there is also a need for commercial space and property. In a continued effort to meet the demand for information on all available properties in the area, we are excited to share with you news of a new tool we’ve recently launched – The Property Search Tool.

The Property Search Tool is a map-based database that allows users to search locations using a number of criteria including zoning, access to utilities, and known availability. You can find the Property Search Tool here. We monitor local property listings and keep an updated list of available properties. There are several properties – both commercial and residential – already posted on the site, and we have already had many visits from people looking for residential and/or development property, and commercial and industrial space. So far, our inventory of properties for sale includes:

21 houses
1 vacant residential lot
5 operating businesses that include properties in the sale
12 vacant commercial properties
5 vacant commercial buildings
5 private industrial lots
20 government industrial lots

We are not realtors, and we can only post available properties where we have permission by the owner to do so. We invite you to visit and try it out – think of it as one big online bulletin board!

For more information on the Property Search Tool, or to list your property for free, please contact us.

We have been contacting the owners of vacant and underdeveloped properties throughout Dawson City to gauge interest in selling and any barriers to development.

One owner of a full-size (50′ x 100′) vacant residential lot towards the North End of the Historic Townsite, on Third Avenue, has indicated to us a willingness to sell the property.

If you are interested, please contact us for further details.

Join us for the BUSINESS SUPPORT FAIR!

Drop in anytime from 4- 7pm on Wednesday, July 4th at the TH Community Hall.

In our efforts to support local business and entrepreneurs, the KDO in partnership with Tr’ondek Hwech’in, is pleased to present the “Business Support Fair”. Did you know that for those living in the Yukon, there are many kinds of business services available to entrepreneurs and business people? These services are offered by several different agencies through out the territory for all sorts of things from business advice, to financing, to development, to technical support and more. That’s great. The problem is that there is no direct link to these services in Dawson City and it can be difficult to find, let alone access business services throughout the territory. Find out what services are available to you and your business.

This FREE event will feature dinner, information booths, and expertise from knowledgeable advisors and representatives of several business services agencies across the Yukon. Some participants will also be available the following day – Thursday, July 5th – for one-on-one consultations and if you are interested, we can put you in touch.

Participants Include: North Yukon Business Advisory Outreach, Dana Naye Ventures, Business Development Bank of Canada, KDO Enterprise Facilitation, Yukon College, E-Commerce Yukon Advisor, Yukon Government advisors from the branches of Regional Economic Development, Business and Industry Development and Tourism Product Development, Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency officials and more…

Residents may recall the Klondike Development Organization household and business surveys back in 2011 when we asked you how the Klondike could be improved as a place to live, work and do business, and you said:

Household Survey
Changes to improve the area 1st Housing (24%) 2nd Recreation (18%)
Community viability & resident attraction 1st Housing (37%) 2nd Recreation (26%)

Business Survey
Strengthen the economy & create more jobs 1st Housing (15%) 2nd Land Development (9%)
Changes to improve the area 1st Housing (16%) 2nd Recreation (13%)

The full reports are available here. We, and others, have now compiled an extensive library of research on housing in the Klondike and it is evident that there can be no significant socio-economic progress here until such time as we see a quantum leap forward in the supply of housing, and all other initiatives flounder upon this rock.

Home ownership will only ever satisfy a proportion of the market, especially in remote locations. The transition period into a new community such as ours is particularly challenging and there will always be a need for people to settle into the town by renting before buying or building. It is serving this transitional market that we see as critical if we are to grow our population, economy, sustainability of services and quality of life. However, repeated feasibility research has determined that there is no business case for building significant private sector rental developments.

At our most recent community stakeholder partnership forum, fruitful discussions were had surrounding the possibility of a community-owned and operated rental housing project in Dawson City, possibly on the now vacant site that formerly held John Korbo Apartments. It was felt that by founding new housing on balanced local values and ownership, integrated community service organizations and the inclusion of all ages, cultural origins and social circumstances, we would maximize community pride and buy-in and long-term sustainability.

The primary objective would be to provide housing for new residents transitioning into the community, for a maximum of two years before they move out and into ownership or private housing. Serving a diverse range of tenants by mixing traditional market renters with key not-for-profit community service organizations, college students and seasonal workers was held to be an important principle. A number of ground floor units could also be configured as live-work spaces to encourage home-based entrepreneurialism.

We feel that local people working together with government on a community-owned and operated rental housing project, utilizing our detailed local knowledge and leadership, can maximize the potential to meet the housing needs of the entire community, develop new and innovative business models for the delivery of rental housing in Yukon and leave a lasting legacy.

We have only just begun to explore this concept. We are very interested in the thoughts and ideas of Klondike residents and businesses and we would like to hear from you. To find out more about this or any of our other programs, please contact Mark Wickham, Project Manager, e-mail: klondikedevelopment@gmail.com, or call (867) 993-2306. The Klondike Development Organization office is above the bank at 2nd and Queen – follow the signs up the steps.

On Thursday, May 17^th, the KDO, in partnership with the Dawson City Chamber of Commerce, is hosting a “Conversation on Opportunities”.  Join us at 7pm for a panel discussion involving participants from the mining and exploration sector, Dawson business sector and general public.

At 7:00pm, representatives from mining and exploration will make brief presentations outlining their plans and activities.  Following presentations, there will be a Q&A period when members of the public are welcome to ask questions of these representatives.  After a short break, a couple of local business people will join the panel to answer more questions and engage the public in moderated discussion.

Our goal with this panel discussion is to foster communications between larger mining and exploration operations and the community.  This will open the door to discussion and could provide/facilitate potential connections between the two sectors.

The conversation starts at 7pm at the Downtown Hotel Conference room.  For more information, please email klondikedevelopment@gmail.com or call 993-2306.

In 2011 we undertook two surveys, one of Klondike households and another of our businesses. We asked both groups about goods and services they were currently purchasing from outside and those that they saw as under-served locally.

Based on this data, we have developed a first-cut listing of potential Klondike venture opportunities. These are as diverse as airport shuttles, fitness training, T-shirt printing, bookkeeping, sausage manufacture and small engine repairs.

Whether you’re a first-timer or an existing business, if you’re of the entrepreneurial persuasion and looking for ideas, please take moment to browse our list of Klondike Venture Opportunities.

We are particularly pleased that since our surveys, local innovators have already responded and are delivering on a number of these ventures, improving Klondike lives and building employment and wealth in our community.

Please contact Mark Wickham or Evelyn Pollock at our office for further information.

We are pleased to announce the launch of our full service program!

Please browse our site to learn more of the services we can offer to individuals, businesses, community groups and other enterprises. If you’re dreaming of starting a new business, expanding an existing one or investing here from outside we can find you the information, services and solutions you need to make it happen. If you’re a community group exploring a new idea for the Klondike, maybe we can assist you to move forward. If you’re looking for housing or thinking of building a home or a rental unit, we can help.

If you just have a quick question, that’s fine too.

It’s all free and it’s open to everyone, no matter what your background, need or ambition. Our job is just to help you succeed, and with you, the Klondike.

Our office is on 2nd and Queen, above the bank. Come see us to find out more or contact us if you have any questions.

We value and need your participation in our activities and we will keep you informed as our work progresses. Look out for notices of our upcoming events, forums and workshops.

We gratefully acknowledge financial contributions from Yukon Government Regional Economic Development and City of Dawson that are enabling us to continue our partners’ collaboration towards a common vision of a sustainable local economy and a resilient Klondike.

The results of our three highly successful Spring surveys are now complete. Thank you to all the residents, households and businesses that took part. Your thoughts are valuable to us and will be key to our ongoing initiatives. The final reports include the analysis and findings and can be found by following the link below:

Spring Survey Results

We have revised our Strategic Plan to reflect what we have learned and integrated the recommended next steps. An operational work plan for the 2011-12 year has been prepared and we are working with our funding partners to move forward.