Introducing Yukon Makes
As a follow up to Toronto Makes, we went northwest to feature makers living in, and inspired by, the rugged beauty of the Yukon. This curated collection of 12 extraordinary makers, selected in partnership with Yukon Tourism, illustrates how small arts businesses make a big difference as hubs for culture and development in remote areas.
Discover The Yukon
The Yukon is home to epic landscapes, including the tallest mountain in Canada, and the largest, non-polar ice field in the world. Its highways make for scenic road trips. Here, driving on uncrowded routes takes you to some of the most spectacular scenery on the planet. Wildlife viewing can include large mammals like moose, caribou, mountain sheep, black bears, grizzlies, and wood bison.
The T-Zone Chats with Joella Hogan from The Yukon Soaps Company
Ingrie and Emily from The T-Zone talk community, sustainability and living and working in the Yukon with the inspiring Joella Hogan of The Yukon Soaps Company.
Q&A Klondike Kettle Corn
Katie Young built her business, Klondike Kettle Corn, from the ground up, starting with small batches sold in community markets. Now, her popcorn comes in more than 50 flavours and is a favourite local snack, found in grocery stores and gift shops across the Yukon.
Q&A: Anto Yukon
Hand wrapped in brightly hued contemporary artworks and infused with vibrant scents, each bar of Anto Yukon soap intends to uplift and transport you. Hand poured and cured in Whitehorse, founder Kym Rempel has grown a home-based hobby into a thriving bath and body business complete with a studio and retail space.
Q&A: The Yukon Soaps Company
Knowing that a single seed can flourish into a magnificent garden, maker Joella Hogan creates soaps and wellness products using local plants from the boreal forest to support her Mayo community. As the brains behind The Yukon Soaps Company, Hogan draws on her professional background as a heritage worker while remaining dedicated to honouring the land, knowledge, and culture of her Northern Tetchone First Nation ancestors.
Q&A: Aurum Skincare
Inspired by the remarkable benefits of boreal birch, Aurum Skincare taps into a deep love of the Yukon and the traditional territory of the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in First Nation. Co-founded by Elise McCormick and Joanna Sherrard in 2017, the award-winning skincare brand seeks to soothe and protect the most fragile inflammatory skin conditions using raw birch water and birch bio-ferment. Having worked in collaboration with a pharmaceutical biochemist to develop a clinically proven formula that reduces skin redness, the Dawson City-based pair sustainably harvest the key ingredient and locally manufacture their hero product called Calming Birch Serum. Here, we chat with McCormick, the company’s CEO, to learn more about how Aurum Skincare came to be, how the brand will be expanding, and her experience as a Yukon maker.
Yukon Makes Beauty Bag
Yukon Makes Beauty Bag shines a light on local makers in the beauty and style space who are playing a key role in transforming the landscape of this northern territory. Featuring thoughtfully made products, this program illuminates the inspiration behind each artisan, including local ingredients and materials, and showcases how their brands are having a positive impact on their community.
Q&A: Firebean Coffee Roasters
What started as a hobby paired with a creative mind for mechanical gadgets has grown into a successful business for Michael Russo, founder of Firebean Coffee Roasters in Whitehorse. This small-batch coffee company produces hand-roasted beans using a process powered by…bicycle.
Q&A: Vanessa Ægirsdóttir
Made with Indigenous-sourced wild fur, Vanessa Ægirsdóttir’s beautiful small batch jewellery will transform your outfit, but the textile and jewellery designer is focused on making a much larger positive impact.