French education in the Yukon

First French education programs

The school in front of you, École Whitehorse Elementary School, has offered a French immersion program since 1981. This is also the school that provided the territory’s first French first-language education program from 1984 to 1990. It started with 34 students in two classes. 

Photo credit: Stéphanie Chevalier


Garderie du petit cheval blanc

The Garderie du petit cheval blanc daycare opened in 1989 to meet the needs expressed by the Yukon Francophone community. It is located near École Émilie-Tremblay.

Photo: children at the daycare

Photo credit: Commission scolaire francophone du Yukon


École Émilie-Tremblay School

École Émilie-Tremblay (EET) bears the name of one of the first non-indigenous women to go to the Klondike, in the late 19th century. The school is currently located in the Copper Ridge neighbourhood, and offers 4-year-old kindergarten through grade 6.

Photo credit: Commission scolaire francophone du Yukon

 


Centre scolaire secondaire communautaire Paul-Émile-Mercier

After attending École Émilie-Tremblay (EET) from 4-year-old kindergarten through grade 6, students can continue their French first-language education from grade 7 through grade 12 (ages 12 through 18) at the Centre scolaire secondaire communautaire Paul-Émile-Mercier (CSSC Mercier). In 2024, the school had 153 students. It offers a diploma in both Canada’s official languages.

Photo credit: Commission scolaire francophone du Yukon

Yukon Francophone School Board

The Commission scolaire francophone du Yukon (CSFY) is responsible for French first-language education in the Yukon. It operates three schools and one school program in addition to a daycare: École Émilie-Tremblay (4-year-old kindergarten through grade 6), the Centre scolaire secondaire communautaire Paul-Émile-Mercier (grades 7 through 12), École Nomade (French-language home learning, kindergarten through grade 12), the Dawson French program (4-year-old kindergarten through grade 7) and the Garderie du petit cheval blanc daycare.

In February 2009, the Commission scolaire francophone du Yukon launched a court action against the Yukon Department of Education to obtain full management of its schools. In August 2015, the CSFY and the Yukon government agreed to establish a settlement committee to find negotiated solutions to the issues that remained outstanding after the court action, and a subcommittee to help plan the construction of a Francophone secondary school.

On March 12, 2020, after nearly five years of negotiations, the CSFY signed a settlement agreement with the Yukon government, ending the legal action launched in 2009 and clarifying the roles and responsibilities relating to French first-language education.

On November 13, 2020, students in grades 7 through 12 had their first day of classes at the Centre scolaire secondaire communautaire Paul-Émile-Mercier.

Photo credit: CSFY

Extract of
Whitehorse with a French Touch

Whitehorse with a French Touch image circuit

Presented by : Association franco-yukonnaise
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