The Champagne and Aishihik First Nations will host a career fair on May 1, 2026, to help local residents learn about opportunities to become police officers with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The event will take place at the St. Elias Convention Centre and Daķu Cultural Centre in Haines Junction, Yukon, beginning at 10:00 a.m.
This session is part of an effort by the police force to fill vacant positions while increasing representation of Indigenous members within its ranks. According to a March 2026 report from the Auditor General, the federal police service hired 892 new officers during the 2024-25 fiscal year, falling short of its 1,280-person target and a total requirement of 2,700 new front-line staff. As of September 2025, the vacancy rate for officers in the Yukon was 7.9 per cent.
To assist with recruitment, the police force offers programs such as the Indigenous Pre-Cadet Training Program. This initiative provides a three-week paid training session at the police academy in Regina for First Nations, Inuit, or Métis candidates, offering a look at a career in law enforcement.
The push for new staff follows the territorial government’s announcement in its 2025-26 budget, which allocated $1.82 million to fund nine new positions across the territory. Locally, these efforts are part of a broader ongoing reconciliation strategy that the territorial division has pursued since 2010 to improve relationships between police and First Nations.
Haines Junction is home to about 688 residents and serves as the gateway to Kluane National Park and Reserve. The Champagne and Aishihik First Nations, which represents more than 1,200 citizens, has been a self-governing nation since 1995.
The career fair at the venue located at 178 Backe Street will last for six hours, giving community members ample time to ask questions about requirements and career paths.
