2 remote Yukon nursing positions unfilled during busy summer season

Two small Yukon communities are still looking for full-time nurses this summer.

Steve Geick, president of the Yukon Employees' Union, said Beaver Creek and Destruction Bay are the last one-nurse nursing stations in North America.

To his knowledge, the Yukon government has never advertised the positions available in the two communities.

"Make no mistake, some of these positions are harder to fill. But at least I'd like to see an effort," Geick said.

Destruction Bay and Beaver Creek are on the northern portion of the Alaska Highway. It is a busy stretch of road in the summer with tourists and Yukoners.

There is a memorandum of understanding between the Yukon government and the Yukon Employees' Union that says the government will make every reasonable attempt to find nurses for the two communities.

Health Minister Pauline Frost announced in the legislature on May 23 that community health centres would be fully staffed for the summer.

That hasn't happened yet, and Geick said he's not confident it will.

Pat Living, the director of communications for Health and Social Services, said she believes the government has made every effort to fill the positions, and they are still trying to hire nurses.

"We're running into situations where life events occur, and we're not able to find people who can go into these places on a full-time permanent basis over the summer months," Living said.

In the meantime, temporary nurses are being rotated through the communities.