Yukon Act 10th Anniversary Celebration

June 6, 2013

WHITEHORSE - 2013 marks 10 years since Yukon’s constitution, the Yukon Act, came into force. This landmark Act gave the Government of Yukon direct control over a greater variety of provincial-type programs, responsibilities and powers, including public lands and resource management over water, forestry and mineral resources.

To celebrate this anniversary there will be a free public reception and a panel discussion on recent events in the constitutional history of Yukon at the Yukon Arts Centre on Tuesday, June 11, 2013 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Panelists will include the former federal Northern Affairs Minister who shepherded the new Act through Parliament in 2002/03 Hon. Robert Nault, former Commissioner Jack Cable, then Member of Parliament Larry Bagnell, the Council of Yukon First Nation’s representative in the 2001/02 Yukon Act talks, Daryn Leas, and long-time constitution-watchers Ken McKinnon, Gordon Steele and Kirk Cameron.  The panel will be moderated by the former Clerk of the Legislative Assembly, Patrick Michael.

This 10th anniversary also marks the repeal of the last of the provisions of the previous Yukon Act to remain in force - one which allowed the federal government's Northern Development Minister to issue Letters of Instruction to the Yukon's Commissioner. 

Over this past decade there have been significant advances in all aspects of Yukon governance. Now 11 of the 14 Yukon First Nations have Self-government Agreements in place and considerable progress has been made by many of them in the drawing-down of self-government powers. 

Yukon College, Institute of Public Administration of Canada (Yukon Chapter) and northSense management consulting are co-hosting this event with generous support from Air North, the Speaker’s Office of the Yukon Legislative Assembly, the Aron Senkpiel Fund and the Whitehorse Chamber of Commerce.

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For more information, contact:

Michael Vernon
Communications Coordinator
College Relations
Yukon College
867.668.8786
867.332.4722
mvernon@yukoncollege.yk.ca