The Yukon Anti-Poverty Coalition (YAPC) has marked its 30th anniversary while launching one of its largest public campaigns of the year to raise awareness of poverty and homelessness across the territory.
Coalition marks three decades of advocacy
The coalition — formed in 1996 — gained traction from founding volunteers concerned about deep and visible need in the territory. Among the people who helped set up the group were George Green, Michael Doherty and the late Ross Findlater. Green and Doherty remain involved with the organisation.
"I got involved because I was a concerned citizen, who grew up in a small fishing village in Newfoundland, and was taught very early in my life the importance of civic mindedness," Green said. "There was a group of people that had a decent income and had food to eat and a decent place to live, and there was a large group of people that didn’t have these things. It just didn’t seem right."
Over three decades the coalition has helped establish a number of community mechanisms intended to reduce hardship. Those efforts include contributions to the formation of the Food Bank Society of the Yukon and the Putting People First task force, initiatives that have become fixtures in local discussions about supports for people facing financial insecurity.
Awareness campaign uses symbolism to press for accountability
This month, YAPC launched Homelessness and Poverty Action Week, a series of events across the territory intended to put pressure on policy-makers and to strengthen public understanding of the realities many Yukoners face.
At one public event the coalition hung shirts on a clothesline. The display was meant to symbolically "air dirty laundry" and to act as a visual appeal for stronger accountability in addressing poverty and homelessness. Organisers described the installation as a conversation starter for residents and officials alike.
Looking back and forward
Founders and long-time volunteers point to both accomplishments and ongoing gaps. While community supports have expanded since the coalition began, those involved stress that poverty remains a persistent issue requiring sustained policy and program responses.
The timing of the campaign underscores a familiar northern reality: small communities and limited service capacity make coordinated advocacy and visible public education important tools for change. The coalition has relied on volunteer energy and partnerships to sustain its work across decades.
- Established: 1996
- Founders active today: George Green, Michael Doherty
- Key initiatives helped develop: Food Bank Society of the Yukon; Putting People First task force
- Current campaign: Homelessness and Poverty Action Week
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1996 | YAPC founded |
| 2026 | 30th anniversary and major awareness campaign |
People involved with YAPC say the anniversary is as much a prompt to reflect on work completed as it is an opportunity to call for renewed focus from decision-makers. Events during Homelessness and Poverty Action Week are intended to amplify stories from people with lived experience and to push for tangible commitments from government and service providers.
In northern communities, where distances and limited services shape lived experience, coalition members say public education and direct supports operate hand in hand. YAPC’s visible actions — such as the clothesline display — aim to make the issue harder to ignore in public conversation.
As the coalition moves into its fourth decade, volunteers and leaders emphasise the need for long-term strategies that reflect northern realities: sustained funding, co-ordinated services and a focus on the social determinants of health. The anniversary and associated campaign are meant to be both a celebration of past achievements and a renewed call to action for the future.
Further details about Homelessness and Poverty Action Week events, and the coalition’s ongoing work, were released by organisers as part of the anniversary programming.
