Government of Yukon Socio-Economic Web Portal

Faro is located in the Pelly River valley in the Anvil Mountains. The community lies just off the Robert Campbell Highway, 356 kilometres northeast of Whitehorse. The Town of Faro was established in 1969 to service a major lead-zinc deposit 22 km away. The mine was a vital contributor to the territorial economy for many years.

Mining operations occurred under various owners and intermittently until 1998 when the last operator declared bankruptcy. The Faro Mine Complex was managed by a court appointed receiver until 2009 when the Yukon government took over responsibility for the care and maintenance of the abandoned mine site. Currently, a contractor is responsible for implementing care and maintenance activities and projects at the former mine site which provides training and employment opportunities to Town of Faro residents. The community now supports a much smaller but more stable population and is developing as a tourism, arts and retirement community.

Source: Yukon Community Profiles