Prior to the completion of the Yukon Arts Centre, musical and theatre performances in Whitehorse were typically conducted in borrowed spaces and venues; including the local courthouse, and in the gym of F. H. Collins Secondary School.

[3] After nearly a decade of lobbying, all three levels of government provided CA$9 million for the purposes of establishing a new arts venue.

[3] Two locations were initially proposed for the arts centre, along the riverfront in downtown Whitehorse, or adjacent to Yukon University.

[3] The site adjacent to the college was selected after the territorial government provided a guarantee it would cover the centre's maintenance and operations costs for the building if it was situated there.

[8] The building also contains an art museum with three galleries; encompassing 390 square metres (4,200 sq ft) of floor space.

[11] The art centre also has a permanent collection that includes over 100 works from artists in northern Canada.