YWIM is a volunteer-run organization that organizes concerts, workshops and fundraising events, and provides networking opportunities for women and gender diverse musicians in and around the Whitehorse area.
YWIM is located on the traditional territory of the Kwanlin Dün First Nation and the Ta’an Kwäch’än Council. We offer respect and gratitude to the original and on-going caretakers of this land who have been making music, sharing stories, and building community here for thousands of years.
May 2026 ~ Update to Members
- Call out for Arts in the Park performance opportunity
- Cookshacks Update
- General Update
- Board Update
Arts in the Park performance opportunity
Yukon Women in Music will be hosting an Arts in the Park performance in LePage Park on June 5 at noon. We are using the opportunity to promote our Cookshacks events in Yukon parks. We are looking for 5 solo performers to prepare three songs each. Compensation of $250 will come from AIP. Much the same as Cookshacks, this will be round robin. Candidates will be chosen on a first come first serve basis. We would also like to finish with a song by BJ MacLean called Moose Meat and Guitars. We’ll provide chords and lyrics and ask everyone to contribute to a sing along. Deadline to apply, Monday May 4th at midnight.
Cookshacks Update
Cookshacks now have all performers. Thanks to all who stepped up so quickly. Dates and locations on website, check there or Facebook. NEW ADDITION this year: Friday night, sing along for anybody and everybody. Meet in the Cookshack 7pm. Song sheets provided and led by one of the weekend performers. Bring an instrument if you wish but the focus is on audience involvement in singing along. Everyone welcome. Email yukonwomeninmusic@gmail.com Remember: first come first served.
General Update
YWIM will soon be releasing details about the upcoming year. We are lucky to have found funding to support a growth in our regular projects of Cookshacks and Jamfest. Additionally we are planning some Home Concerts, Song Writing Workshops, Workshops at Care facilities, Updates to the Normandy Living songbook, Learn to Jam workshops and more. We are looking forward to sharing more details with you soon. It has been very busy on the board front!
Board Update
Join me in welcoming Hannah Wilkie to the board! Thanks Hannah, we are happy to have you.
Your YWIM Board: Arlin McFarlane, Hannah Roth, Coleen Arnison, Élise Brown-Desault, Hannah Wilkie.
We will have a special addition to the activities this year. On the Friday night of each Cookshack weekend, there will be a sing along in the Cook Shack, led by one of our YWIM members.
February 2026 ~ Update to Members
- New Horizons Funding Surprise
- What the Summer holds for Cookshacks
- April Fundraising Concert
- Three-Year Plan
- Coffeehouse Fundraiser
- Board News
- Opportunities to get involved
- Call for Submissions, Women in the Studio
New Horizons Funding Surprise
YWIM submitted a funding application to New Horizons in 2024 which was somehow lost. Then, a year later, it got a tracking number and a contract and a pot of money which will help us with this year’s programming! We are grateful though we are still waiting for the cheque. We are in the preliminary stages of planning. More soon.
What the summer holds for Cookshacks
Christina Mae and Amelia will be producing two Cookshacks for YWIM this summer. They will have all the features that we are familiar with: jamming, workshops, performance. In addition the board will hire someone to produce two “Little Sister” events, one on each side of the Cookshacks. This is in the preliminary stages but jamming will definitely be part of it and hopefully camping too. No dates for any of this yet.
Friday, April 10th Fundraising Concert
Annie and Arlin are once again producing our annual fundraising concert at the Whitehorse United Church Sanctuary. A call out for performers will be sent out early March. Stay tuned.
Three Year Plan
Our amazing four person board managed to put together a three-year plan. We are still reviewing it and will share soon. Our goal is to build a more sustainable organization with a paid part-time contractor on a year-round basis to administer projects and stabilize fundraising applications. This is a strong focus and vision and hard to do with only four people! We are optimistic however and taking steps to organize ourselves. Having the recent magic money from New Horizons helps us to focus on the future as opposed to being behind the eight ball for this year’s programming.
Coffeehouse Fundraiser
YWIM raises funds by providing the concession for the monthly coffee houses at the United Church. People are needed to both bake cookies or cake or some other yummy confection and to help out at the event. (First Saturday of the month except for March, first Friday). Please consider helping. Email Mary Tiessen metiessen@gmail.com THANKS MARY!
Board News
Heather Holdsworth has had to resign. We thank her for her work and wish her good luck with her Masters Degree and family.
Get Involved
Want to get involved with some of our projects? Here are some of the current opportunities, more coming soon:
- Folk Night Coffeehouse Fundraiser - we’re looking for volunteers to bring baked goods and volunteers to run the concession. Contact metiessen@gmail.com
- Write a support letter for our grant applications for cookshacks or jamfest
- Interested in planning and organizing one of our projects? Add yourself to our list of potential contractors by emailing yukonwomeninmusic@gmail.com - more information coming soon
- Join our board (note from Hannah & Elise: please?)
- Join us for a board meeting! If you love YWIM and want to influence our projects, you can join us and give your input. Email us if you’re interested.
Call for Submissions:Women in the Studio
Deadline: February 9th
Presented by Music Publishers Canada, the Women in the Studio National Accelerator is designed to provide women and non-binary songwriter/producers with skills development and networking opportunities that may otherwise be inaccessible to them. The Accelerator will run from June to October 2026 with virtual sessions and workshops and an in-person residency over five days in the summer in Toronto.
Click Here! Or https://docs.google.com/forms/
Your board,
Arlin, Hannah, Colleen and Elise.
