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Pelly Mountains — Stone Sheep Country

Faro, Yukon

Built for a mine that closed, now thriving on its own terms — a community of remarkable resilience in the heart of the Pelly Mountains, where Stone sheep graze on the hillsides above town.

~350
Population
~$95K
Avg Property Price
Town
Municipality Type
Pelly Mountains
Region

Life in Faro

Faro was born in 1969 when Cyprus Anvil Mining Corporation opened what would become the largest open-pit lead-zinc mine in the world. The town was built quickly and completely — a planned company town with paved streets, a community centre, an arena, a swimming pool, and everything a mining workforce needed, deep in the Pelly Mountains on the Campbell Highway. At its peak the population reached 1,500. The mine closed for good in 1998, and most of those people left.

What remained was a town with extraordinary municipal infrastructure and about 350 people who had decided to stay — not because of the mine, but because of the place. The Pelly Mountains are spectacular. The Stone sheep are visible from town, moving across the rocky slopes above the streets. The Pelly River is one of the finest fishing rivers in Yukon. The air is clean. The community has reinvented itself around ecotourism, wildlife viewing, arts, and the Faro Mine remediation project — one of Canada's largest environmental cleanup operations, which provides ongoing local employment.

The Ross River Dena Council are the Indigenous peoples of the broader Pelly/Ross River area, and their history and connection to this landscape predates the mine by thousands of years. Faro today is a place for people who value a remarkable natural setting, genuine community, and a willingness to be part of something that doesn't fit the standard Canadian town template — and finds that quality entirely appealing.

Real Estate in Faro

Townsite Homes

Faro's residential areas contain homes built during the mining era — solid construction on paved streets with all municipal services. These properties represent some of the most remarkable real estate values in Canada: full-sized homes with mountain views, on proper lots, with arena, pool, and school access, at prices that simply don't exist anywhere else in the country.

~$60K–$150K

Larger Properties

Some of the larger homes and properties in Faro — built during the boom years for mine management — can be found at price points that seem almost implausible compared to any urban or suburban Canadian market. These are genuine opportunities for buyers who want space, mountain views, and a lifestyle most Canadians only dream about.

~$100K–$200K

Rural Parcels

Rural properties in the Pelly Mountains area surrounding Faro offer exceptional wilderness settings. The Campbell Highway corridor has some properties with remarkable river and mountain access. These suit buyers seeking self-sufficient lifestyle properties in genuine Canadian wilderness — not wilderness as a weekend destination, but as home.

~$50K–$180K depending on parcel and improvements

Faro Real Estate — FAQ

What was the Faro Mine?
The Faro Mine was once the largest open-pit lead-zinc mine in the world and Canada's largest single mine by output during its peak years. Opened in 1969 by Cyprus Anvil Mining Corporation, it operated through boom-and-bust cycles tied closely to zinc prices — with major closures in 1982 and 1993 before final closure in 1998. The mine site is now the subject of one of Canada's largest environmental remediation projects — a federal-territorial effort involving tailings management, water treatment, and site reclamation expected to take decades and costing over $1 billion. The mine defined Faro's reason for existence, and its closure permanently reshaped the community.
What is Faro like today after the mine closed?
Faro today is a small, genuinely resilient community that has rebuilt its identity around ecotourism, wildlife viewing, arts, and outdoor recreation. The Pelly Mountains surrounding the town are spectacular, and the area is particularly renowned for Stone sheep viewing — a subspecies of thinhorn sheep visible on the surrounding hillsides, often with binoculars from residential streets. The Faro Wildlife Sanctuary provides exceptional viewing access. The ongoing remediation project employs local residents. Faro has an arts community, a functioning golf course, and a spirit that says its story isn't finished.
What wildlife can be seen near Faro?
Faro is famous among wildlife enthusiasts for Stone sheep viewing — the Faro Wildlife Sanctuary offers exceptional access to these thinhorn sheep on rocky slopes above town, a remarkable experience unique to this part of Yukon. Moose, woodland caribou, wolves, wolverine, and black bears are all present in the surrounding area. The Pelly River and Campbell Highway corridor are excellent for both wildlife and fishing — the Pelly River is celebrated for chinook salmon and northern pike runs that attract serious anglers from across Canada.
What is the real estate situation in Faro?
Faro has some of the most striking real estate values in Canada. Following the mine closure, the population dropped from a peak of about 1,500 to roughly 350 permanent residents, leaving municipal infrastructure built for a much larger population. The town has paved streets, a full arena, swimming pool, school, health centre, and all municipal services — for 350 people. Properties range from modest homes to larger houses on generous lots with dramatic mountain views, at prices that are genuinely difficult to comprehend from a southern Canadian perspective.
How do you get to Faro?
Faro is accessible via the Campbell Highway — a well-maintained gravel road that connects to Carmacks (180 km northwest) and Watson Lake (590 km southeast). The highway passes through remarkable Pelly Mountains wilderness scenery and is drivable in a regular vehicle during summer. Winter driving requires appropriate preparation but the road is maintained year-round. There is no scheduled air service to Faro; Whitehorse is the closest major airport, approximately 360 km away via Carmacks and the Klondike Highway.
Is there a Land Transfer Tax in Yukon?
No. Yukon has no provincial or territorial Land Transfer Tax. Buyers pay legal and notary fees and title registration costs, but there is no government transfer tax on the purchase price. In a community like Faro, where home prices are already at levels unusual in Canada, the absence of transfer tax makes the total cost of entry even more accessible — your closing costs are genuinely minimal.
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