By Canadian Press

Yukon’s 2024 budget promises money for housing, international health-care workers

Mar 7, 2024 | 1:16 PM

WHITEHORSE — Yukon is predicting a surplus of $119 million in its budget with money for housing, green infrastructure and a new program to integrate internationally educated health-care workers.

Finance Minister Sandy Silver says the $2.08-billion budget aims to tackle the rising cost of living, while investing in health care, education and infrastructure. 

The government is promising $27.3 million to build affordable housing and $8.3 million to develop more rental homes.

In his budget speech, Silver says the Yukon Liberal government will introduce legislation to create a territorial health authority and spending $5.1 million to complete a mental health unit at Whitehorse General Hospital.

Silver says the health-care system is facing challenges that are made worse by a worldwide shortage of health-care workers and $3.6 million in federal money will go toward a new program to integrate internationally-trained medical workers into the Yukon system.

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The budget includes $19.3 million to upgrade the territory’s government buildings to make them more environmentally sustainable, and there will be cash to tackle “climate-related illnesses,” and for flood mapping and forecasting.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 7, 2024

The Canadian Press