Watson Lake residents looking for a hands-on way to help neighbours facing life-limiting illnesses can now step into a volunteer role through a Government of Yukon program listed on Yukon.ca. The Nav-CARE program pairs trained volunteers with Yukoners whose health is declining, offering companionship and help navigating community resources so they can stay in their own homes longer.
Nav-CARE, which stands for Navigation: Connecting, Advocating, Resourcing, Engaging, is free and open to Yukoners across the territory, including those in Watson Lake, a community of 1,491 located about 455 km from Whitehorse. The program was added to the territory’s official volunteer opportunities list, sitting alongside roles like volunteer firefighting and the Ember Fire Academy.
Volunteers, called navigators, receive two days of training and are backed by a coordinator. They commit to one year, but the schedule is flexible to suit both the volunteer and the person being supported. “It pairs them with trained volunteers who provide support, reduce loneliness and improve well-being,” the program description states.
Anyone interested can reach the Nav-CARE Coordinator by email or at 867-667-9360 to complete an application. The role is also posted on the YuWIN job board under Volunteer Bénévoles Yukon, where it is listed as “Nav-CARE Volunteer (Home Visits with Seniors).”
For rural Yukoners in towns like Watson Lake, where the Watson Lake Community Hospital provides 24/7 emergency and inpatient care but long-term home support can be harder to sustain over distance, the program fills a gap by bringing trained companionship directly into homes. The model, developed over 15 years through research at UBC Okanagan, builds on hospice volunteer roles but steps in earlier to help people with chronic illness, frailty, or isolation connect with services and stay engaged in the community.
The territory’s volunteer opportunities page on Yukon.ca was updated April 20, 2026, signaling that the program is current and available to Yukoners across the territory.
