WHITEHORSE GUIDE

Where to do what

Where to do what in Whitehorse

New in Whitehorse? Where to get your Yukon health card and driver's licence, which banks are downtown, and what to bring.

Updated 3 min read

Downtown Whitehorse, Main Street in summerPhoto: Mike from Vancouver, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Moving to Whitehorse means a few visits to government offices in your first months. The health card and the driver's licence both have to be done in person, and both offices are open on weekdays only. Here is where to go, when they are open and what to bring.

Yukon health card

Where
Insured Health Services, 4th floor, 204 Lambert Street (Financial Plaza), downtown.
Hours
Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM on Google; yukon.ca says until 5 PM. Closed weekends and statutory holidays.
Phone
867-667-5209, toll free in the Yukon 1-800-661-0408 extension 5209.
Directions (opens Google Maps in a new tab)

You have to register in person. Bring photocopies of:

  • a Canadian birth certificate, citizenship card or permanent resident card, or a work permit valid for at least one year;
  • a second piece of ID; and
  • proof that you live in the Yukon: a rental agreement or receipts in your name, bills in your name from Yukon businesses, or a letter from your employer.
When coverage starts
After you have lived in the Yukon for 3 months. If you moved from another province or territory, your old plan covers you during those 3 months, so do not cancel it early. If you arrive from outside Canada, buy private health insurance for the waiting period.
Who cannot join
People on a study permit. People on a work permit need one that is valid for at least a year.
Seniors
If you are 65 or older, apply for Pharmacare and extended health benefits at the same visit. They also start after 3 months.
Family doctor
Once you have a valid card, you can register with the Find a Primary Care Provider service if you live in the Whitehorse area, are 16 or older and do not have a doctor or nurse practitioner.
Leaving for a while
If you will be outside the Yukon for 6 months or longer, send in a notice of extended absence to keep your coverage.

Driver's licence

Where
Motor Vehicles office, 2251 2nd Avenue.
Hours
Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:50 PM. Closed weekends.
Phone
867-667-5315, toll free in the Yukon 1-800-661-0408 extension 5315.
Directions (opens Google Maps in a new tab)

After moving to the Yukon you have 120 days to switch to a Yukon driver's licence, or 30 days if you have an air-brake endorsement.

The Yukon exchanges valid licences from:

  • the rest of Canada;
  • the United States;
  • Taiwan;
  • Germany (you take a sign test); and
  • the Isle of Man.

If you held a licence from outside Canada for less than 2 years, you enter the graduated licensing program. Licences from other countries mean starting with the knowledge and road tests.

Bring your current licence (you hand it in), 1 proof of identity and 2 proofs of Yukon residency. Drivers 70 and older, and commercial drivers, also need a current driver's medical.

Renewing later: A Yukon licence runs for 5 years and the renewal fee is $50. You can renew up to 6 months before it expires, and you get a temporary licence while the card comes by mail in 7 to 10 business days.

Vehicle registration

Register your vehicle at the same Motor Vehicles office. You have 7 days after the vehicle enters the Yukon if you are working here, or 60 days if you are not. Bring your previous registration and proof of Yukon insurance, so arrange the insurance first. Registration renewals can be done online.

Banks

All five big Canadian banks have their main Whitehorse branch downtown, within a few minutes' walk of each other.

BankAddressHours
BMO111 Main StreetMon to Fri 9:30 AM to 5 PM, Sat 9:30 AM to 4 PM
CIBC110 Main StreetMon to Fri 9:30 AM to 5 PM, Sat 9:30 AM to 4 PM
TD200 Main StreetMon to Thu 9 AM to 5 PM, Fri 9 AM to 6 PM, Sat 9 AM to 4 PM
Scotiabank212 Main StreetMon to Fri 9:30 AM to 5 PM
RBC4110 4th AvenueMon to Fri 9:30 AM to 5 PM, Sat 9 AM to 4 PM

All are closed on Sundays and statutory holidays such as Remembrance Day. To open an account, bring two pieces of ID and your proof of address. Appointments with an advisor can take a week or two to get, so book early if you need one, for example for a mortgage.

Hours are from the Google profiles of each office, checked on the date at the bottom of this page.

Places with directions

Government offices

Health

Banks

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Outdoors

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