We are updating the reporting and application forms for both YRAC and Yukon Sport for Life (YS4L) grants to move to an online format. The primary reason we are doing this is to make the application and reporting process easier for our clients – the grant recipients. The secondary reason is to make the process easier for the adjudication committee. The tertiary reason is to make the process more efficient for Sport and Recreation Branch (SARB) employees and to reduce the possibility of error.
Grant recipients, the Yukon Recreation Advisory Committee (YRAC) adjudication committee, SARB staff, and the general public (due to increased efficiency of government staff and reduced errors) will all benefit from this. The updated forms will be ready for use by March 1, 2022.
Sport and Recreation eServices Forms
YuDriv Online Services
The Department of Highways and Public Works (“HPW”) has created a suite of Online Services (“OLS”) for online access to selected services and documents provided by their Transport Services Branch (“TSB”). The OLS will allow for authenticated Online Users to access a suite of services online, without the need to present in-person at a government office. The OLS will facilitate members of the public having online, self-serve, access to several TSB services currently provided in person at TSB locations across the territory.
The OLS system will be integrated within the existing YuDriv system, which is a staff-facing electronic information management system used across TSB to manage workflows, provide individuals with permits and other documentation, and manage any required payments. YuDriv is an application-based solution that is hosted on YG servers, with data residing in Yukon. The YuDriv system will be the ‘source of truth’ for the OLS and all records and requests will be matched against the records held in YuDriv.
Online Users of the OLS will access the e-services through an account they create and managed online. The online account will gain access to OLS by binding the online account to a TSB client. Online accounts are created by the user online by entering basic account information and receiving an activation key. Online users can gain access to OLS only by binding the HPW online account to the HPW TSB YuDriv user. OLS will use an online account process that can easily be converted to use MyYukon when it is available
COVID-19 Dashboard ArcGIS
In effort to continue to prevent and reduce serious harm to the health and safety of Yukoners, enable individuals and organizations to assess whether such risks exists and mitigate them effectively, and ensure open access to records held by the Department of Health and Social Services (HSS) that is in the public interest, the department will be implementing a public-facing COVID-19 dashboard. This dashboard will ensure consistency in data availability, accuracy, and provide the public with clearly defined COVID-19 data that is relevant to the current pandemic and public health needs. The dashboard will leverage an existing information system, ArcGIS. No significant changes to the ArcGIS system will occur.
The COVID-19 dashboard contains both unidentifiable information and possibly identifiable personal health information. The department head is satisfied that open access of the COVID-19 data through the dashboard is in the public interest to make the information available without requiring an access request in accordance with the Access to Information and Privacy Protection Act s.39(c). The decision for unidentifiable information considered:
• Public interest, which is confirmed by the continued and increased volume requests for COVID-19 data by First Nation governments, community leaders, general public, media, and Yukon Government departments.
This decision to include possibly identifiable personal health information considered:
• Prevention or reduction of a risk of serious harm to the health and safety of individuals (Health Information Privacy and Management Act (HIPMA) s.58(h));
• Enabling the assessment of whether a risk of serious harm to the health and safety of individuals (HIPMA s.58(h));
• Potential privacy implications of disclosing information that could possible be re-identified in combination with another information resources (HIPMA s.2 ‘identifying information’, s.14, s.15, and s.16); and
This decision was documented in the Issue Note titled, ‘Updating external data sharing using a COVID-19 dashboard’ and approved by the Deputy Minister of HSS and signed-off by the Minister of HSS on January 5, 2022.
Online Daily Campground Permit
The Government of Yukon released the Yukon Parks Strategy in 2020. YG is committed to developing a new payment option to allow people to pre-pay for camping online. We are calling this new product the Online Daily Campground Permit.
The Online Daily Campground Permit will be developed and hosted on the POSSE platform, which YG currently uses to sell hunting and fishing licenses, and the Yukon resident annual campground permits. The Online Daily Campground Permit will be a new saleable item on the Posse platform. The user interface is the Environment Yukon eServices account.
ATIPP Central Shared Service
The central shared service Access and Privacy Analyst have the role of Designated Access Officer (DAO) for client public bodies. A DAO is a public body's employee designated in writing as per section 87 (1) of the ATIPP Act. From this point forward in this PIA, the central shared service Access and Privacy Analysts will be referred to as DAOS.
This initiative produces capacity for public bodies to comply with the ATIPP Act through delivery of a centralized service for response to access requests for information. The DAOS deliver services for the public bodies who engage in the centralized service. The DAOs work in a central location in the ATIPP Office, have access to joint resources, and apply a consistent central process to handle and respond to access requests.
Yukon Midwifery Program
This PIA will focus on the collection, use, and disclosure of personal and personal health information in relation to Yukon Midwifery Program. The Yukon Government has determined that midwifery services and care are to be added as a model of care. Midwifery services have been regulated under the Midwifery Regulations of the Health Professionals Act and it is expected that Midwives will being delivering babies within Whitehorse by Summer 2022. Yukon midwives are employees of the Yukon Department of Health and Social Services ("HSS"), and midwifery services are covered for all eligible Yukoners.
Supervised Consumption Site
Nationally, opioid and other substance use rates have increased steadily over the past decade. The increase in use rates, coupled with other factors such as unsafe illegal supply and the Covid-19 pandemic, has led to an increase in injury and overdoses. The rate of the injury and overdose resulting from substance use has led many jurisdictions throughout Canada to open Supervised Consumption Sites (“SCS”) as a way of reducing harm directly and indirectly resulting from substance use.
SCS are medically supervised facilities that provide a safer, hygienic environment in which individuals can consume drugs under the supervision of a health care professional without the risk of arrest for drug possession. Individuals consume their substances under the supervision of a staff member who is trained to spot the signs of, and reverse, overdose. SCS do not provide the substances. SCS operate based on an approved temporary or permanent exemption issued by Health Canada.
SCS have seen success in lowering overdose, hospitalization, and death rates, as well as providing support services (such as counselling, medical treatment, and detox) to populations that have been historically hard to reach with government sponsored programs. Yukon has not been immune to this increase in user rates and, to quote Yukon’s then Chief Medical Officer Dr. Brendan Hanley on April 22, 2021 "The pace of opioid deaths [in Yukon] is continuing at a terrifying rate". In 2020 the Department of Health and Social Services (“HSS”), Mental Wellness and Substance Use Services (“MWSU”) Branch was mandated to create a SCS program for the health and safety of individuals. The opening of the SCS is supported by Dr. Hanley who stated on April 22, 2021: “This may seem like it's endorsing or supporting drug use, but in fact what happens is that overdoses are prevented and people do get connected to supports, medical care counselling, access to treatment".
Yukon’s SCS will operate under a temporary exemption from the Controlled Substances Directorate, Health Canada that provides the necessary authority to operate a supervised consumption site. The exemption expires September 30, 2022. YG will work to secure a permanent exemption under 56(1) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.
Canadian Red Cross Emergency Services
The Department of Health and Social Services "HSS", has identified an immediate need, as resulted from extreme weather event concerns across Yukon communities, for support to register and provide access to services to potential evacuees. Historically, HSS has provided these services through in-person service interactions. With the current COVID-19 outbreak and current lack of sufficient emergency response staffing resources, HSS will not be able to provide the in-person service.
To address the immediate need, the Canadian Red Cross (CRC) and HSS will establish a service agreement that enables the CRC to provide relevant emergency services. These services include electronic, phone and in-person registration of potential evacuees and funding support service to evacuees. The CRC will not be an agent of HSS, but will share information with HSS, with the individuals consent, to ensure appropriate access to services.
Online Rural Property Taxation Form
This project is to update the online payment form for rural property taxes through the Property Assessment and Taxation (PAT) branch of Community Services. The updated form will allow individuals to use any electronic device (computer, laptop, mobile device, etc.) to access the form and submit payments online. At the time of payment, eligible individuals may also claim their Home Owner Grant (HOG).
Rural property taxes can be remitted online during the period May 15, 12:00am to 11:59pm on July 2 of each calendar year. Outstanding accounts receive a 10% penalty effective July 3 and must be paid in person or by mail.
The web form works in conjunction with Bambora, YG's online payment service to collect payment information. Limited information (transaction ID, date and information entered into the web form are stored in Bambora and are accessible by limited PAT employees for the purpose of reconciling accounts. The scope of this PIA is to replace the online payment system with a web form on the Drupal platform.
Family Case Management
The Family Case Management (FCM) project is intended to create an electronic case management system capable of responding to
the requirement to better track the safety, service and developmental needs of children involved with our child welfare system (as
noted by the Auditor General of Canada, the Costanzo Report, the Public Interest Disclosure of Wrongdoing Act (PIDWA) Report and
the Yukon Child and Youth Advocate Report). Moving away from intense paper-based tracking systems through the creation of an
electronic case management system will allow social workers more time to focus on client services. This in turn will help support
people’s lives by helping families and children experience better security, safety, well-being and positive outcomes. An increased
ability to demonstrate program level financial accountability, and enhanced security and privacy of program data is also expected as
an outcome given the increase in the amount of client data stored within a secure system.