Haines Junction, Yukon, is a quaint village nestled in the heart of Canada. This community is located at the historical mile 1016, or Kilometre 1,632, of the Alaska Highway, where it intersects with the Haines Highway. As of the 2021 Census, Haines Junction had a population of 688, but the Yukon Bureau of Statistics reported a population of 1,018 in 2022. The village is situated east of Kluane National Park and Reserve and serves as a significant administrative centre for the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations.
The area now known as Haines Junction has a history that dates back approximately two thousand years. The Southern Tutchone people established seasonal hunting and fishing camps in this region. They referred to the area as "Dakwakada," a Southern Tutchone term meaning "high cache," referring to their practice of using raised log caches to store food.
Haines Junction also played a crucial role in trade between coastal and interior peoples. It is located at the interior end of the Chilkat Pass, one of only three passes that facilitated travel between the coast and the interior. This pass was extensively used for trade between the coastal Tlingit and Southern Tutchone people.
The modern town of Haines Junction was established during the construction of the Alaska Highway (ALCAN) in 1942 and 1943. In 1943, the Haines Highway was built to connect the Alaska Highway with the coastal town of Haines, Alaska, over the Chilkat Pass. Haines Junction served as a construction camp and a supply and service centre for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers building the highway. The Haines–Fairbanks petroleum pipeline, spanning 626 miles (1,007 km), was constructed in 1953–55, with a pumping station built just north of Haines Junction.
Haines Junction, Yukon, experiences a subarctic climate (Dfc) characterized by mild summers and long, severely cold, and snowy winters. The village sees an average annual snowfall of 64.5 inches (164 cm).
According to the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Haines Junction had a population of 688 living in 311 of its 380 total private dwellings. This figure represented a 12.2% increase from its 2016 population of 613. With a land area of 34.3 km2 (13.2 sq mi), the population density of Haines Junction was 20.1/km2 (52.0/sq mi) in 2021.
Haines Junction, Yukon, is accessible by road via the Alaska Highway and the Haines Highway (Yukon Highway 3). The Haines Junction Airport provides air connectivity. The village is set to have fibre connections available to most homes and businesses by late 2022 or early 2023. Bell Mobility operates a cellular network tower in the area.
