Pre-1800
Pre – 1741
Indigenous peoples mined native copper at Kletsan Creek, using caribou antlers and traded the metal across the Pacific Northwest.
1800s
1825
The 141st meridian became the Alaska–Canada boundary —had it been further east, the Klondike Gold Rush would’ve been in Alaska.
1874
Fort Reliance, built as a trading post near present-day Dawson, becomes a hub for
early prospecting.
1886
Gold discovered on the Fortymile River, launching Yukon’s first placer gold rush.
1896
George Carmack and his Indigenous companions discovered gold on Bonanza Creek, igniting the great Klondike Gold Rush.
1898
The Yukon Territory was created; Dawson City became a booming gold capital almost overnight.
1900s
1905
Large dredging operations started in the Klondike. Smaller creeks began producing copper and silver as by-products of gold mining.
1915
Dublin Gulch was found to contain scheelite, a tungsten mineral used for WWI weapons, showing Yukon’s value beyond gold.
1934
The U.S. set gold at $35/oz, doubling the price and triggering a placer mining revival during the Great Depression.
1940s
WWII reduced prospecting but increased the search for tungsten and other strategic metals in Yukon’s quartz-bearing regions.
1970s
Rising gold prices brought new interest; by 1979, over 90 placer operations were active, and many historic creeks were restaked.
1980s
Kenyon Creek, became a significant new placer site. Copper exploration also resumed in western Yukon.
1991
Talks began to transfer control of land and resources from federal to territorial government—eventually transforming mining governance.
1997
YESAA was passed to assess environmental and socio-economic effects of mining and other projects.
2000s
2003
Yukon gained full control of its natural resources through devolution, streamlining claim and permit processes.
2005
The Minto Mine began production—Yukon’s first major modern copper-gold-silver mine, north of Pelly Crossing.
2010
High gold and silver prices sparked renewed exploration across the territory, including hard rock projects in the White Gold and Selwyn basins.
2015
Yukon Mining Alliance began branding Yukon as a premium destination for ethical exploration and investment.
2019
Eagle Gold Mine opened near Mayo, Yukon’s first large-scale hard rock gold mine in years.
Present
Mining is the largest private-sector contributor to Yukon’s economy, anchored by producing hard rock & placer mining operations and a strong pipeline of advanced development and exploration projects. The territory hosts a significant endowment of both precious and critical minerals, playing an increasingly important role in supporting Canada’s economic growth and supply of strategic resources.
