WATSON LAKE │ A FUTURE MODEL OF UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR NORTHERN RURAL LIVING?

A northern rural town with the infrastructure and vision and values needed to develop a model of inclusive, equitable, progressive employment practices.

KEY CONCEPTS: essential community infrastructure; vision and values; readiness to change; progressive town planning

Watson Lake is the first port-of-call for travellers arriving in Yukon from British Columbia along the Alaska Highway. It is also the self declared transportation hub for the region, with links to western Yukon, on through Whitehorse and to Alaska, but also north to central Yukon and further to the neighbouring Northwest Territories.

The Watson Lake town website traces the origins of current town site to 1941 and the establishment of the Alaska Highway. The current population estimate is 1200, fluctuating with seasonal labour and peaking during summer months.

Watson is what might be called a full-service town. It has education services from primary through tertiary, with its own Yukon College Campus attached to the High School, a hospital, and full complement of social and public services. A town hall and chamber of commerce are in place to coordinate community economic development planning. The business community is diverse and well developed, with choices for shopping and access to essential items without the need to travel the 5+ hours to Whitehorse – a significant advantage over many Yukon towns.

In short Watson Lake has the essential community infrastructure to be a thriving and progressive model of rural northern living. Certainly the people we met during our discussions regarding the development of the Yukon Disability Employment Strategy were insightful, forward-thinking, and willing to reflect on what it takes to make an inclusive, equitable, and progressive town that supported the accommodation of disabilities with the workplace.

We will explore a number of issues arising from our conversations in the blogs to follow. But for now, consider Watson Lake as an inclusive Yukon town in making. All that is needed is a coordinated strategy to set in motion the vision and values of forward-thinking employers and service providers to make this (not so little) town model of universal design for northern rural living.