Feature stories

Anto Yukon grows from side-hustle to international soap-seller

It started as a hobby. About 10 years ago, Kym Rempel's mother gifted her a soap-making class. Rempel liked it and made soap for her family and friends. Once her recipes were perfected, she branched out.

Region: Whitehorse, Yukon
Category: Woman entrepreneur

Arctic Eider Workspace going non-stop

Northern and remote communities can struggle with a lack of services and infrastructure to repair equipment, as well as limited local opportunities to learn the skills needed to handle repairs. In Sanikiluaq, Nunavut, when something breaks, it can be challenging to find a replacement, or the tools needed to make repairs. Infrastructure deficits like these can lead to long delays that impact families, the community, and the broader local economy.

Region: Nunavut
Category: Community development/infrastructure, Skills development

Mésdzįh Eskiye (Owl Boy) spreads his wings

Cohen Quash, the 14-year-old artist and designer behind Mésdzįh Eskiye Designs, has a smile that's contagious. When he publicly unveiled his new line of Besties sweatsuits to family and friends, he was beaming from ear to ear.

Region: Yukon
Category: Indigenous youth entrepreneur

The Yellowknife Historical Museum is now open to the public

The Yellowknife Historical Society celebrated the grand opening of the Yellowknife Historical Museum on March 26, 2024, and now tourists, visitors, and local residents can visit to learn more about the rich and complex history of the Yellowknife area.

Region: Northwest Territories
Category: Tourism

Marine Fisheries and Training - Building skills for career advancement

The amount of marine activity in Arctic waters is expected to double this decade. This increase in traffic is contributing to a higher demand for skilled marine graduates. This includes the fishing industry, working on sealift vessels, ore transport vessels and more. Working in these industries requires specific training and skills. Inuit across Nunavut are pursuing careers in this sector, recognizing the well-paying jobs and opportunities to advance their careers. This is where the Nunavut Marine Fisheries and Training (NFMTC) comes in. To respond to these needs, the NFMTC has developed specialized courses and training for positions across the fishing sector.

Region: Nunavut
Category: Skills Development

Welcome to the Yellowknife Visitor's Centre!

Yellowknife has an inviting new home for its visitor's centre, located right in the heart of downtown. The centre's grand opening took place in September 2022.

Region: Northwest Territories
Category: Tourism

Single Track 2 Success

If land could speak, Carcross/Tagish First Nation (C/TFN) sacred territory of Montana Mountain, Carcross, would no doubt have much to share. Trees would recount traditional practices of the Carcross/Tagish First Nation (C/TFN); rocks would tell stories of mining along the rugged slopes.

Region: Yukon
Category: Tourism

Red Fish Arts Studio

What was once an old processing plant has become a central hub for the Cambridge Bay arts community. The building, which was renovated with the support of CanNor, the Government of Nunavut and the Municipality of Cambridge Bay, provides a space for artists and aspiring artists to grow and develop their skills.

Region: Nunavut
Category: Skills Development

Sunnyside Dairy Farm – from the farm to grocery store shelves

Mountains, lakes, trees and… dairy cows? Perhaps not something you would expect from the Yukon, but Sunnyside Farm is one of the farms in the territory that are changing that.

Region: Yukon
Category: Agriculture/Agri-food

Folk on the Rocks site accessibility improvements help make the music festival more inclusive

For over 40 years, Folk on the Rocks has showcased Northern, Arctic, and international musicians for the enjoyment of northerners and visitors. Over that time, the Yellowknife-based annual festival has become one of the NWT's premier music and cultural events.

Region: Northwest Territories
Category: Arts and Culture

Klondike Kettle Corn - a business bursting with quality, creativity and drive

If you have ever made popcorn, you can appreciate the gradually-explosive nature of the process. First, the kernels sit in oil while things heat up. After a while, a single kernel pops followed swiftly by a couple more. Suddenly, the batch explodes and the container overflows with the fluffy stuff. That delicious, distinct smell lingers in the air for hours, keeping the delightful snack top-of-mind for the next time the craving strikes.

Region: Yukon
Category: Women entrepreneurs

BonTon & Company - Retail and Production Expansion

From the moment you step foot in Dawson City, you can feel the culture, history and legend that make it so iconic. Old Western-style buildings sink sideways into the earth against the backdrop of hills and mountains that reach for the sky, a contrast that complements the diverse shops, restaurants and hotels that line the streets.

Region: Yukon
Category: Accommodation and food services, Tourism

Travel Nunavut works to keep territory in the spotlight

Tourism operators and tourist-dependent businesses across Canada operate in a competitive sector, and Nunavut businesses face further logistical challenges to draw visitors and reach markets. That's why CanNor supported two initiatives by Travel Nunavut to provide extra tools and resources for local businesses to expand their operations, increase visibility and make Nunavut a destination of choice for Canadians.

Region: Nunavut
Category: Tourism

Frontier Lodge – Developing New Tourism Markets (NWT)

Frontier Lodge, owned and operated by the Łutsël K'é Dene First Nation, offers tourists access to world class fishing, northern lights viewing, cultural activities, guided hikes and wildlife viewing. The lodge is located on the Stark River, across from the community of Łutsël K'é, and adjacent to Thaidene Nëné. Tourist access to the lodge is available from Yellowknife via a chartered or scheduled flight directly to Łutsël K'é, and then a short 5-minute boat crossing.

Region: Northwest Territories
Category: Tourism

Northern Canada Producer Accelerator

Canada's territories are full of big, bold stories to tell, and many talented people ready to bring them to life. That is why the Screen Production Yukon Association (SPYA), a non-profit society and the primary industry organization supporting the Yukon film and screen media, is working in partnership with the Northwest Territories Professional Media Association, Yukon Media Development, and the Northwest Territories Film Commission to deliver the Northern Canada Producer Accelerator (NCPA).

Region: Yukon
Category: Skills development, Arts and Culture

Tutchone Tours Boat and Trailer Purchase

Imagine yourself in the middle of the Yukon wilderness. You're on the territory's largest river on a beautiful summer day, spotting Dahl mountain sheep and hearing about Yukon First Nation history through the eyes of a local Indigenous guide. After an hour, you'll arrive at Yukon's largest historic site, Fort Selkirk, better known as the Hücha Hudän, "People of the flat land." Experiences such as this are offered by Tutchone Tours, a tourism business based in Pelly Crossing.

Region: Yukon
Category: Women entrepreneurs, Business development, Tourism

Barren Ground Coffee's Beanormous Expansion

Barren Ground Coffee, a family run coffee roaster and espresso bar in downtown Yellowknife, underwent a 'beanormous' expansion and then reopened their retail coffee shop, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Region: Northwest Territories
Category: Entrepreneurship, Business Development

Arctic UAV flies high

Arctic UAV, located in Iqaluit, Nunavut, offers a unique perspective on the North… one from well above the ground.

Region: Nunavut
Category: Entrepreneurship, Business development

Pinnguaq Association TE(a)CH program - Nunavut

The Pinnguaq Association, located in Iqaluit, Nunavut, has had remarkable success in developing STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) skills through innovative technology, art and play. Founded in Pangnirtung, Nunavut, in 2012, the Pinnguaq Association supports participants and takes them from their first coding lesson to opportunities in employment and production of their own original ideas.

Region: Nunavut
Category: Skills development

Grey Mountain Trail

When BYTE – Empowering Youth Society set out to help and empower young Yukoners in 1998, they decided to do so by facilitating experiential and innovative workshops on topics important to youth. They organized events and other opportunities to provide youth with the necessary tools and skills to lead happy, healthy and meaningful lives.

Region: Yukon
Category: Community development/infrastructure, Tourism

Yukon Chocolate Company

The Yukon Chocolate Company is a family owned and operated company based in Whitehorse, Yukon. They are known for using high quality raw cocoa from around the world to create their products.

Region(s): Yukon
Category(s): Agriculture/Agri-food, Business development, Entrepreneurship

Yukon Soaps Company

The Yukon Soaps Company has been fostering authentic experiences and bringing life to the heart of Yukon for more than 20 years through the creation of beautiful, handcrafted and Indigenous artisan soaps, shampoo bars and essential oil blends.

Region(s): Yukon
Category(s): Women Entrepreneurs

Makerspace YK building working space through S.T.E.A.M

Makerspace YK is starting a three-year project to build a S.T.E.A.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics) focused community space. This new space will support Yellowknife's small businesses, entrepreneurs, and hobbyists by providing an affordable commercial working space that offers the use of tools, equipment, and infrastructure on a membership basis.

Region(s): Northwest Territories
Category(s): Entrepreneurship

Kenojuak Cultural Centre and Print Shop

The Kinngait Studios housed at the Kenojuak Cultural Centre and Print Shop is the country's best-known Inuit artist studio, and the oldest fine art printmaking facility in Canada. The studio has been at the heart of Kinngait (Cape Dorset) for over half a century.

Region(s): Nunavut
Category(s): Arts and culture

Laughing Lichen

Laughing Lichen's owner Amy Maund proudly owns and operates a northern-based wildcrafting business, located just outside of Yellowknife.

Region(s): Northwest Territories
Category(s): Women Entrepreneurs

Economic Growth Follows Effective Regulatory Process in Canada's North Archived

Canada's North is rich with natural resources and holds tremendous potential in resource development. This sector is a major economic driver in the country and fosters growth in other sectors, such as communications, energy and transportation infrastructure, and commercial services.

Developing the Film Production Sector in Nunavut Archived

The North – its people, its landscapes, and its communities – is increasingly being used to create Canadian and international films. In the past few years, several films have been shot in Iqaluit, Nunavut and production companies are looking for skilled local labour.

Creating Mobile Arctic Laboratories Archived

The Arctic Research Foundation, a private not-for-profit organization, accessed $1.75 million in CanNor funding to develop six mobile laboratories using refurbished sea containers in Cambridge Bay and Gjoa Haven, Nunavut. These mobile labs allow scientists to conduct research directly in the Arctic in areas such as geoscience, archeology, fisheries, and marine science.

Diversifying the NWT Forestry Sector through Biomass Archived

The Government of the NWT's Department of Environment and Natural Resources led this project with the collaboration of Indigenous and Métis groups in the NWT. Together, they negotiated Forest Management Agreements and successfully implemented a long-term General Development Plan (GDP) to support job creation and business opportunities in the forest industry, particularly in Indigenous and Métis communities.

Marketing Campaign Increases Visits to the Land of the Midnight Sun Archived

The Government of Yukon's Tourism Branch (Tourism Yukon), with the support of CanNor funding, launched Yukon Now in 2014. Yukon Now is a tourism marketing campaign aimed at increasing both awareness of Yukon as a tourist destination, and international and domestic tourism to Yukon.

Making Space for Yukon Entrepreneurial Spirit Archived

Entrepreneurs face many challenges when trying to successfully launch a start-up, especially when their business model involves the development of new tools and products. In the North, with limited access to equipment and workspace, these barriers are even more difficult for individual proprietors and small and medium-sized enterprises to overcome.

Growth of the Agriculture Sector in NWT Archived

Head of the Lines Services (HOTLS), an Aboriginal business in Fort Simpson, NWT, is using CanNor funding to research and develop hydroponic technology with the intent to build a commercial greenhouse in the community. Using this technology, it is anticipated that plants will grow faster in optimum temperatures and insects and diseases will be eliminated. In addition, the labour to harvest the plants will be significantly reduced.

Preparing Inuvialuit Businesses and Communities for Economic Diversification Opportunities Archived

In 2014-15, the Inuvialuit Community Economic Development Organization (ICEDO) launched a series of Regional Opportunity Readiness Initiatives over five years to increase economic opportunities for Inuvialuit businesses and communities across multiple sectors.

Improving access to the Labour Market in Nunavut, Yukon or Northwest Territories Archived

Delivered by the three northern colleges, the Northern Adult Basic Education Program (NABEP) is improving access to basic skills such as literacy and numeracy so working age adults are better positioned to participate in the northern labour market. Starting in fiscal year 2011-12, NABEP provided $27 million over five years to the three territorial colleges: Yukon College, Aurora College, and Nunavut Arctic College. Read more about how we help in Nunavut, Yukon or Northwest Territories.