Get the latest information about the rebuilding of École Whitehorse Elementary School.
Work is underway to address aging Whitehorse schools. As part of this work, École Whitehorse Elementary School will be replaced with a modern facility. It will meet the needs of the community for years to come. The design will focus on providing flexible, multi-use spaces.
In December 2025, the Government of Yukon announced it would look for a new location for the future École Whitehorse Elementary School. The project will no longer move forward at the Takhini Educational Land Reserve.
This decision was based on feedback from the community. The Government of Yukon is committed to working with partners and families to choose a preferred location for the new school.
Share your views
On February 25, 2026, the Department of Education began public engagement on possible locations for the new school.
Whitehorse residents can share their views on the potential new locations for École Whitehorse Elementary School by:
- completing the online survey; or
- attending an information session:
- March 24 at Hidden Valley Elementary School from 6 to 8 pm;
- March 25 at CSSC Mercier from 6 to 8 pm; and
- March 26 at Elijah Smith Elementary School from 6 to 8 pm.
These sessions will give community members a chance to learn more about the project, ask questions and share feedback directly with project staff.
Public engagement will conclude on April 26. A What We Heard report summarizing feedback from all engagement activities will be shared publicly in June.
École Whitehorse Elementary ranked as the highest priority for a school replacement. View the rankings of all Whitehorse schools.
A wide range of factors were considered in this ranking, including the:
- age and condition of the building;
- available space for additional students; and
- suitability for modern learning programs.
École Whitehorse Elementary is over 70 years old and needs to be replaced. The estimated cost to renovate is 1.4 times more than the cost to build a new school. The current building would need significant updates to meet current building requirements. This alone would make the renovation cost-ineffective.
The benefits of building a new school include:
- better energy performance with reduced greenhouse gas emissions;
- a modern learning environment;
- access to a larger outdoor space for students; and
- spaces that emphasize more collaborative and experiential learning.
How disruptive will the construction be?
We'll have plans in place to manage noise, traffic and dust during the construction of the school on the Takhini Educational Land Reserve.
The new school designs focus on:
- flexible, multi-use spaces that emphasize collaborative learning;
- integration of technology;
- integration of Yukon First Nations culture and learning;
- using natural materials and creating spaces that support the integration of Yukon First Nations language and culture;
- connections to the outdoors;
- good acoustics, focusing on learning spaces that are adjacent; and
- student inclusivity.
The new school designs also focus on:
- daylighting – the concept of using natural light in learning spaces;
- using natural materials and creating spaces that support the integration of Yukon First Nations language and culture;
- connections to the outdoors;
- good acoustics, focusing on learning spaces that are adjacent to one another; and
- student inclusivity.