Our Board

CO-CHAIR

Liz Vickers-Drennan (she/elle) lives, works and plays on the traditional territories of the Kwanlin Dün First Nation and of the Ta’an Kwäch’än Council. She brings to the YCS board a wealth of experience in the non-profit sector in both a volunteer and professional capacity - including work in conservation, gender equity, science and trades outreach/education and outdoor recreation. Liz holds undergraduate degrees in Physics and Leadership studies, as well as a masters in Science Communication.

She is passionate about collaboratively navigating the many challenges of sustainable and socially responsible development, and contributing to a more holistic and ecologically conscious Yukon for future generations. She puts the co-creation of pathways and solutions at the heart of her philosophy.

Echoing a common sentiment, in her free time, she enjoys the breadth of outdoor activities in which we're able to partake on this beautiful land. She is also involved with Scouts Canada and Yukon Search and Rescue.

CO-CHAIR

Dave was born in Switzerland, en route to Zaire (Congo) where his parents were missionaries. Since then he has lived in Scotland, Ohio, Ontario and British Columbia. In 2007 Dave and his family moved to Haines Junction, creating a lifestyle that allowed for more family time. His partner Cindi and he were married in 1998 and they have two grown boys currently pursuing their own dreams.

A passion for the outdoors led Dave to a career in guiding - in climbing, hiking and sea kayaking. He has been privileged to guide in many locations including B.C., Alaska, the Sea of Cortez, Patagonia, Labrador, Antarctica and most significantly in the High Arctic. Simultaneously, Dave has pursued a career in construction. His construction company has been successful both in B.C. and Yukon, employing up to 14 people.

Dave has spent most of his life self employed, earning a living with determination and hard work - taking risks and creating opportunities for himself and others. He is a founding Director of the Association of Canadian Sea Kayak Guides, and in Haines Junction has volunteered for several organizations including the ambulance service and the local soccer club. He has served on both School Council and Village Council, and ran in the 2021 territorial election. Dave brings with him a breadth of vision and a passion for justice and equality.

On his path, Dave has learned much from family, friends and community, but his greatest teacher has always been the Earth upon which we walk.

SECRETARY

First and foremost Gerald is an ecologist, having studied aquatic ecology at UBC (towards a B.Sc), and he sees the world through an ecologist’s lens. After several years of work with both DFO and B.C. Fish & Wildlife Branch, he turned to teaching, and was a biology instructor at Yukon College/YukonU for 20+ years. During this time, he was a co-chair of the institution’s Sustainability Committee.

Past board experience includes Whitehorse Minor Soccer Association, with which he served as president for 4 years, and the Yukon Federal Green Party, which he has been with for 13 years. Not surprisingly, Gerald enjoys being outside in natural environments, whether kick-sledding and skiing in winter or via biking, canoeing and kayaking in non-frozen seasons.

These days travel is mostly vicarious, although local travel in the Yukon continues to draw him to new and familiar places. Gerald has travelled enough in earlier days, though, to realize that there are not many wilderness areas left in this world. We have something special here in the Yukon that should be conserved; as a second-year board member, Gerald looks forward to working with the YCS board, staff and members, and with all Yukoners toward this goal.

TREASURER

Born in Québec but a Whitehorse resident since 2001, Édouard Bourcier is a skilled writer with experience in technical, policy, and grant writing.

With a B.A. from UBC in Mind, Language, and Computation, Ed is a solution-focused critical thinker. He also holds a Digital Strategy & Communications Management Certificate from U of T and a Climate Resiliency Strategies Certificate from Royal Roads University. His previous board experience includes four years at the Pearson College Alumni Association.

Growing up in the Yukon, Ed spent much of his youth hiking, camping, spending time on the water, and participating in experiential learning opportunities. He remains committed to these activities and believes that they form a central role in our northern culture. He is confident that a community-based approach to our changing climate is the best way to find solutions to our unique situation in the Yukon.

DIRECTOR

Kim has always felt most at home in the boreal forest. She grew up in an off-grid cabin near Yellowknife and migrated to the Yukon after completing a biological sciences degree in Calgary. She works primarily in natural resource stewardship, wildlife research and conservation on behalf of First Nation governments and ENGOs. She is also a devoted grower, with years of homesteading, orcharding and running a tree nursery under her belt. She loves to write and use her creativity to bring her love of the natural world to others. She is grateful to live on the Traditional Territory of the Tr’ondek Hwech’in.

Her large life decisions have been guided by a desire to have a small environmental footprint and rich relationships with human and more than human communities. Being out on the land on skis, snowshoes, canoe or her own two feet is where she recharges.

She has been honoured to serve YCS as a member of the board since 2020 and as president since 2021, particularly in this time of focus on reconciliation with indigenous peoples.

DIRECTOR

Amna Bhatti is a human rights lawyer currently working at the Yukon Human Rights Commission, as well as practicing remotely with Alberta based immigration and refugee law firm Fisher Law.

Amna moved to Canada in 2016 after finishing her BA-LL.B. in Pakistan. She completed her LL.M. at Osgoode Hall Law School. After getting licensed in Ontario, Amna worked as a Legal Advisor with Lawyers for Human Rights in South Africa. In that position Amna undertook large-scale research projects for their Penal Reform as well as Gender Equality Programmes.

She then moved to Yukon to work at the Human Rights Commission as Legal Counsel and Human Rights Officer leading reviews to policies, programs, and legislation and investigating cases of discrimination and harassment under the Yukon Human Rights Act.

Whereas professionally, Amna has worked to protect human rights, particularly in relation to migrants and women, personally Amna is also very passionate about conservation work and animal rights. Amna has been a vegetarian for 7 years and tries to live an environmentally conscious life. Amna also runs a photography blog where she shares landscape and wildlife photographs, and discusses environmental, human, and animal rights issues.

DIRECTOR

Lee is a Policy Analyst currently working with the Divisional Supports Branch at Health and Social Services, Yukon Government.

Lee received his education in Canada, Kuwait, and the Netherlands, and volunteered in both Kuwait and Jordan. Lee received his Bachelor’s degree in International Development Studies, Political Science, and a minor in Law from Dalhousie University in 2018, and completed his Masters in Public Policy from the University of Calgary in 2019.

After graduating, Lee worked as a Program Analyst with the Ontario Ministry of Health. In that position, Lee participated in large-scale program evaluation and review for the Commitment to the Future of Medicare program, the Ontario Fertility Program, and abortion access. Lee moved to the Yukon a year ago to assist Family and Children Services, and Youth Justice with updating program level policy.

Lee is passionate about improving programs and services for children and youth, reproductive rights and access, and global affairs. Lee also became personally devoted to conservation work and preserving Canada’s natural beauty when he spent the summer of 2014 planting trees across northern Ontario and Alberta.

DIRECTOR

Drin zho zit zho

I am Christine Blanchard Fraser, I am Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in First Nation. Thank you for welcoming me onto the board. I would be greatly honoured to be a part of this board. My cultural values and beliefs are really important to me and sharing my knowledge with the youth, and I’m sharing my knowledge with other people with other knowledges that can help with anything that I love to do. My culture is very important to me. My grandparents are Frank and Annie Blanchard. I have learned a lot of knowledge from my uncle Ralph Blanchard who passed away in 2020. He was very knowledgeable.

He would show me a lot of things about how to survive in the bush and what to look for and same with my uncle Lionel Blanchard I went mushroom picking with him and he showed me a lot of things how to like look for, look for things if you get lost in the bush, held filter water through the moss, stuff like that. I’m really excited to be a part of this board and I’m really excited to share my knowledge with you. Thank you for accepting me.

DIRECTOR

Toshibaa Govindaraj, a dedicated ecologist, brings a unique perspective to the board. After experiencing a diverse array of life experiences, she established roots in the Yukon at the age of nine, following two years in Toronto, six years in the Middle East subsequent to her birth in India.

Recently, Toshibaa completed her BSc in Biology with Honours, specializing in landscape genetics and population dynamics of black and grizzly bears in the Yukon. Her research underscores a deep commitment to understanding and preserving the region's biodiversity. During her tenure as a conservation intern for YCS, she delved into caribou and cumulative effects research, further solidifying her passion for environmental stewardship.

Central to her approach is a belief in holistic conservation, where marginalized voices are not only heard but empowered given space to lead. She advocates for a paradigm shift where all communities play pivotal roles in shaping sustainable conservation efforts. With her multifaceted background and unwavering dedication to inclusive conservation, Toshibaa stands poised to contribute meaningfully to the board's initiatives.

DIRECTOR

Grace Laporte is an environmental steward, amateur angler, and moonlight musician from South Western Ontario. Growing up around the great lakes, Grace was heavily influenced by the use and misuse of water resources within the great lake system, which played an integral role in her professional and personal pursuits.

She is a graduate from University of Guelph, Agricultural College of Ontario, where her studies were dedicated to water resource management, water and wastewater practices and environmental compliance. Grace believes that research, conservation, collaboration and communication are essential to serving the land, the environment and its peoples.

Driven by the simple philosophies of land ethics and ecohydrology, Grace advocates for the concept of inclusive community and connectivity–not limited to humans, but to soils, waters, plants, and animals. Her approach to water resource management embodies understanding the intrinsic relationship between hydrological and biological processes as a fundamental ecohydrologic approach to improve water security, enhance biodiversity and ensure conservation for a sustainable and harmonious future.

Grace recognises her geographic and socio-economic privileges, and practices cultural reflexivity and humility with her son where she is deeply humbled to live and work in a territory governed by First Nations.

DIRECTOR

Simon is a long-time Dawson City resident who has a lot of experience being out in the bush, hiking and surviving and camping. He knows the Dempster area especially well, and is a member of the Friends of Dempster Country.

He is interested in joining the board to help plan YCS activities and sees a major role of YCS as a community education place where people can come and learn about the environment in the Yukon and what it means to protect certain endangered areas around our communities.