Residents in Dawson City, Old Crow speak out against proposed riding merger
CBC
A small but vocal group of Dawson City, Yukon, residents came to a public meeting on Monday night to speak out against proposed changes to Yukon's electoral boundaries.
Last month, the Yukon Electoral District Boundaries Commission released its 2024 interim report, which proposes that the territory increase the number of ridings in Whitehorse from 11 to 13, due to the city's growing population, while merging rural ridings from eight down to six.
One of the proposed mergers involves the Vuntut Gwitchin riding in Old Crow, and Dawson City's Klondike riding into a new riding called Yukon North.
Fewer than a dozen people showed up for the commission's public consultation meeting on Monday meeting in Dawson City, but they appeared unanimous in their feedback: Dawson City and Old Crow should each continue to have their own MLAs.
Suzanne Crocker was the first resident to speak to the commission on Monday.
"I have to admit, I had to check the calendar to make sure it wasn't April 1 — because I thought it was an April Fool's joke," she said.
"I oppose the reform. I think effective representation in the Yukon shouldn't be based on population."
Crocker also pointed out how the balance of power between rural communities and Whitehorse could be affected if the all of the recommendations in the interim report were passed.
"If this went to the legislature right now it would be in Whitehorse's interest to all vote 'yes' because then they'd get more votes — and even if all of the communities say 'no, we don't like this,' we would be out-voted."
Resident Brent McDonald said the MLA for Klondike already has a lot on his plate dealing with issues in Dawson. Having the Klondike MLA take on another community's unique issues isn't practical when it comes to getting things done locally.
"When I think of the Klondike riding, we have a mining industry," McDonald said. "We have a tourism industry, endangered fisheries, we have a tremendous amount of geography. We have wildfires, we have our own hospital... Every single one of these issues is something our MLA needs to deal with or be involved with."
The commission has been holding public hearings across the territory over the last month to hear comments on the proposed boundaries. Before visiting Dawson City on Monday, the commission stopped over earlier that day in Old Crow.
According to the commission's chair, Justice Suzanne Duncan, people in Old Crow also spoke out against the proposed merger with the Klondike riding.
"They're concerned about their voice being lost," Duncan told CBC. "They have unique concerns connected to the land, and the wildlife, and protection."
Strong attendance and record sponsorship at the Northern Ontario Tourism Summit in North Bay is a good sign the industry is recovering from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, says Destination Northern Ontario.
A group of Halifax residents is asking the Nova Scotia Supreme Court to look at a provincial decision to greenlight a controversial Fall River development.
Parkside Drive is closed in both directions following reports of a sinkhole, Toronto police say.
The Quebec government will present its fall economic update today.
Aggressive patients and lack of security are making nurses feel unsafe in a rural Western Manitoba emergency union, says the Manitoba Nurses Union.
Saskatoon resident Delynne Bortis knew her commute to work Tuesday morning would be particularly difficult.
WARNING: This story contains details of abuse and intimate partner violence:
The amount of money it takes for people to earn a living wage has increased across the province, according to a new report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA).
The new owner of Ontario steelmaker Stelco says his company "will not disappoint the people of Hamilton and Nanticoke," where the business's major facilities are based.
A Winnipegger is warning others about an intricate scam she says she almost fell for.
Fort William First Nation is opposing a planned redevelopment of the Ontario Power Generation's (OPG) 117 year old Kakabeka Falls Generating Station, which is located in their traditional territory.