[3] In 2014, the park requested a geotechnical investigation of the area, extracting soil samples to assess building a roller coaster's concrete foundation.

[4] On 19 December 2017, Canada's Wonderland filed an application for a permit to build nine support footers on the water and amend the waterway with a tunnel travelling under the pond within the park.

[5] A permit was required from the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA), as parts of the ride, and the pond beneath it, fall within the Don River watershed.

[3][6] The diversionary channel was built under the pond in order to facilitate the creation of the underwater tunnel, as well as prevent silt runoff downstream.

[4] Construction for the diversionary channel, as well as the ride's underwater tunnel, required the temporary removal of two track pieces and a few supports belonging to Vortex, a roller coaster adjacent to Yukon Striker.

[citation needed] In July 2018, following continuous construction during the operating season, the park began teasing a planned announcement scheduled the following month.

[10] On 24 April 2019, seventy-two people who helped raise funds for The Hospital for Sick Children were invited to test-ride Yukon Striker.

After pausing for 5 seconds, riders plunge 75 metres (245 ft) through the middle of Vortex's helix and into an underwater tunnel, reaching a top speed of 130 km/h (81 mph).

The train dives down another steep drop into an airtime hill and then proceeds counterclockwise through a 360-degree helix that ends at the final brake run.

[16] When it opened in May 2019, Yukon Striker set three world records among Dive Coaster models for speed, length, and drop height.