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Speaker: I will now call the House to order. We will proceed at this t=
ime
with prayers.
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bsp;
Prayers
INTRODUCTION OF PAGES<= o:p>
Speaker: It gives me great pleasure to introduce a new page to the Hou=
se. He
is William Sternbergh from
Applause
DAILY ROUTINE
Speaker: We will proceed at this time with the Order Paper.
Tributes.
TRIBUTES
In
recognition of Remembrance Day
Speaker: This is the week of remembrance leading up to Remembrance Day= , this Sunday, when we will all gather at the Canada Games Centre inside, out of t= he cold. The flags will be marched in, followed by the RCMP in their Red Serge, the army and air force cadets, then the current serving members of the Cana= dian Armed Forces and Rangers. Last to arrive will be the Legion members and the veterans. Not all Legion members are veterans and not all veterans are Legi= on members.
The number of veterans this year is= again smaller than last year. The end of World War II was 67 years ago. The Korean War ended a mere 59 years ago. Those who came home are getting on in age an= d so they should. Sadly, I know of five veterans who have passed away this year.= I also know there were others, but I don’t have their names, and for th= at I apologize.
Bill Skea served in the navy and wa=
s a
piper with the Midnight Sun Pipe Band. Fred Thompson was in the infantry an=
d a
truck driver with and will be remembered for his love of hockey, which he played=
into
his 80s. Noreen McLennan voluntarily joined the Canadian Women’s Army
Corps. Originally from
Not all of these veterans served ov= erseas, for it takes a lot of Force members to support one soldier in the field, fr= om training new recruits, ordering and shipping supplies, organizing and transporting units inside and outside of Canada, keeping records of what is happening and even releasing soldiers back to civilian life. There are many jobs that need to be done and all are part of the collective effort and do = not lessen the importance of their work, nor their commitment.
I knew all of these veterans, some =
better
than others. All of them were fiercely proud of their service to
Around Thanksgiving several years a= go, a grade 2 teacher asked the students what they were thankful for. Noreen̵= 7;s granddaughter, Shea — who is actually with us today — responded that she was thankful that her grandmother didn’t get hurt when she w= on the war. We all had a lot of laughs over that and Noreen never tired of tel= ling the story. But it’s true that every veteran should be looked at as individually winning the war; collectively they did it.
I am very pleased to introduce some=
of
Noreen’s family and friends who are with us in the gallery today: Hea=
ther
Hierlihy, Tim Hierlihy, Tavis Hierlihy, Bryce Hierlihy, Shea Hierlihy, Nicki
Simcoe, Terry Neis and Pam Cotton. Welcome to our House. We thank all of the
veterans for their service, not just to
Applause
In recognition of Farmer of the = Year, 2012
Hon.
Mr. Cathers: Today I rise to pay tribute to
Steve and Bonnie exemplify dedicati= on and a passion for continuing to expand their venture in new and creative ways. Th= ey also have employed a number of other Yukoners in their farming operation. <= o:p>
The name is Yukon Grain Farm, but t=
hey are
better known by many people for their potatoes, which have become very visi=
ble
in
To begin with, this year they worke=
d with
two
In the words of one nominator, Stev= e and Bonnie were willing to make it work and ensured that all orders were filled. They are diligent in their attention to detail and strive for the very best products they give out to the community. They have very high expectations f= or their produce and only provide top quality. This was apparent in the vegeta= bles they provided for the healthy choice fundraiser campaign.
Another notable initiative for 2012=
for the
Yukon Grain Farm was the implementation of the Canada Good Agricultural Pra=
ctices
program, developed by the Canadian Horticultural Council. This was the first
for any
The GAP program is an on-farm food = safety program for companies that produce, pack and store fruits or vegetables on = the farm. To become certified in the program, a farm must train staff, document procedures and follow a rigorous hazard analysis approach. The processes are audited by a third party who visits the farm, reviews the record, inspects = the facilities, interviews staff and assesses compliance to the program.=
The program provides customers with= the assurance that the products they receive are safe and attest to the ongoing FoodSafe operation of the business. It is a time-consuming and expensive program to implement, but provides consumers with peace of mind that they a= re receiving safe, healthy produce, and GAP is an added incentive to do busine= ss with and purchase products from the Yukon Grain Farm.
Perhaps most notably and most impre=
ssive
for 2012 is that we saw increased prominence in the display of Yukon Grain =
Farm
products in local stores, including the carrots, which were very visible up=
on
entering local supermarkets this year, adding to the potatoes, which were a=
lso
very visible. What is really notable about that is that this is prime retail
space for the local supermarkets. Stores do not give up prime retail space =
to a
product unless they believe that product will attract customers and make th=
em
money. What we have seen and heard from grocery stores is that, in fact, the
dollar-per-foot of display space provided in relation to the products’=
; return
they get was the highest for Steve and Bonnie’s products of any of th=
eir
elements within the store in their prime display space.
So Yukon Grain Farm delivers a qual= ity product at a fair price. Consumers from all over the Yukon and beyond go in= to these stores, see Yukon produce featured prominently and, upon getting it h= ome, I think anyone in this Assembly, who are listening and purchased their products, will agree that they’re very high quality vegetables and th= at the carrots are, far and away, the best carrots you have ever purchased in = the supermarket. Consumers that have never been to a farmer’s market see = in the grocery store the Yukon produce and the opportunity to purchase locally= grown food, so the leadership of the Yukon Grain Farm and Steve and Bonnie does a= lot for Yukon farmers and the Yukon agricultural sector as a whole in raising t= he product, increasing the production of local food significantly, and making = it available to more Yukoners to purchase.
So, again, I am very pleased and pr=
oud to
commend Steve and Bonnie MacKenzie-Grieve for receiving th=
e 2012
Yukon Farmer of the Year award, and to thank them very sincerely for the
significant contribution they have made to
Mr. Chair, if I may, I would ask all members to welcome Steve and Bonnie to the gallery.
Applause
Speaker: Are there any further tributes?
Introduction of visitors.
INTRODUCTION OF VISITO= RS
Mr. Tredger:= I’d like = to introduce a friend and former neighbour from Pelly Crossing. He’s a Q= uest musher known for his care of his dogs, and he and his wife, Anne, are now owners/operators of Muktuk Kennels. I’d like to introduce Frank Turne= r to the gallery.
Applause
Speaker: Are there any further introductions of visitors?
Are there any returns or documents = for tabling?
TABLING RETURNS AND DOCUMENTS
Hon. Mr. Dixon:=
195; I have for tabl=
ing
today the
Mr.
Tredger:=
I have for tabl=
ing the
following document: Identifying Health Concerns relating to oil & gas
development in northeastern B.C.: human health risk assessment — phas=
e 1
report that is prepared by the Fraser Basin Council to the B.C. Ministr=
y of
Health.
Mr. Elias:= 8195; I have for tabling today a handwritten letter sent to the Arc= tic Winter Games organizing committee, and it’s regarding the sled dog competition inclusion into the 2016 Arctic Winter Games. It is signed by the living legend, Frank Turner.
I also have for tabling a document = from the United States House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce = 212; Minority Staff, dated April 2011, and it’s regarding chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing.
Speaker: Are there any reports of committees?
Are there any petitions for present= ation?
Are there any bills to be introduce= d?
Are there any notices of motion?
NOTICES OF MOTION
Ms. McLeod: = I give notice of the following moti= on:
THAT this House urges the Governmen= t of Yukon, in keeping with the commitments outlined in its 2011 election platfo= rm, to implement initiatives and actions emanating from the “Our Towns, O= ur Future” review that included 75 findings in relation to the following= 18 themes:
(1) Yukon
(2) First Nation and Municipal Rela= tions;
(3) Regionalization and Governance;=
(4) Municipal Act Review Pro= cess;
(5) Community Development Teams; = span>
(6) Municipal Sustainability Indica= tors;
(7) Climate Change Adaptation;
(8) Yukon Municipal Resources Websi= te;
(9) Provision of Local Services; = span>
(10) Municipal Infrastructure Defic= it and Asset Management;
(11) Revenue Generation;
(12)
(13) Comprehensive Municipal Grant;=
(14) Increasing Cost and Burden of Regulations;
(15) Impacts of Peripheral Resident= s, Businesses, and Industries on Municipal Services;
(16) Energy Costs;
(17) Employee Recruitment and Reten= tion; and
(18) Training: Building Local Capac= ity.
I give notice of the following moti= on:
THAT this House urges the Departmen= t of Energy, Mines and Resources, Land Planning branch, to continue its recently expanded efforts on local area planning and zoning by continuing to work wi= th residents on initiatives, including:
(1)
(2) Carcross Local Area Plan;
(3) West
(4)
(6) Mount Lorne Zoning Amendments.<= /span>
Mr. Hassard: I rise to give notice of the follow= ing motion:
THAT this House urges the Governmen= t of Yukon to continue working with Yukon citizens living outside of communities= by addressing their needs and priorities, including local area planning and infrastructure development.
I also give notice of the following= motion:
THAT this House urges the Governmen= t of Canada to implement a successor program to the seven-year, $8.8 billion Building Canada fund that was established under the 2007 Building Canada pl= an, due to expire in 2014, that funded on a cost-sharing basis national, region= al and local priorities and support projects designed to deliver results in th= ree areas of national importance; namely, a stronger economy a cleaner environm= ent, and strong and prosperous communities.
I also give notice of the following= motion:
THAT this House urges the Governmen=
t of
Yukon to continue to work with municipalities and local advisory councils t=
o address
the needs and priorities of citizens living in
Ms. Stick:= 8195; I give notice o= f the following motion:
THAT this House urges the
(1) increasing the amount of the al= lowance to allow recipients to meet their needs; and
(2) indexing the allowance to the c= onsumer price index so that recipients do not fall behind.
Mr. Silver:&= #8195; I rise to give = notice of the following motion:
THAT this House urges the Governmen=
t of
Yukon to work with Northern Cross and the Yukon Conservation Society to inc=
rease
awareness about the
Speaker: Is there a statement by a minister?
This brings us to Question Period.<= /span>
QUESTION PERIOD
Question re: Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act amendment= s
Ms.
Stick:=
8195; Yesterday, we h=
eard the
Minister of Highways and Public Works say that changes to
The fact that
Hon.
Mr. Istchenko: Let’s not forget that the ATI=
PP act
is the Access to Information and
Protection of Privacy Act, not just access to information. I thank the
member opposite for the question again. I’m not sure what they’=
re
missing from the answer, but I’ll take this opportunity to repeat mys=
elf.
Let us not lose sight of the fact i=
t was a
Yukon Party government that first introduced the ATIPP act, not the NDP or
Liberals. The purpose of the proposed amendments is to bring clarity to the
section of the act where there is uncertainty. These amendments will serve =
to
balance the public’s right to information against the public’s
right to the protection of privacy. These proposed amendments help ensure t=
hat
Ms.
Stick:=
8195; In these amendm=
ents, we
are seeing an attack on, or shrouding of secrecy of the government’s
information. Our democratic institutions belong to the people and are
responsible to the people. We should make government business more public by
proactively disclosing documents and information, not shrouding government =
in
secrecy. Don’t take our word for it.
Tyler Summers of Democracy Watch said, and I quote: “So in preventing Yuko= ners in this situation from accessing this information, it’s stripping peo= ple of their democratic rights, and that’s a regressive step. It’s backwards. We should be moving forwards.”
Again, will this government stop it= s plan to restrict public access to information, go back to the drawing board, con= sult widely and propose a bill to increase information access, instead of restricting it?
Hon.
Mr. Istchenko: I thank the member opposite for the
question. Let’s not lose sight of the fact that it was this Yukon Par=
ty
that brought forward the ATIPP act. We did some amendments to the act for t=
he
inclusion of institutions such as Yukon College, Yukon Hospital Corporation,
and Yukon Energy Corporation. But still, the ATIPP act is an information and
protection of privacy act. The purpose of the proposed amendments is to cla=
rify
in the section of the act where there’s some uncertainty and to ensure
that
Ms.
Stick: It is=
a good
act; I don’t dispute that. But from what the Yukon Party would have us
believe, our government has been functioning just fine for these past 10 ye=
ars.
They’ve provided no evidence that these changes are needed.
He can reference changes made in 20=
09 all
he wants; the reality today, here in 2012, is that the Yukon
Will the minister tell this House w= hat his government is trying to hide from Yukoners through this attack on our democ= racy?
Hon. Mr. Istchenko: Mr. Speaker, the access to informat= ion is there, but also the protection of privacy. I said that earlier — not = just the access to information.
I alluded to this earlier and IR=
17;m
going to allude to the same thing: this ensures that
Question re: Hydraulic fr=
acturing
Mr.
Tredger:=
Mr. Speaker, in=
July,
EFL Overseas Energy announced it had acquired control of the Kotaneelee gas
project in the
The primary method of extracting
unconventional gas reserves is through fracking, plain and simple. With this
one company expressing interest now in unconventional gas in the
Hon.
Mr. Cathers: Again, I have to remind the member,=
as I
did yesterday: the Member for Mayo-Tatchun consistently stands up and paint=
s a
picture that suggests that somehow someone is imminently applying to do
hydraulic fracturing in the
Aside from the fact that this an ac= tivity that occurs across the country in jurisdictions with oil and gas regulations and aside from the fact that the very work in New Brunswick the member was referring to yesterday recommended against a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing, but rather for government to take the appropriate steps to ensu= re that it was effectively managed, what again I will remind the member of is that, contrary to his repeated assertions, this is not an imminent prospect= .
The earliest that someone would be = looking at doing it, which would be something that is not a certainty — that = because someone asks to do something, they are allowed to do it. It would be years = down the road. So, again, the member should be a little less alarmist and spend a little more time researching facts.
Mr. Tredger:= For the record,= the article I referred to did not make mention one way or the other on whether there should or should not be fracking going ahead in New Brunswick. They j= ust gave the information.
We know that EFL Overseas Energy is=
not
going to frack the
Will the minister explain why he is= opposed to the idea of a public consultation on the issue of fracking, a position s= upported both by YCS and Northern Cross?
Hon.
Mr. Cathers: Again, what I have to remind the me=
mber
is the member has consistently been very alarmist around the entire oil and=
gas
industry.
I have to remind the House again th= at the Member for Mayo-Tatchun is the same member who stood up consistently while = the review of the request for rights of oil and gas in the Whitehorse Trough was going= on and consistently told Yukoners that government had decided to issue the rig= hts. They knew that was going to happen when, in fact, as I said from day one, government considered there to be three options, on which we wanted public input: all of the areas, some of the areas or none of the areas. We listene= d to the public; we chose none of the areas.
In the case of hydraulic fracturing=
, I
would again remind the member that the same reports he likes to cite and ta=
lk
about — the work that was done in
Mr.
Tredger:=
It’s not =
me
who’s being alarmist; it’s a lack of information and clarity an=
d a
government that doesn’t appear to be listening that is alarming the
people of the
Yukoners across all walks of life w= ant to have a conversation with their government about the future of the oil and g= as industry. Yukoners want to explore potential benefits and discuss their concerns. Yukoners want the scientific evidence to be laid out on the table= for all to see and discuss. Yukoners want to be engaged in what has become a ve= ry important issue for them. What they are asking this government to do is to = provide some leadership and create an open and transparent process for Yukoners to engage in. One day in the next few years, a company will apply to frack. Wh= y is this minister so insistent on dodging the issue? Why won’t he encoura= ge a public discussion now, instead of leaving it to the last minute?
Hon.
Mr. Pasloski: As I discussed yesterday, I have re=
ceived
a joint letter from the Yukon Conservation Society and Northern Cross
Once we get a real understanding fr= om that, it can help us to shape what our next steps forward will be, because this is how we’re going to move forward on this where we have the proponents.= We have someone who is actually, actively dwelling and we have the Conservation Society — the two ends of the spectrum coming together to have a good discussion on how we can move forward — that’s how this governm= ent will move forward.
Question re: Peel watershed land use plan=
Mr. Silver:&= #8195; I have some que= stions for the Minister of Environment regarding his department’s role in the Peel land use planning process.
Early in 2012, the minister co-sign= ed a Cabinet submission that resulted in the now infamous eight principles being= released a few weeks later. As the eight principles were not developed in collaborat= ion with First Nation governments, who are supposed to be partners in this proc= ess, can the minister tell the House who did author these principles?
Hon.
Mr. Dixon: Mr. Speaker, as we announced a few =
weeks
ago, we have opened the final round of public consultation for the developm=
ent
of the Peel land use plan. Since the election,
Those principles guided government&= #8217;s work forward to where we are today. So I believe that answers the member op= posite’s question. I would take the opportunity, though, to encourage Yukoners to participate in the consultation currently ongoing and provide thoughtful and constructive input about the tools, scenarios, and concepts proposed on our= www.peelconsultation.ca website.
Mr. Silver:&= #8195; According to do= cuments that we’ve obtained through the Access to Information and Protecti= on of Privacy Act, the authors of the eight principles were the Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources and the Minister of the Environment. These same documents make it clear that there are a number of unhappy people in the Department of Environment, who saw their good work being thrown under the b= us by this government. With the release of the eight principles, it became pre= tty clear which department was calling the shots and which department was headi= ng the plan. E-mails from Environment speak of frustrated staff, one in particular, saying, and I quote: “Interesting that this department ha= s to get the planned principles from the news release.”
To the Minister of Environment: Who= is supposed to be a partner in this exercise? Why were employees in his depart= ment left to learn about these major changes in directions from a news release?<= /span>
Hon. Mr. Dixon: All I can say with the utmost certa= inty is that throughout the process of this endeavour since the election, the Department of Energy, Mines and Resources and the Department of Environment have been in lockstep in their development of the work that has been underg= one so far. Senior officials in both departments were involved from square A to where we are right now. I can say with certainty that the Department of Environment’s perspectives were provided thoroughly in the work that = is presented to the public currently, as well as the work provided by the Department of Energy, Mines and Resources.
The two departments worked in locks= tep and they continue to do so. As well, there were important contributions from the departments of Tourism and Culture, Justice, land claims and a number of ot= her departments. This was really an excellent team effort from across governmen= t.
Mr. Silver:&= #8195; Shortly after t= he government released its eight principles, officials in the Department of Environment expressed reservations. They were concerned, and rightfully so, that the government not just disperse little protected areas around the reg= ion if they wanted to maintain conservation priorities. The Yukon Party’s= new plan has done just that, so these concerns are valid and they were ignored = by this government.
Briefing notes prepared by the mini= ster this fall — the kind of documents that will not see the light of day under proposed changes to the ATIPP act before us this sitting — made= the following statement: “There is considerable public support for some f= orm of protection in large wilderness areas in the region.”
The new Yukon Party plan for the Pe= el ignores that public support. It leaves entire areas open to development.
Why didn’t the Minister of Environment represent the advice of his department officials when he co-authored the eight principles with the Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources?
Hon. Mr. Cathers: Once again, we hear some very inter= esting and inaccurate assertions coming from the Leader of the Liberal Party. What= I would point out to the member opposite is that development of this approach= was jointly done by the Department of Environment and Energy, Mines and Resourc= es with leadership especially of senior and involved officials in developing t= his work on the basis of sound evidence, contrary to the member’s asserti= ons.
I point out that this is the same m=
ember
who attacked the proposed modifications the Yukon Party came up with and the
same day, I believe it was, or it might have been the next day, asked in an
e-mail if he could have a briefing so he could actually understand what we =
were
proposing. The member has no interest in the facts of what the government is
doing because
No new surface or subsurface dispos= itions would be issued. I encourage Yukoners not to listen to the members; get the facts; visit www.peelconsultati= on.ca.
Question re: Old Crow rec=
reation
centre
Mr. Elias:= 8195; For over a decade the people of Old Crow have demonstrated an ambition that remains unmatched by this government. The citizens of Old Crow have poured thousands of hours of hard work into the planning and design of= a community recreation centre and not one of our citizens has been paid one c= ent for their efforts.
This community centre is a priority=
for us.
It will feature an indoor hockey rink, a fitness area, an early-childhood e=
ducation
facility, and a 409-square-foot multi-purpose hall with an attached kitchen
where we’ll be able to host gatherings for up to 361 people. The
constituents of every
Mr. Speaker, I’d like to remi= nd the government that my constituents are Yukoners too. When can we expect the Mi= nister of Community Services to make the Old Crow community recreation centre a priority at the Cabinet table?
Hon.
Ms. Taylor: Mr. Speaker, as I articulated the o=
ther
day in the Legislature, this government recognizes the importance of invest=
ing
in sport and recreation and community infrastructure development in every
single
As I articulated, in this year̵= 7;s budget, we have approximately $100 million in support of recreation infrastructure, drinking water upgrades, waste-water treatment, green energ= y, rural road upgrades, and so forth. We will continue to work with the Vuntut Gwitchin government, as we have in the past, and we’ll continue to en= sure that all communities have safe, healthy and sustainable infrastructure to d= raw from, and certainly that includes community infrastructure.
Mr.
Elias:=
8195; I just came home from our community of Old Crow and the minis=
ter
keeps referencing the water well and the new waste oxidization unit in the
dump, but I didn’t see signs on those two buildings saying, “Hey
kids, come play in here.” This centre is a green project, designed to
meet the specific environmental challenges of an isolated community
that’s north of the 67th parallel. It will be located in c=
lose
proximity to the community’s new water well, and photovoltaic solar
panels will feed energy back into Old Crow’s power grid. Waste heat f=
rom
the ATCO diesel power plant will maximize the use of all energy produced in=
Old
Crow, thus reducing the overall carbon footprint of our remote Arctic
community. This project is a win for Old Crow, the north and the environmen=
t,
and it will be a win for this government as soon as they sign on.
When will the minister join the peo= ple of Old Crow in this winning proposition and provide a firm commitment to the f= inal stage of its development?
Hon.
Ms. Taylor: Again, the
So we continue to work on recreation
infrastructure, such as what we have done in
Mr. Elias:= 8195; Now we’re getting somewhere. The community of Old Crow = has numerous agreements with private industry and governments in regard to the planned community recreation centre. We also have a memorandum of understan= ding that’s signed between Yukon Electrical and our Vuntut Gwitchin Development Corporation. Our community has a signed inter-governmental acco= rd, integrated community sustainability plan and a capital plan, all of which contain clauses addressing the delivery of a community recreation centre. T= here is an expectation here that a government lives up to the signed agreements = it has with its communities and with other governments. I’m disappointed= . I expected a lot more from a veteran politician, because I know when that minister puts her mind to something, you might as well consider it done. Wh= en will this government live up to the commitments it has repeatedly made to O= ld Crow and make this recreation centre a priority?
Hon.
Ms. Taylor: For the member opposite, this minis=
ter is
responsible to every
That includes solid-waste improveme= nts and community upgrades to its road structure within the community of Old Crow. = So rest assured — we are committed to working with every single citizen throughout the territory to meet the critical infrastructure needs.<= /p>
Question re: Income supplements
Ms.
Stick:=
8195; Last week I ask=
ed the
Minister of Health and Social Services a question about the
Will the minister tell this House w=
hy
Yukoners with disabilities are being forced to jump through new hoops before
they receive the
Hon.
Mr. Graham: I’m not sure exactly which new
hoops the member opposite is talking about because there has been nothing n=
ew
introduced at the department level. Without knowing the specifics of any
individual who has experienced difficulties, it’s very difficult to
answer these kinds of questions. But no new policy has been introduced.
We’re still doing the same th= ing that we did previously, but we’re improving the system, as I’ve stat= ed many times in the past. We have now implemented a process by which people w= ith permanent disabilities do not have to apply and provide medical advice on a monthly or semi-annual basis. So we are making improvements, and no other changes have been made to date.
Ms.
Stick:=
8195; Up until now =
8212; as
I was aware — people had to come in once a year with the information
about their disability and only had to come in once a year for their social
assistance benefits. But they still only received the same amount as social
assistance. The
Will the minister please tell us wh=
y the
Hon. Mr. Graham: This one is very easy to answer, be= cause it’s currently under review. Also, what we’re attempting to do within my department and the Yukon Housing Corporation is come up with a be= tter system by which persons with disabilities are able to access funds for both housing, as well as equipment required to keep them in their houses on a go-forward basis. We’re making progress in that area, and I know the = Minister of the Yukon Housing Corporation and I will, hopefully, be able to make some announcements in this area in the very near future.
Question re: Water manage= ment strategy
Ms.
White:=
8195; For years, the =
Yukon
NDP has been calling for a comprehensive water strategy for the
Hon.
Mr. Dixon: Thank you to the member opposite fo=
r the
excellent question. It’s a priority of this government, of course, to
develop a
As I indicated in our previous sitt=
ings, we
are working toward the development of a water strategy. Earlier this year t=
here
was an excellent workshop held to bring together a number of different bodi=
es
and governments that all have a role to play in the management of
Ms. White:= 8195; I look forward = to that as well. The extractive industries, both mining and oil and gas, rely heavi= ly on the use of fresh water for their businesses. The Yukon Party government constantly says it wants to provide clarity for industry and yet it is drag= ging its feet on creating a comprehensive water strategy. We’ve been waiti= ng. This brings economic uncertainty and raises doubt in the minds of Yukoners. Government should take a clear and balanced approach to water in order to provide regulatory certainty and assure Yukoners that water will be protect= ed.
When it finally gets around to it, =
how will
the Yukon Party water strategy protect
Hon.
Mr. Dixon: Again, I thank the member opposite =
for
bringing up a priority of this government, which is of course the developme=
nt
of a water strategy for
We’ve made very clear that th=
is is a
priority for us. It was in our platform. We gave direction to departments to
develop this strategy immediately upon coming into office, so work is under=
way.
I know the member opposite expects that we would just snap our fingers and =
have
a strategy. These things take work, and we want to make sure that we talk to
other governments and other bodies that deal with water in
As I indicated earlier, we had a wo=
rkshop
earlier this June which brought together a number of different people and g=
overnments
as well as departments within the
Ms.
White:=
8195; We share the va=
lues of
many Yukoners when it comes to water. We want the
Will the Yukon Party government wat= er strategy be done behind closed doors or will it be public? Will it include = traditional knowledge of First Nations? Will it include both ground and surface water a= nd a framework to include climate change impacts?
Hon.
Mr. Dixon: The short answer is yes. Of course =
it
will be developed publicly. I mean, public government and departments have
already been engaged. A number of different departments, as well as differe=
nt
levels of government, have been involved to date. Of course, we will take i=
nto
consideration a number of the factors the member opposite mentioned, includ=
ing
the effects of climate change, including ground water and
It’s my intent that this
As well, of course, we’ve made
significant investments in increasing the level of baseline data that
Speaker: The time for Question Period has elapsed. We will proceed to =
Orders
of the Day.
ORDERS OF THE DAY
OPPOSITION PRIVATE
MEMBERS’ BUSINESS
MOTIONS OTHER THAN GOVERNMENT MOTIONS
Motion No. 252
Clerk: Motion No. 252, standing in the name of Mr. Elias.
Speaker: It is moved by the Member for Vuntut Gwitchin
THAT this House supports the Minist=
er of
Community Services, who is responsible for sport and recreation, in her
pan-northern efforts to ensure that the sports of speed skating, figure
skating, curling, gymnastics, midget hockey and dog mushing are included in=
the
2016 Arctic Winter Games.
Mr. Elias:= 8195; Mr. Speaker, I want to begin my comments by once again thanki= ng each and every Member of the Legislative Assembly because if they didn̵= 7;t vote unanimously to allow me, as an Independent member, to rise on Wednesda= ys to speak, I would not be able to call this motion today —an important motion to thousands of our territory’s citizens.
I’ll begin with a couple of q= uotes. Martin Luther King, Jr., in 1963 said, “Our lives begin to end the day that we become silent about things that matter.” In my first opportun= ity here as the Independent member for the Vuntut Gwitchin riding, the inclusio= n of the six sports into the 2016 Arctic Winter Games matters to me, and I know = that it matters to thousands of our territory’s citizens.
I stand here today seeking the unan=
imous
support of each member of this Assembly for the motion I put forward today =
because,
whether it’s our youth who, in the game of midget hockey, have the
opportunity for a breakaway and score in overtime to win a medal; or in the
game of curling, when it’s tied and you know you have that last rock;=
or
in gymnastics, when the pressure’s on to make sure that you nail that=
dismount;
or in the sport of speed skating where you’re racing the clock and yo=
ur
opponents are around that last corner to the finish line; or in figure skat=
ing,
where it’s absolutely crucial that you land that final jump; or in dog
mushing, where the teamwork between a person and an animal to get the faste=
st
time is crucial.
It is my hope that in the 2016 Arct=
ic
Winter Games, our athletes, coaches, mentors, parents and the entire Team <=
/span>
I again ask that each MLA here toda= y unite with our words of support on behalf of the Yukoners we represent so that ou= r minister responsible for sport and recreation can say that we speak with one voice to ensure the sports of speed skating, figure skating, curling, gymnastics, mi= dget hockey and dog mushing are included in the 2016 Arctic Winter Games, hosted= by Nuuk, Greenland.
There has been a public outcry in o= ur territory to the Arctic Winter Games International Committee’s announcement earlier this fall. However, I want to begin by saying that the Arctic Winter Games are a spectacular northern exhibition of sport and cult= ure, and I do recognize the situation the international committee is in and the pressures they have to deal with in achieving another successful Arctic Win= ter Games in 2016.
The Arctic Winter Games Internation= al Committee’s tireless efforts in ensuring each and every Arctic Winter= Games is better, stronger and bigger than the last does not go unnoticed. I appreciate it very much as I’m sure my colleagues in this House and t= hose around the circumpolar north do.
The great Bobby Orr once said, “Growing up, if I didn’t have sports, I don’t know where I’d be. God only knows what street corners I’d have been standing on and God only knows what I’d have been doing, but instead I played hockey and went to school and stayed out of trouble.” <= /p>
I searched Hansard over the = last few days and I couldn’t find any reference to the Arctic Winter Games International Committee’s vision, mission, governance, guiding principles, values and operating principles. So I am going to speak on each= of those topics in the beginning of my response to the motion today.
With regard to the vision, “t= he Arctic Winter Games is a high-profile, circumpolar sport competition. The g= ames provide an opportunity to strengthen sport development in the participants&= #8217; jurisdictions to promote the benefits of sport, to build partnerships and to promote culture and values. The games celebrate sport, social exchange and cultures.”
“For the participant, the gam= es provide an opportunity for the developing athlete to compete in friendly competition while sharing cultural values from regions around the world. = span>
“For sport, the games provide= a vehicle for sport development throughout the north and for building a stron= ger infrastructure between sport organizations and developers at the community, regional and international levels.
“For host communities, the ga= mes provide an opportunity for community development and to build confidence and pride. In addition, legacy from hosting the games is the development of leadership, a capable volunteer base and physical facilities to serve the n= eeds of residents and to improve the quality of their lives.
“The games are a source of pr= ide for all partners. The collaboration between communities, governments, sport org= anizations and the private sector results in significant improvements to people of the north, while promoting unity and cultural understanding.”
“The mission: As stewards of =
the
Arctic Winter Games, the international committee promotes the values symbol=
ized
by the three interlocking rings of the Arctic Winter Games logo, which incl=
ude
athletic competition, cultural exchange and social interaction.
The international committee provides leadership through the implementation of policy and the promotion and marke= ting of the games, thereby building effective partnerships to address the needs = of host communities, international partners and the games sponsors.”
With regard to governance, “T=
he
permanent partners of the Arctic Winter Games include the governments of =
span>
“International government lea= ders responsible for the games provide policy direction for the games through decisions made during their meetings. These policy decisions for the Arctic Winter Games include, but are not limited to: areas of size and scope, host= ing rotation, long-term planning, and membership in the Arctic Winter Games.
“The Arctic Winter Games International Committee is responsible for implementing policies and provid= ing leadership to the games. These responsibilities include, but are not limite= d to the following: promotion and protection of the vision, principles and value= s of the Arctic Winter Games; selection of host sites; development of sports technical packages; the selection of sports; to establish and monitor hosti= ng standards and manage and update Arctic Winter Games staging manual.”<= /span>
With regard to the guiding principl= es and values, “The Arctic Winter Games bring together young athletes to par= ticipate in friendly competition and to share cultural values from countries and reg= ions across the north. The games promote the development and benefits of sports = and circumpolar cultures. The development of young athletes is the primary obje= ctive of the games. Participation in the games is intended to promote skill development, self-confidence, and self-esteem in the athlete. Arctic sports= are a unique and essential element of the games; accordingly, some special conditions may apply. Promotion of cultural understanding and harmony is important to the games. The games provide motivation for young athletes to develop active and healthy lifestyles and to make choices that could lead to the pursuit of personal excellence and provide the opportunity for particip= ants to develop socially and culturally. The games provide an inspiration and motivation for coaches, officials and volunteer development. The games prov= ide a major vehicle of community development and volunteer involvement.”<= /span>
Our values: “The Arctic Winte=
r Games
International Committee believes in the values of fair play, access and equ=
ity,
integrity, respect for self and others, partnerships, personal growth,
community enhancement, cultural diversity awareness and understanding.̶=
1;
“Operating Principles: The significance of the games as an important sport for development is paramoun= t. However, community development, civic pride and cultural celebration are al= so recognized as important and desirable outcomes.
“The sports and events on the= games program must be practised in most of the jurisdictions (in at least three units), and should benefit sport development in each unit.
“Youth athlete development ne= eds are central to the decision-making of the Arctic Winter Games International Com= mittee.
“Equity and access are suppor= ted throughout all aspects of the games and the games’ movement. <= /p>
“Standards for facilities wil= l be defined by the Arctic Winter Games competition requirements.
“The Arctic Winter Games shou= ld capitalize on the human and financial resources of the private sector, while respecting the principles and values of the games.
“In keeping with the vision o= f the Arctic Winter Games, sport selection for each games will be made based on a balanc= e of interests of the permanent partners and on the games interests …̶= 1;
“As close as possible, the to=
tal
number of male and female athletes selected should be equal. Gender s=
pecific
sports will be considered on their own merit. For a particular sport, one
gender will not carry the other gender into the games.
“Capital development is not an intended component of this program. However, the host community authority i= s responsible for providing the required facilities for the prescribed list of sports. The Arctic Winter Games International Committee believes that the required spor= ts facility standards should be reasonable and available within eligible communities.= span>
“The games are awarded to a s= ingle local authority. Volunteers are the backbone of the games. Cooperation with governments, sport organizations, host societies and the corporate sector a= re essential to the success of the games.”
“Some of the benefits of the =
Arctic
Winter Games: “The Arctic Winter Games provide lasting legacies to
everyone involved. For participants, the games provide an opportunity for t=
he developing
athlete to compete in friendly competition while sharing cultural values fr=
om
northern regions around the world. For sport, the games provide a vehicle f=
or
sport development. For host communities, the games provide an opportunity f=
or
community development, confidence building and pride. For governments, the =
games
enhance the establishment of effective partnerships in order to improve the
lives of people of the north, while promoting unity and cultural understand=
ing.”
In this regard, the international c= ommittee will help to promote the benefits of the games and work effectively with all key partners, including major television and media outlets, in order to ens= ure the benefits are broadcast to the widest possible audience.
“Providing leadership to safe= guard the future games: As stewards of the games, the international committee provides leadership to safeguard the future of the games.”
The international committee is entr= usted to integrate a strategic planning process that includes input and participation from all key partners; developing and updating policies that reflect impact= s of the changing environment as well as the needs of key partners; ensuring that the structure and decision-making processes reflect the stewardship role entrusted to the international committee by its partners; ensuring that the= committee is, and is perceived by others to be, a responsive, professional, accountab= le and well-managed organization that works to meet the goals and objectives of the organization and the needs of its partners; ensuring that the committee’s financial resources are well-managed and are sufficient to successfully carry out the committee’s mission over the short and long term.
The goal of the Arctic Winter Games= is to provide a forum of competition for those other than elite athletes with com= petitive opportunities elsewhere, to involve as many athletes as possible either in = the games themselves or in team trials and to provide an opportunity for our communities to share in the spirit of friendship and goodwill as they showc= ase their volunteers and their community.
Arctic Winter Games brings our circ= umpolar world closer together by strengthening and showcasing our communities and p= roviding our young people an international games opportunity to participate, showcase their talent and share in the joy of sport. The Arctic Winter Games is a high-profile circumpolar sport competition for northern and Arctic athletes. The games provide an opportunity to strengthen sport development in the participants’ jurisdictions, to promote the benefits of sport, to bui= ld partnerships and to promote cultural values.
The games celebrate sport, social e= xchange, and cultures. The games provide an opportunity for the developing athlete t= o compete in friendly competition while sharing cultural values from northern regions around the world.
The funding of the Arctic Winter Ga=
mes is
as follows: the Arctic Winter Games International Committee is funded by an=
nual
levy to the five governments having representatives on the board of directo=
rs:
namely,
In the
Mr. Speaker, the leaders of tomorro=
w are
being shaped and moulded in the here and now. The lessons we teach the yout=
h of
today will be with them for the rest of their lives, and there is no better
place to teach children about the world than on the field of play. It promo=
tes
respect for your opponent and teammates. It encourages teamwork and a
willingness to work with others toward a common goal.
This especially rings true when I s= ee our youth excel — when they are challenged to succeed for their team, themselves and their jurisdiction, knowing that the athletes hold that resp= onsibility. All of these traits can be beneficial in every aspect of life, not just in = the sporting arena.
I’ll tell a story of what I s=
peak,
Mr. Speaker — a personal story — of an Arctic Winter Games mome=
nt
that is etched in my memory. It was in 2004 at the Arctic Winter Games in W=
ood
Buffalo, in
The stick-pull event emulates the traditional harvesting practices of grasping a live fish in traps with your bare hands. If I can give the context of the actual stick-pull event itself, the stick is actually coated with Crisco grease, and the stick is tapered on both sides from the centre of the stick, and the objective, at that time, in Wood Buffalo, was to pull the stick out of your opponent’s hand.
Traditionally, this event is a very=
prestigious
event in many First Nations and aboriginal groups in the
I thought, “Oh my goodness. S= he lost with her right hand,” but she was right-handed herself, and she looke= d so confident in her eyes, and I told her, “You can do this, Kecia. You c= an do this.” You could have heard a pin drop in that gymnasium when Kecia had to look up at her opponent because Priscilla was so tall. When the offi= cial said, “Pull,” they both struggled and used all of their techniq= ues and Kecia won. We all celebrated, and then Kecia and Priscilla shook hands = and hugged each other.
Kecia still speaks of this moment t=
o this
day with pride and she is now eternal friends with Priscilla. Everyone in t=
hat
gymnasium will remember that day. Kecia, her family, teammates and coaches,=
and
all those in attendance will never forget that powerful moment of achieveme=
nt.
Kecia wrote in her biography — that you fill out prior to attending t=
he
games: “I only started in Dene Games on
Mr. Speaker, I also won the gold ul=
u in a
very similar situation. When we went back to Old Crow, we hung our medals on
our grandmother’s headstone. I want the opportunity for that feeling =
of
participation, accomplishment and competition and being a part of Team Yuko=
n to
exist within all the athletes of speed skating, figure skating, curling,
gymnastics, midget hockey and dog mushing in the 2016 Arctic Winter Games in
Nuuk, Greenland, because competition teaches more than just how to win and
lose; it teaches a person how to win with class and at the same time, be
gracious in defeat.”
Growing children need inspiration a= nd physical stimulation, and sport is a great way to provide such things. Spor= t is an important teacher for youngsters. Sports teach them so many things that = just can’t be easily learned anywhere else. Parents can teach their childr= en to persevere, to look adversity in the eye and smile right back, to fight t= he good fight and never give up — but those are lessons that really cann= ot be learned until they are put into practice. Anyone can say they are going = to see something through, but until they actually do it, it’s just talk. Sports give children the chance to work hard and achieve their goals. Hundr= eds of potential athletes who want to be able to achieve their goals through the sports of speed skating, figure skating, curling, gymnastics, midget hockey= and dog mushing are excluded from the 2016 Arctic Winter Games. That is simply unacceptable to me.
It doesn’t matter if the chil=
d is not
good at their chosen sport, either. They don’t have to be a star to
benefit from being on Team
This may mean they sacrifice person= al glory for the greater good, a lesson that is very hard for most to learn, but we = all have to do it. Our Team Yukon has a valiant history of doing just that, year after year after year. I want that sacrifice to be experienced by all of our athletes in all sports in the 2016 Arctic Winter Games.
Sport teaches so much more than wha= t is easily seen on the surface. The physical benefits are obvious, as are the social benefits, such as learning to work with others and acceptance of tho= se different from yourself. It allows for participants to find their role, cha= nge or adapt their role and redefine who they are. It can give those who are involved a sense of self-worth and accomplishment.
Sport allows for team and individual
success and failure, and young athletes will learn something every time they
step on to the field, trail, court, arena and ice surface. Participation in
sport does much more for youngsters than just keep their bodies in shape and
growing at a healthy rate. It helps them learn the ways of the world, the
benefits of hard work and determination, and how to co-exist with others to
reach a common goal. These are traits that can be invaluable in the real wo=
rld
and developing such traits at an early age can only increase the chance for
success in later life.
It’s no secret that I am an a=
vid
amateur sports fan and yes, I am calling on all the circumpolar politicians=
to
find solutions to Nuuk,
I sent out a call for quotes from v=
arious
organizations — sporting organizations that were scheduled to be excl=
uded
from the 2016 Arctic Winter Games, and within minutes I received replies.
I’m going to take this opportunity to quote some of those that I
received. Christine Benedict, chair of the Arctic Edge Skating Club said,
“We do support this motion and have included a quote, which was writt=
en
to the Hon. Elaine Taylor in support of including figure skating in the 2016
Arctic Winter Games: ‘In a northern jurisdiction such as Yukon, Arcti=
c Winter
Games participation and results are perhaps the most tangible and realistic
goals that skaters can use to incite them to continue to work hard to devel=
op
their skills and abilities in skating. Our skaters skate in a region and
section that produces many of the top skaters in
Laini Klassen, president of the Yuk=
on
Amateur Speed Skating Association, said, “Darius, you can quote me by
saying that without the Arctic Winter Games our sport would lose athletes. =
Many
kids at the developmental stages involved in Arctic Winter Games have more =
than
one sport they’re involved in. If our sport isn’t included, they
will dedicate their time to something else like volleyball or snowshoeing j=
ust
so they are able to be a part of the games. For kids in the north, the Arct=
ic
Winter Games are most likely the biggest sporting event they will ever be a
part of, so to take that opportunity away from a possible 400 athletes is u=
nimaginable.
I have had conversations with the presidents of N.W.T.
Mr. Doug Hogan, president of the Te=
slin
Minor Hockey Association and president of Hockey
Mr. Jim Stephens, a former Arctic W=
inter Games
hockey coach went on to say, “I think it is unacceptable that these
sports were removed from the Arctic Winter Games. There are many athletes t=
hat
participate in the Arctic Winter Games, and this is a true highlight in the=
ir
lives. It is a very special experience and really promotes pride in being a
Yukoner. It is also a huge opportunity to make connections with people from
other parts of the north. The youth of today are the
Tanya Doyle with the Yukon Gymnasti= cs Association says, “Some of our athletes don’t attain the high national level. I mean, we have had some in the past, but sometimes this is= it. This is the ‘big time’ for them. This is their Olympics. So if = that is not even a possibility, it kind of takes some of that drive out of the athletes.”
Linden Mattie, the executive direct=
or of
Yukon Curling Association says, “The Arctic Winter Games is a very
crucial part of the athlete development role model or model for Fabian Schmitz of the Dog Powered S=
ports
Association of the On the local CBC Radio 7:40 a.m. sp=
ecial
report on Monday, September 19, 2012, reporter Sandi Coleman asked Tracey B=
ilsky,
the executive director of Sport Yukon, the question: “Have you been
hearing from parents as well in reference to the dropping of the sports in =
the
2016 Arctic Winter Games in Nuuk, Greenland?” Ms. Bilsky replied,
“Absolutely. And there are especially those who have done the math and
have figured out that my figure skater, that would be the year they would be
able to go to the Arctic Winter Games, and really I’m not
over-exaggerating when I state that these kids do really look forward to th=
ese
games. It’s their marquee event; it’s their moment of a lifetime
— usually a lot of the time, and its coaches can use it as a motivati=
on
to train and showcase their talent every two years. So, for those sports th=
at
won’t be included in 2016, it will be more difficult to retain those =
athletes
and to motivate them to prepare for competition.” I want to conclude my opening comme=
nts with
one more quotation relevant to today’s debate, and it’s from our
minister responsible for sport and recreation, who recently said, “Ne=
ver
have we seen in the games’ history a reduction of 25 per cent of the
sports. It would impact over 400 athletes in the north. These games are an =
integral
part of sport development of any young athlete across the circumpolar North.
They're more than games. It's about providing that venue of competition for
young athletes. It's effectively our Olympics for northern circumpolar nort=
h.”
I can’t agree more, and I want to thank the minister for her commitme=
nt
to finding an amicable resolution to this issue, because it means so much t=
o so
many Yukoners. I hope that our minister can take our words of support here
today and use them in her meetings as she seeks to include the sports of sp=
eed
skating, figure skating, curling, gymnastics, midget hockey and dog mushing=
in
the 2016 Arctic Winter Games. I say let’s unanimously suppo=
rt our
minister and Team Yukon here today in this House so that during the 2016 Ar=
ctic
Winter Games our aspiring athletes and those athletes across the north have=
the
opportunity in all the sports to excel, to live healthy lives and come home
with ulus around their necks and, most importantly, cherish the memories and
experiences that will last them a lifetime. Again, my paramount considerati=
on
in presenting this motion to the Chamber today is to help ensure that the
vision of the Arctic Winter Games is realized in its entirety in 2016. Hon.
Ms. Taylor: I want to start by thanking the mem=
ber
opposite for putting this motion forward today for debate for all members=
8217;
consideration and hopefully for unanimous consent. It is a motion that was
tabled, ironically, on the same day as a motion that was tabled from our si=
de
of the Legislature, literally to the same effect, which is basically to work
toward resolving the very situation at hand. I want to thank the member opposite=
for
enabling this discussion to take place because I think it’s truly an
opportune time to do just that. First off, I really wanted to come in here =
with
a hockey jersey from our own boys midget hockey team. The reason why I say =
that
is because I am pretty darned proud of that hockey jersey; more importantly=
, I
am pretty proud of the team effort that was put forward by the boys midget
hockey team during the Arctic Winter Games held earlier this year. I can say
that was probably the most intense game I have ever been to in my entire li=
fe. Part of t=
he reason
why I say that is that just before — it was the day before I was meet=
ing
with the ministers responsible for sport and recreation in Northwest Territ=
ories
and Nunavut — we had a meeting to talk about infrastructure, ironical=
ly,
including sport infrastructure — the member opposite will be pleased =
to
hear — and we were also talking about the games, of course, and the b=
ig
game that was set to occur between Northwest Territories and the Yukon. Bei=
ng a
bit of the competitive soul that I am, I thought, “Well, you know wha=
t?
Our team is as good as gold, so let’s just make a friendly wager,R=
21;
so we did; I did just do that in front of our officials. That was to put our faith and our c=
onfidence
in that boys hockey team, the game and the job they were going to do the ne=
xt
day. If, in fact, we were successful, the minister responsible in the As I’ve stated on the floor o=
f the
Legislature, we all believe that sport and recreation contributes enormousl=
y to
healthy lifestyles and that major games like the Arctic Winter Games provide
our youth, in particular, with a really important opportunity to compete on=
an
international stage. They are an essential part of the sport development sy=
stem
in the north and they were really formed for the purpose of providing our n=
orthern
young athletes with the opportunity to compete among each other on a circum=
polar
stage like no other games have provided in the past. As a result, it has re=
ally
helped shape the lives of many young athletes like Zach Bell, Jeane Lassen
— and I’ll get to them in a bit here. First of all, I just want to recogn=
ize all
the individuals and representatives of the sport organizations who have come
here today in the gallery, as they’re represented here — and not
only those who are present here today — to thank them for their input=
and
for their passion over the past couple of months. I had an opportunity to meet with m=
any of
them yesterday to give them another update as to where we are with respect =
to
this matter. I was just saying that in all my years as an elected
representative, there have been, to be sure, many issues that have caught t=
he
passion of Yukoners. But, I have to say, when the press release was issued =
by
the international committee of the Arctic Winter Games about their decision=
to
reduce the sports significantly, that’s when I started receiving phone
calls, e-mails and letters. I was stopped on the street a number of occasio=
ns
as well, and even approached at the hockey rink Saturday and Sunday morning.
That’s what I call passion. That’s really what continues to
motivate each and every one of us to do the best that we can do and to be t=
he
best that we can be. I just want to, again, thank each of the organizations=
and
the members who have taken the time to be here today to offer their feedback
and to offer their input ever since the announcement by the committee was m=
ade.
I also want to thank the feedback from the administrators, the parents, the
coaches, the athletes — it has been significant, bar none, and I thank
them. The member opposite has articulated=
some of
those thoughtful deliberations by way of correspondence and I, too, would l=
ike
to reference some of the correspondence I have received. Again, I just want to say thank you=
for
being here today because it really demonstrates your ongoing dedication and
your passion for sport and recreation in healthy lifestyles and active livi=
ng
and all that that contributes to our territory, and ensuring that their
respective sports are represented in games such as the Arctic Winter Games,=
as
well as just showing that the games are a very important part of the sport
development program here in the territory and across the north. Earlier this year, as I said, the 2=
012
Arctic Winter Games were held here in Whitehorse and I was so proud to be t=
he
Minister of Community Services and, as such, responsible for sport and recr=
eation.
As I just referenced earlier, I watched a number of the competitions and I =
got
to see, first-hand, just how excited and how passionate each of our athletes
was — and the professionalism that was certainly demonstrated by each=
of
our young athletes — and the pride, just to be part of the games. It =
was
a fantastic experience. I would say it was the best games ever to be delive=
red
in the Arctic Winter Games’ history. I just want to say that, you know, =
it kind
of all started there at the pep rally, back just before the games were
officially launched. I remember I was there at the pep rally at the Yukon A=
rts
Centre. It was great to have everybody there within the Arts Centre. It was=
a
very good reminder of just how important these games are — how they b=
ring
us together to celebrate sporting excellence, but also it’s an
opportunity to showcase our cultural heritage, our traditions, and who we a=
re
as northerners and to celebrate that. It’s really our common experi=
ences
and our northern lifestyles that brings us together on the international st=
age
and has made a positive impact throughout many lives over the years, includ=
ing
the member’s. One of the best track cyclists in t=
he world
today, I would say, is Zach Bell. Zach Bell is a young man — he is a
young man in my eyes — from my home town of I thought that was a really fantast=
ic way
that Zach had summed up his experience at the Arctic Winter Games. At the pep rally, Jeane Lassen, of =
course,
another Olympian, who started off — she competed in the Arctic Winter
Games and she reflected upon her experiences as well during the rally. Agai=
n,
it’s just about grasping that moment. Even for those who don’t =
make
it to the Arctic Winter Games, it’s about trying and going to those t=
rial
events. That in itself is a spectacular opportunity for athletes throughout=
the
north. So I just wanted to make reference to that. All in all, it was really, truly th=
e moment
of our athletes’ lives and it was truly an important step in each of
their athletic careers. Each of our athletes worked so hard to be able to r=
epresent
our territory, but so did every other jurisdiction represented on the inter=
national
stage. I know for many it took years and years of dedication to get there. =
The games that were held here in =
span>
And thanks go to all the parents, t= he friends, the families, the fans, and to all of the volunteers who also made= the games spectacular. All told, our Team Yukon was comprised of about 345 peop= le. It was a big team, and it included mission staff and coaches, chaperones and athletes, the cultural participants, and everyone else. I would be remiss i= f I didn’t mention the 2,000-plus volunteers who contributed to the games= and the very success of the games.
It was really well-planned. It was
well-managed. It was well-articulated. It was a huge success, and that̵=
7;s
why
Our next generation of athletes also deserves this same opportunity and experience when it comes to 2016. The mo= tion before us today is really an opportunity for each and every one of us as legislators to support the ongoing work that our sport organizations do in = the Yukon — and I talk about every sport organization — for sport development and for the provision of a consistent program that has allowed = our athletes to excel at the regional, national and international level.
The Arctic Winter Games have existe=
d for
some 42 years and have offered athletes from circumpolar north with unsurpa=
ssed
opportunities for development and social and cultural interchange. The games
are the world’s largest northern multi-sport and cultural event. They
have six permanent partners, including our
The games combine athletic competit=
ion,
cultural exchange and social interaction between the northern contingents, =
and
they also serve to develop stronger economic and social ties between our
participating units and lend considerable international exposure to the reg=
ion
in which they’re hosted.
The hosting rotation for the games =
has
already been stated; it occurs every two years; it has been in place since
1970, which includes the games being hosted in the
The Arctic Winter Games, as I menti=
oned,
have existed since 1970. They’ve offered athletes unsurpassed
opportunities on many different spectrums. There is an opportunity every two
years to have the privilege of hosting the games. The 2016 games will mark =
the
first time that
In
At that time, there was an actual
co-hosting arrangement between Nuuk,
Since then, as a result of the 2002=
games
experience, the international committee — all-inclusive of the
governments, as well — made a decision back in 2004 to no longer
entertain co-hosting opportunities, that in effect only each jurisdiction, =
each
permanent participant, would have the ability to host the games on a rotati=
onal
basis, that similar partnerships between two jurisdictions would no longer =
be
entertained.
Of course, that has led us to where=
we are
today. There are a number of jurisdictions in the queue, to be sure —
2016, as I just referenced, will be the first time that
That has resulted in some logistica=
l and
financial challenges for
When the decision came out, I can s=
ay, as I
mentioned before, there was quite a significant amount of feedback from
When that happened, immediately wha= t came to mind after having received numerous letters and pieces of correspondence= and e-mails from parents — from Haines Junction, for example — from coaches to organizations, some of which were referenced by the member oppos= ite — to the athletes themselves. I actually received an e-mail that I wa= s responding to last night from a nine-year-old individual who has been a strong advocat= e of the games — again, another reminder of why we are here today. =
I just want to reference some of the
feedback we got because it does speak volumes. I’m not going to actua=
lly
list off the names or make reference to the individual names because I just
haven’t had time to contact those individuals. I can say, though, that
for one individual who has really had a lot of experience in coaching during
the 2003, 2007 and 2011 Canada Winter Games, as well as three Arctic Winter
Games in curling — this individual said that the loss of this one cyc=
le
for this sport — curling, that is — will have a four- to six-ye=
ar
impact on the athlete development capacity in the sports affected.
That’s a really key point bec=
ause,
you know, in working with my colleagues from
That is a key thing to consider bec= ause the ripple effect of this is not just about 2016, but it has significant impact= on a whole generation and even potential generations because of future games d= own the road — 2018 and 2020 — when there are other smaller communi= ties that are also on the docket to host these games.
This individual also said that spor= ts will be hurt, as they will not have the same carrot at the end of the string as = the other sports. Less engagement leads to perhaps less funding, and a vicious spiral begins. This individual then goes on and just reminds us of how the = gold medal curling skips from the 2006, 2008 and 2010 Arctic Winter Games all ha= ve progressed to represent Canada at either the World Junior Curling Champions= hips — which they have won — or the Youth Olympic Games, and have be= come the first Canadians to ever win a Youth Olympic medal.
So what other Arctic Winter Games s=
ports
can attest to that record in recent years? I’m not going to get into =
that
battle of who wins the sports, because I will never win that battle, but it=
is
interesting.
It talks about the very importance = of these games and how it has nurtured our athletes to go on and compete on the nati= onal and international levels and that’s important.
I want to talk about a piece of correspondence that I received from a nine-year-old boy, who states in his e-mail — it’s fantastic; it’s actually an e-mail to the president of the international committee, which he then sent to me and aske= d me to change their mind — no small feat.
He says, “I love speed skatin=
g and I
would be eligible to speed skate in the 2016 Arctic Winter Games. I am real=
ly
disappointed that speed skating will be taken out of the Arctic Winter Game=
s in
I’ll just perhaps reference c= orrespondence that the member opposite has not referenced — because I don’t w= ant to be repetitive here. Another individual contacted me back in September, a= nd I’ll just reference that. It said, “My three children have participated in the games on a number of occasions. It has truly been a highlight in their lives and supporting careers. My husband has attended the games at least twice as a coach. I’ve been a volunteer. We’re h= uge fans of the Arctic Winter Games. It’s a reality that sports like speed skating will be very negatively influenced by the decision not to include t= hem in the games. These small clubs will lose their athletes to other sports th= at will be attending. The games are the pinnacle event for developing skaters. There are few outside competitions for speed skaters to attend and the loss= of the pinnacle event is like a nail in the coffin.”
She talks about her daughter and ho=
w her
attendance at the two previous Arctic Winter Games were significant in help=
ing
her to develop as an athlete and giving her a really fine goal to work towa=
rd,
giving her the experience of being part of the games, which she took to the
Canada Winter Games in 2010 — and of course, having fun.
This resonates with all of us. It= 8217;s about meeting a ton of other kids, hanging out together, sharing Facebook addresses, watching friends participate at the sports, taking in the cultur= al events; it’s all about that.
When it comes to the Yukon Curling
Association, it again references how the games have been a very integral pa=
rt
in the development of young curlers in
Another piece of correspondence I r=
eceived
from some parents in rural
Again, it talks about an experience= of a lifetime and how — as firm believers in the benefits of sport, cultur= e, recreation for young athletes — they believe that the long-term devel= opment of northern athletes in these particular sports will suffer as a result of = the four-year gap.
I also received a letter from Speed=
Skating
It talked about speed skating as on= ly one of four sports to have all three northern territories participate competiti= vely in both the Arctic Winter Games and the Canada Winter Games and how the suc= cess of northern athletes at the Canada Winter Games is really a direct result of development opportunities leading into them, with most athletes having participated in the Arctic Winter Games and how it’s significant that= the games are an essential part of the four-year planning cycle prepared by coa= ches and territorial sports organizations for Canada Games participation.=
The letter goes on to say that there’s no question that the Arctic Winter Games serve as a major recruitment tool for skaters, coaches and officials to the sport of speed skating, the games being the pinnacle sports event for most northern athlet= es. There’s pride in making the team and representing one’s communi= ty and contingent. It also talks about club development as a challenge everywh= ere, yet the Arctic Winter Games has served as a great attraction to many potent= ial skaters.
It also references the success of A=
rctic
Winter Games past participants, the most notable being
In 2010, four officials from
Perhaps the one other correspondenc= e that I received from Sport Yukon — again I want to tribute Sport Yukon in pa= rticular because they have really served as the umbrella organization, working with = each and every one of the sports organizations over the past couple of months an= d with our office in coming up with options for consideration by the international committee — but really giving me the confidence — 100 percent — that what we are presenting at the table are, in fact, the preferred options to be presented.
Sport
So, it’s just an example of s=
ome of
the correspondence that I have received, never mind the phone calls or the
individual visits that I received on the street and in public venues —
again, that’s the beautiful thing about the
I just want to thank the individual= s, the parents, the coaches and these organizations that really take the time to p= ut pen to paper and have taken the time to voice their concerns and to put for= th their passion and for being here today to also build upon that support.
When the decision came about, there= was of course significant feedback, as I have just articulated, and no wonder R= 12; as I stated in a number of different venues over the course of the past cou= ple of months. Cutting this many sports from one Arctic Winter Games is truly an unprecedented decision and will eliminate, as it stands today, approximatel= y 25 percent of the potential sport events — that’s significant and = in no other games have we seen a reduction to that level.
We have seen, from time to time, pe=
rhaps a
reduction in one sport, maybe two, because of the lay of the land — t=
he
geographic challenges and so forth, but we haven’t seen this many spo=
rts
being reduced all in one fell swoop. As such, that is why we have received
significant input from Yukoners.
When we started receiving correspon=
dence
and started working with the stakeholders, one of the first things that cam=
e to
mind was the ability to work with my colleagues from
When I put the call through to my
ministerial colleagues from
The overwhelming feedback that all =
of us
have received from our respective sports communities across the north in re=
sponse
to the recent announcement clearly indicates the significance of the games =
and
the integral role that they have and continue to play in the development of=
our
athletes across the circumpolar north. As I mentioned, we recognize the lim=
itations
that
As I mentioned, we support their
opportunity to host the games, which all permanent partners deserve. We
believe, however, that there are options available for the partners to cons=
ider
— other than eliminating these sports entirely from the program in 20=
16
— that will ensure the complete sport development model is preserved =
and
that athletes are able to participate in a full experience as has been offe=
red
in previous games.
We very much recognize that while t=
he
decision is for the international committee to make, we, as ministers
responsible for sport and recreation in
The announced sports that are curre=
ntly not
included for 2016 are core sports, and I think that’s also important =
to
note. They have been in the Arctic Winter Games program since the very
beginning. These sports include curling, midget hockey, speed skating, dog
mushing, figure skating and gymnastics.
We do not want to see these sports =
have to
sit out a full rotation of the games. Instead, we want to look at, and we n=
eed
to look at all the options to ensure the young athletes from these sports g=
et
this development opportunity that the 2016 games will provide to them. That=
is
why the
When we came together as three
I got on the phone and actually spo=
ke in
person to the minister responsible for sport in
Some attended by way of conference =
call. Of
course, when it came to the three
Prior to that meeting, I can also s= ay that in one of my many discussions with Sport Yukon over the past couple of mont= hs, I asked Sport Yukon to really work with all of the affected sports organizations, inclusive of Yukon Gymnastic Association, Arctic Edge Skating Club, Yukon Curling Association, Whitehorse Cross-Country Ski Club, Whiteho= rse Rapids Speed Skating Club, Yukon Amateur Speed Skating Association, Whiteho= rse Minor Hockey Association, Yukon Amateur Hockey Association, and many other representatives with Sport Yukon.
I had asked Sport Yukon to convene a
meeting of all of these associations to come up with a set of proposed opti=
ons
for the committee’s consideration that I would be able to take to that
meeting to table with great confidence. Thankfully, I can say that on Octob=
er
11 they did convene a meeting and they came up with a number of options for
consideration. The first one they came up with was a co-hosting arrangement
with Iqaluit. I think this is really key in my eyes — perhaps not
co-hosting but looking at a satellite venue for
For me, the door was already open a=
nd I am
sure that all these other organizations saw that as well. The door has alre=
ady
been opened with the two sports that have been accommodated through a speci=
al
contracting arrangement with the host society, and those were the two
categories of hockey being hosted in Iqaluit. We thought that this would be=
the
natural fit because the door is already opened, there are two categories be=
ing
hosted in Iqaluit, and also because of the experience that was generated in
2002 between Nuuk,
Of course, concerns had been put fo=
rth by
the international committee about the experience back in 2002. What was art=
iculated
by Sport Yukon and all of these organizations and me, as well, is that it w=
as a
decade ago and we believe that we have come a long way since then. There has
been significant capacity. The
We feel that it’s something t= hat should be considered and it should be one of those primary options to be considered. In terms of the costs associated with going with that particular option, one idea that has been put forth was to take a look at instead of t= ransporting the teams, the hockey players, from Greenland, or from Nunavut over to Greenland, for the opening and closing ceremonies, why not have those individuals stay put and we could instead telecast by way of video conferen= ce those opening and closing ceremonies. That’s one creative way of addressing the costs, and also looking at being responsible.
When I put that question to the
organizations and to Sport Yukon, “Is it very important that you all
physically attend the opening and closing ceremonies,” they said,
“You know, when it comes down to those ceremonies or when it comes do=
wn
to competing in my sport, it’s competing in my sport. That’s why
I’m here.” And to be able to enjoy the opening and closing cere=
monies
by way of video conference or other means, it makes a lot of sense. So
it’s a win-win situation.
So in that case, again, the sports =
affected
would not have to fly to
To be sure, we need to ensure and r=
espect
the wishes of Iqaluit and
There were other options put forwar=
d,
including holding a joint event with all six sports, all the divisions of
hockey included, in another community and another territory outside of
Then there was another option and, = of course, it’s the last option and that was, if need be, to reduce the number of participants in those sports currently included in 2016 and to re= duce the financial burden, perhaps to reduce the contingent of all the sports, b= ut enable all the sports to be represented. There was also discussion about ha= ving another single-sport competition as a replacement for inclusion in the Arct= ic Winter Games, and there was no interest in that by Yukoners.
So, again, some very thoughtful opt=
ions put
forward, some very reasonable — what I would coin as reasonable ̵=
2; options
and those are the options that I took to Fairbanks when we sat down, face t=
o face,
with the international committee.
I am pleased to report that there w=
ere options
put forth as well by the governments of
It’s a great idea and I think= that perhaps the committee will review and investigate that option, but for the purpose of 2016, probably not likely within that small time frame ahead.
I just want to thank the organizati=
ons and
my colleagues for joining in, but primarily there is that genuine interest =
in
having that satellite venue, looking to Iqaluit; if not Iqaluit, perhaps
another community; it could even be in the Northwest Territories — Fo=
rt
Smith — it could be in another community, if that is what it takes. B=
ut
what we’re saying is let’s be creative; let’s take a look=
at
this; let’s work on this together.
So what we have done since then whe= n we left the meeting, we presented those options for the committee to do resear= ch, to review those options, and I know that this work will proceed because, by recent correspondence we received from the international committee, they ha= ve agreed to set a framework and a time frame, in which they’ll complete that research and they will come forward.
What we’re saying is that
they’re proposing a meeting next May and even looking to have it in <=
/span>
In terms of coming back in May to r=
eally
look at those options and to take a look at the benefits and the implicatio=
ns
of every option to include those sports and to get them back in the program=
in
2016, what we are saying is that we would also like to have a check-in poin=
t,
perhaps halfway through. So in February, we understand there is going to be
another meeting of the committee to review some of these options — ca=
rry
on its work. So we would really appreciate having an update, just to make s=
ure
we are carrying on and that we are moving forward.
As I mentioned, we’re expecti= ng to receive a progress report in February. It will help assure us that the work= is progressing in a very favourable direction.
As I mentioned, I had the opportuni= ty to touch base with my two northern counterparts on the phone yesterday. We are working on a pan-north letter of response to the letter we received from the international committee. They are looking for further direction on these options. We will continue to elaborate on some of these options going forwa= rd as our preferred choice. I was able to talk about that letter and talk abou= t our proposed response with the organizations yesterday in a meeting — aga= in, to receive any additional input that each of these organizations had. I tha= nk them for that. So rest assured it will not be the last meeting. It will be = the first of many to come, to be sure.
As I mentioned, I feel positive tha=
t there
will be a positive outcome at the end of this meeting in May. There has been
great input provided by
INTRODUCTION OF VISITO=
RS
Hon.
Mr. Istchenko: I wanted to do an introduction in t=
he
House today. We have Sierra Oakley, Maya Oakley and Emma Warren. They are
Junior Rangers from around the
Applause
Hon. Ms. Taylor: Thank you — and welcome.
As I mentioned, I want to just pay =
credit
to the State of
They have come forward with some in=
novative
solutions and perhaps if Iqaluit is not able to host, perhaps there may be
other locations within Iceland
As you can see, there are a lot of =
different
options being considered here. I think it’s fantastic because
that’s what happens when we’re able to resolve some of these
differences and go to work. I also just want to be very clear that I support
the international committee. I support the ongoing work that the president =
and
all participants have contributed to the committee over the years. They have
been difficult decisions, to be sure. They have done a great job in working
with the host societies over the years. We support the work and we support
their independent role that they also play in administering these games and
carrying forth with the vision of these games.
I think it’s also helpful, th= ough, to have this input from our jurisdictions. Perhaps this is the first time we’ve had a really significant dialogue going on, not just with the p= olitical leaders and the committee, but with all of our stakeholders. To be sure, it’s a good reminder for all of us that we can’t take these gam= es for granted. We need to keep our eye on the ball and treat them with great importance, as we have been reminded by our stakeholders.
Again, I feel very comfortable and =
am very
thankful to be able to work with the ministers from
The future of the Arctic Winter Gam=
es is really
important to the
The support for this motion by ever= yone here today is crucial to this ongoing work and is much appreciated by all of our constituents. I can say that.
I want to thank the Member for Vunt=
ut
Gwitchin for bringing forward this important motion. I have a lot more that=
I
can add, but I also feel that it is very important to hear from other membe=
rs
here this afternoon. I look forward to hearing the remainder of the discuss=
ion
today and hope that we can all continue to show unanimous support for our y=
oung
athletes as they seek the chance to participate in their sport at the 2016
Arctic Winter Games.
INTRODUCTION OF VISITO=
RS
Hon. Ms. Taylor:= 8195; I just want to = draw to the members’ attention a number of the people in the gallery. I know a lot have come and gone this afternoon. I want to thank each of them: Lauren Muir, who is there, and beside her is Bailey Muir-Cressman — a junior curler, I might add, whom I had the opportunity to meet during the recent b= reakfast, which was a significant success, I might add. I also want to draw members= 8217; attention to Tracey Bilsky, as well, from Sport Yukon, and thank her for her leadership and that of George Arcand over the course of the last couple of months in working with me.
I’ll just ask all members to = give them a round of support. Thank you.
Applause
Ms. Hanson:&= #8195; I am very pleas= ed today to stand on behalf of the New Democratic Party to first of all thank the Me= mber for Vuntut Gwitchin for bringing forward this motion and to say with pride = that the NDP of course supports the Minister of Community Services in her endeav= ours to work as she has described this afternoon with her pan-northern partners = and, indeed, with the international partners to find a reasonable solution to the dilemma that the international committee has found itself in over recent ti= mes. I commend the Member for Vuntut Gwitchin on his eloquence in setting out wi= th passion the importance of not just hockey, although hockey is clearly his —
Some Hon. Member: (Inaudible)
Ms.
Hanson:&=
#8195; I was not going=
to talk
about his skills or lack of skills; I am simply saying he is very passionate
about that sport. It is not my place to suggest that he does it with great
skill, but I’m sure he does. Indeed, he also epitomizes that important
role of both the parent who supports their children as they get engaged in
sports and that healthy lifestyle that is so important to the success of the
Arctic Winter Games. The other aspect of that is the volunteering that is an
incredibly important aspect of the success of the Arctic Winter Games, and I
will come back to that in a moment.
I was thinking about the Arctic Win=
ter
Games — I don’t know how many events or places I’ve been =
to,
and the Arctic Winter Games comes up — with the minister introducing =
Ms.
Bilsky in the gallery today. =
I can
recall when I did a brief stint on an assignment interchange with the Canad=
a Winter
Games and there were a number of times when a person familiar to this Chamb=
er
was at meetings — Ken McKinnon — and he spoke often and with
passion about the importance of the Arctic Winter Games and its links. There
are links to the kinds of transitions that some athletes are able to make t=
o winter
games and to summer games. I was very interested in the minister’s co=
mments
about the notion of maybe looking at the option of a Canada Games model of a
winter and a summer games. So as we all do these days, I went and looked and
asked, “So when did they start and where were they?” There̵=
7;s
a fascinating video that describes and basically goes through the first wee=
k of
the first Arctic Winter Games held on
What it describes and what it so ac=
curately
captured is the excitement that small community of
The minister spoke about how these =
are such
important games and how they have been accorded a high level of importance =
by
many people. I think it’s significant to note that the very first gam=
es
were opened by the Prime Minister of Canada. It was the federal minister
responsible for the north who was sort of created as a sponsor for those ga=
mes,
so we had Prime Minister Trudeau, we had John Munro there, and we had Ken M=
cKinnon
from the
Over the course of the 42 years, as=
the
minister has spoken and as the Member for Vuntut Gwitchin has alluded to, t=
hese
games have grown. With growth come many challenges. They’ve grown fro=
m 10
sports to currently about 15. The language that we use to describe these ga=
mes
has changed. We’re no longer calling them Native Games and we would n=
ever
get away with the kind of descriptors they did then with respect to one of =
the
organizers suggesting that if they took all the banners that were stretched
across all the streets in Yellowknife they would be able to make miniskirts=
for
every young girl who was participating — kind of interesting comment
about where their heads were,
But you notice the philosophy and t= he overall vision of those people who thought in the late 1960s that this shou= ld occur has not changed. The notion of offering an opportunity for athletes and art= ists and those involved in the cultural aspect of our society to come together w= as so important. When you look at the videos of those days in terms of the har= poon throw and the little kid who won one of the boxing matches — weighing like 65 pounds — his helmet and his gloves were almost as big as he w= as; he won a gold medal. You would love to know where these children are now, 42 years later — how many of their lives have been so positively influen= ced in terms of healthy lifestyles — well, most of them have been influen= ced — with respect to healthy lifestyles.
The games then and the games now en= gage the whole of the community and that is what is so important. You cannot stage an Arctic Winter Games without just everybody having some role in terms of volunteerism. That is a hugely important aspect of these games, as well as = the cultural contribution that was there from the very, very beginning. Althoug= h, I have to again remark that the unique excellence of northern fashion in 1970= was very interesting.
I was very pleased to hear the opti=
ons that
were being looked at as a result of — as the minister described ̵=
2;
the pulling together of people with a mutual goal of trying to find a
resolution to what seemed to be, perhaps at the time, some insurmountable
challenges for the international committee. It is good to hear about these =
options
and I am hopeful — and I am sure everybody in this Legislature is hop=
eful
— that some of those creative options will be resolved in the coming
months that will see the ability for all the athletes who would like to be =
able
to participate having that opportunity. As both of the speakers preceding me
have identified, for many young athletes, many young participants, in terms=
of
the cultural aspects of the events that are associated with the games this =
is
one of the highlights of their young lives.
I know that from my own experience =
with my
own family — both my immediate family and nieces and nephews. We had =
the
opportunity to attend those games in Wood Buffalo — in
As you do in any of the volunteer s=
tuff,
you get pulled into these things and sometimes the local committees donR=
17;t
have enough volunteers — I got commandeered to be involved in the bia=
thlon
event, which was held out on an old shooting range outside
As I mentioned earlier, when the ga=
mes started
in 1970, they only had 750 athletes. It has grown — I think this year
there were about 2,000 in
There’s understanding of the disappointment young people in particular — and their supporters, the parents and the volunteers — will have felt as they learned that the current situation is that those particular sports are not to be made availa= ble, or not to be carried out during the 2016 games. And there’s gratitude= for the efforts of the minister opposite and the organizing committee and the m= any volunteers and stakeholder organizations that she cited as they continue to work toward finding a resolution that may not be exactly what everyone want= s, but then that’s the name of the game. We work to try to find a resolu= tion that most people will be satisfied with and will allow as many people as possible — as many young athletes and their families — to feel = that they’ve had an opportunity to be fully engaged in this.
I realize that there is no doubt ma=
ny
people have their own experiences of being involved in the Arctic Winter Ga=
mes
and would like to talk about why it’s so important.
I just want to reiterate, as the Le= ader of the New Democratic Party — and I know that my caucus colleagues join = in supporting this motion made by the Member for Vuntut Gwitchin. We look forw= ard to providing whatever support we can to the Minister of Community Services = as she pursues her objective of trying to find the creative option that will a= llow the sports of speed skating, figure skating, curling, gymnastics, midget ho= ckey and, most of all — for some — dog mushing, to be included in the 2016 Arctic Winter Games. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr.
Silver:&=
#8195; I will be very =
brief,
as it seems we are going to get unanimous consent here, and there are other
issues. The Liberal caucus will be supporting this motion. I know that
participation in the Arctic Winter Games is the highlight of the athletic
careers of many young Yukoners, and there was great disappointment when the
announcement was made that several sports would not be part of the 2016 gam=
es.
I know that the Member for Vuntut Gwitchin is passionate about sports and
supporting our young people in sports.
I want to thank him today for the v= ery touching tribute, and for taking us back to his times in the Arctic Winter Games wit= h a very powerful story. I quite thoroughly enjoyed that. Thank you very much. =
I want to thank him for bringing fo=
rward,
more importantly, this motion today, as well. I know the Government of Yukon
has been making the case to the Arctic Winter Games organizers about the ne=
ed
to expand the list of sports that will be part of the games as well. I beli=
eve
this motion will be supported unanimously, and I hope it carries some weigh=
t as
we continue to try to have all
Hon.
Mr. Pasloski: I rise in support of this motion put
forward by the Independent Member for Vuntut Gwitchin, and I want to thank =
the
member for putting forward this very important motion for Yukoners and for =
his
support of the minister, as well, in terms of the hard work and great work =
that
she has been doing on behalf of all Yukoners, and specifically young Yukon
athletes. I’d also like to acknowledge the comments made by the Member
for Vuntut Gwitchin and that he has that opportunity now to move forward wi=
th
motions because of the change that was brought forward as a result of the
unanimous motion that was supported, which the member opposite had put forw=
ard.
It really began with a motion put f= orward by me from this side of the House by me on the first day of this session th= at was supporting independent members and their ability to represent their con= stituents by giving them an opportunity to call motions and bills for debate on Wednesdays.
We’re very thankful that that opportunity has come about, as a result of which he was able to stand up and very passionately speak of the importance of this motion and the importance= of these sports and the Arctic Winter Games for many Yukoners.
I thought I would just take a minut=
e to
talk about a little bit of the background of Arctic Winter Games. It was re=
ally
in 1969, under the leadership of Yukon Commissioner James Smith, Stuart M.
Hodgson, who was the Commissioner of the
Cal Miller, an advisor with the
Five hundred athletes, trainers and
officials came from the
The games in 2002 were the first jo=
intly
hosted Arctic Winter Games by Nuuk,
Over the years, there have been many different sports that have been involved from Arctic sports, to Dene games,= to many indoor and outdoor sports that really have given kids over the years a= n opportunity to compete. As athletes, you have to put in the practice and you have to do= the training, but it is really about the competition. It’s really about getting out there and having that ability to compete and also being able to= measure yourself and see through subsequent competitions the improvement in your own abilities. I think that that’s very important
I also think that, with respect to =
these
games, it’s certainly about the camaraderie. For everybody, it’s
not so much about winning, but it’s about being there. It’s abo=
ut
participating; it’s about having a lot fun; it’s about the
networking, the cultural exchange and making new friends. I was certainly a
first-hand witness because, as an official for men’s and women’s
hockey, you could see that just on the ice. The play was intense, people wa=
nted
to win, but they were also concerned about and very respectful of their
opponents and of the officials and the people who were watching. I think th=
at
that is a real reflection of the culture and what Arctic Winter Games reall=
y is
about.
We have four children. Only one of =
my
children had the opportunity to be involved in Arctic Winter Games, and that
was my son, Taylor, who was part of the midget hockey team in 2006 that
travelled to the Kenai-Soldotna area of
INTRODUCTION OF VISITO= RS
Hon.
Mr. Dixon: Sorry to interrupt the Premier, but=
I did
want to take a moment to recognize a visitor to the gallery, Ms. Claire Imm=
ega
is an associate with Singleton Urquhart, a firm in Applause Hon.
Mr. Pasloski: Welcome. The event in Soldotna in 2006 was a=
great
event, something we can cherish with our son going forward in the excitemen=
t of
that. It was also an ability to share and cheer on I wanted to talk for a couple minut=
es just
about the Arctic Winter Games that we just hosted this year in 2012, and how
proud I was as a Yukoner and as a citizen of Whitehorse to see the tremendo=
us
games, as the minister had talked about as well, that we hosted this year h=
ere
in Whitehorse. Not only were there 2,000 participa=
nts, but
there were equal numbers of volunteers as well. My wife was involved with c=
are
and comfort and providing food for the volunteers, for the officials and for
athletes. My daughter was involved with volleyball as an official as well. =
Again,
the camaraderie was incredible. One of the things that I really took out of=
it
was the opportunity to go down to the Kwanlin Dun Cultural Centre to witness
some of the Dene games. They also had a cultural event which was sort of the
“soft” opening for the Kwanlin Dun Cultural Centre. They allowed
the games to go on there while it wasn’t actually officially open. So,
they had a cultural event as well during that time which was truly incredib=
le.
It had many different artists partaking and for those people who were fortu=
nate
enough to be there at the unique opportunity to see me do a very colourful
dance with Grandma Susie — the grouse dance. I think that that’s
still out there on YouTube somewhere for those who haven’t had the op=
portunity
to see that. I was also very fortunate to be abl=
e to
present some ulus to some of the winners. While I talk about the participat=
ion,
certainly I know that some of the younger athletes who were in figure skati=
ng
— I just remember the thrill and how excited they were, and watching =
the
parents and the teammates around them as they were getting their medals. It=
was
truly an experience for them that they’ll never forget. The opening ceremonies and the clos=
ing
ceremonies were, again — I think I haven’t acknowledged the tre=
mendous
amount of organization that went on by so many of those volunteers. But to =
put
together such memorable ceremonies at the opening and the closing and the
difference that you could actually feel between the teams coming in as team=
s at
the beginning and kind of hanging out with their teammates, and then how it=
had
changed and evolved so that by the time they all marched in for the closing
ceremonies — you didn’t see that sort of definition between the
teams. Everybody was together and they made all these new friends. There re=
ally
was unity. It was a great, moving experience. It was one of those things that all=
of us
who get to witness it can’t measure the impact for those individuals =
to
be able to go through those experiences. It’s truly something that is
very beneficial for all of us. We learn a lot of things from such games. Wh=
ile
my daughters were not able to compete in those games, they have competed in
Canada Summer Games, so I can tell you from talking to them with those
experiences that it’s not just the competition. It’s the travel.
It’s going to this new place, especially if you’re coming from =
some
of these small areas in northern We can also talk about the economic=
impacts
and the truly positive impact on our community to host these games — =
all
of the people coming in really had a very positive effect. As I mentioned,
friendships that we’ve heard the Member for Vuntut Gwitchin talk about
— a lifelong fostering of friendships occurred. I also want to actually mention the=
doll
exhibit — the doll presentation that occurred at Kwanlin Dun Cultural
Centre — make special note of Annie Smith who is from Kwanlin Dun Fir=
st
Nation and an elder for Kwanlin Dun and a constituent of mine and some of t=
he
great work that she has done over the years, not only in producing such wor=
k as
dolls and leather work, but being a mentor. Passing this on is part of the
experience that we gain from such events. I also would like to acknowledge th=
e senior
minister for the north, Leona Aglukkaq, who was here as well to support. I =
know
the Member for Whitehorse Centre had mentioned the Prime Minister being at =
Arctic
Winter Games on previous occasions and we’re just going to have to wo=
rk
hard to make those things happen again. But I know there are other people w=
ho wanted
to talk, Mr. Speaker. There is one more thing I do want to
mention. While the minister remains very modest in terms of the stuff that =
is
being done, I have to say for the record that as soon as this announcement =
came
about, it was our Minister of Community Services who grabbed this ball and
began to run with this ball, did the due diligence, helping to coordinate t=
alks
among the other leaders from the other jurisdictions. She has been working
tirelessly with sport organizing bodies, and meeting with the actual sports=
as
well. She has worked tirelessly to make sure that we can resolve the issue =
that
we have before us, and I really do want to recognize the extraordinary amou=
nt
of work that she has done. Ms.
Stick:=
8195; I would like to=
thank
the Member for Vuntut Gwitchin for bringing forth this very important motion
for debate today and for bringing such personal passion and stories to make
this motion alive for the people in here. I, like my colleagues in the Offi=
cial
Opposition, support this motion. It is an important one. These games that w=
ere
founded in 1969 with Commissioners James Smith and Stuart Hodgson from the
Northwest Territories and Governor Hickel of Alaska, have become a living,
breathing part of our community and of the culture of the north. We have th=
em
to thank for having that vision back then. I don’t think they realized w=
hen they
first started what an impact it would have on the youth of not just the two
territories at the time, and one state — but that it’s now a
pan-northern endeavour that covers Alaska, Yukon, Northwest Territories,
Nunavut, Nunavik, or northern Quebec, northern Alberta, Greenland, Russia
— I don’t think that was even in their dreams back then. I̵=
7;m
sure they’re still struck by that today. I hope I haven’t forgo=
tten
any country when listing those. I’m sure I’ll hear about it if I
did. It is about the athletes, and it is=
about
the young people. For many, this is going to be their first time — th=
eir
first opportunity — to experience, to participate and hopefully win in
competition at an international level. That’s amazing — interna=
tional
level. It’s not just Canadian; it’s not just territorial or
provincial, but this is international. I know that athletes in southern For many, this will maybe be the
culmination of their athletic career; this might be their pinnacle, their b=
ig
moment, their big chance and they love it and they glorify in that. Other
athletes kind of get inspired by it and want to do more; they’re
motivated. They go on, perhaps, to the Canada Winter Games and experience t=
hat.
Others maybe vie for scholarships that will take them on to post-secondary
college or university — maybe a volleyball scholarship, maybe a
basketball scholarship— and it’s a way for them to get an
education, but carry on with their athletic career. For others, it’s an inspirati=
on for
continued training, personal sacrifice of the athlete and their families to
bigger ambitions, even the Olympics. I’m going to take a moment here =
to
speak personally of two young athletes I have known since the day they were
born, and that’s Graham and Emily Nishikawa; I’m so proud of th=
em. I’ve watched them — Emi=
ly in
gymnastics, Graham cross-country skiing — young people. Where are they
today? Both of them went to the Canada Winter Games. They were in the Arctic
Winter Games. They are now in Canmore. They are on the national cross-count=
ry
ski team. They represent It’s the same with other pare=
nts.
It’s not just this family — and I’m not just singling out
this family. It’s all families with athletes. It’s the parents =
who
get up for hockey at — I don’t know what time in the morning
because I wouldn’t let my kids join. It had to be an after-school
activity. It’s money — it costs parents money to be able to sup=
port
their athletes. We have great coaches in this terri=
tory,
and they coach at the Arctic Winter Games level and at the Canada Winter Ga=
mes,
and even are assistant coaches at the Olympic level. We’re so lucky. =
They’re so lucky they have ha=
d these
opportunities. They get to visit countries I haven’t been to. I would
love to be able to go to They already have the goal in mind.=
The
ones who are planning — they already have it laid out as to how
they’re going to get there, what they have to do, what they have to
achieve, what they have to train at. We would all do well to have a plan as
clear as theirs of what we were going to do for the next four years. My own experiences with the Arctic =
Winter
Games have been wonderful. I am no athlete — I’ll be really cle=
ar
about that — but I am a great volunteer. Give me a job, and I will do=
it,
and I don’t care whether it’s picking up garbage or standing in=
a
cold field and just standing there — if that’s my job I’l=
l do
it. I’m a great volunteer. My first Arctic Winter Games was in=
1986. I
still have my jacket — Curragh Resources, Faro. It’s at my cabi=
n.
It’s my camping jacket. I made friends at my first Arctic Winter Games
who are still good friends today. I met people I’d never met in I got to work behind the scenes hel=
ping
with the medal presentations. I didn’t present medals, but I got to h=
elp
do it at the parking lot at the SS Klondike. We built a structure th=
ere,
and that’s where the medals were handed out. It was fun. What an hono=
ur
in 1992 to be able to sing the national anthems of the different countries =
and
to sing O Canada in Southern Tutchone at the opening ceremonies, alo=
ng
with the Whitehorse Community Choir and the Whitehorse Elementary School st=
udents.
What a thrill. I always will rememb=
er that
opening, because that was the one where The cultural events are important;
it’s not just the athletes, but it’s also those youth who maybe
don’t excel at athletics, but they excel in other ways — they=
8217;re
storytellers; they’re singers; they’re crafters; they’re
artists. To me, that’s another wonderful piece of the Arctic Winter G=
ames
that we get to see. It’s part of those three rings that represent the
Arctic Winter Games. There are amazing things to be seen, stuff you would n=
ever
see anywhere else in the country — the sled jumping event and the whi=
p. I
remember an elder from When we talk about removing speed s=
kating,
figure skating, curling, gymnastics, midget hockey and dog mushing for 2016=
, it
just feels like one of those rings has been broken or is incomplete. I̵=
7;m
not sure how many of those sports were in the original Arctic Winter Games
— I’m not sure. I bet most of them were. I know dog mushing was=
for
sure. But it is about change and, at one time adults participated in the Ar=
ctic
Winter Games. They were the athletes — and I can see him, but I
can’t remember his name, he’s from the Air travel is no longer a DC-3, tha=
nk
goodness, and culture today is not just traditional, but it’s hip hop,
it’s break dancing, it’s graffiti art, it’s things we nev=
er
could have imagined. I commend the Arctic Winter Games International Commit=
tee
on this unenviable job they have and the many difficult decisions that they=
are
faced with. It’s their job to be inclusive, respectful of all countri=
es
and communities and encouraging to all athletes. I don’t have any doubt that a=
lot of
thought and discussion went into this decision. I don’t think they ma=
ybe
anticipated the protest they would have, and I’m sure they’re
feeling dismayed by it. It’s great to hear from the minister about di=
fferent
solutions, because I had the same thoughts myself. We are in such a time of
social media, technology, giant screens and satellites and communications,
there’s no reason why we can’t have one opening ceremony in thr=
ee
communities across the circumpolar north. We could do it. You know that peo=
ple
here would show up, even if it was live somewhere else. We would fill the C=
anada
Games Centre, if asked. We would be there and we would volunteer, even if w=
as
just for a few games or a few sports here. Of course we would, because we l=
ove
this and we love the Arctic Winter Games. I’m glad to see that there is=
new
thought, because change is constant. No one dreamt that we’d have all
these countries, all these athletes and all these sports. Arctic Summer Gam=
es?
Why not? Maybe we can split it out a little and make it more manageable so =
that
some of the sports in the winter happen in the summer. It makes sense to me=
. Anyway, it’s encouraging to k=
now that
people are trying to be creative, trying to be helpful and come up with good
solutions. I am happy to support this motion. I support this and what the
government and what this minister has talked about and what they’re
trying to do and offer our help if there’s anything — letters t=
o be
written, phone calls to be made. The opposition is happy to do that. This is
something that’s important and I thank the member from Old Crow for
having this chance to speak to this. That’s it. Hon.
Mr. Graham: I want to also thank the member fro=
m Old
Crow for this opportunity. I also want to make sure on behalf of my colleag=
ue
to my left, the Minister of Community Services, that we also thank the hard=
-working
members of her department who, she informed me, worked very diligently
alongside her throughout this whole issue so far. I know on behalf of all o=
f us
here we want to thank them for the good work that they’ve done on our
behalf. I was going to take a little longer=
, but
I’ll cut back a lot now because I have all kinds of stories about Arc=
tic
Winter Games that I could tell you here for hours, everything from when the
Russian hockey team showed up in Whitehorse one year with no hockey gear and
the generosity and the support given by residents of Whitehorse, as well as
other hockey teams from around the north, was absolutely amazing. I think it has been stated by every=
one
— Arctic Winter Games did start in 1970. It was interesting to hear t=
he
conflicting reports, one of 500 and one of roughly 750 athletes. I can tell=
you
it was somewhere in that range of 500 to 750. Nobody was really sure, but it
was an interesting set of games because, as the previous speaker said, the =
majority
of the athletes in those days were adults. It’s one of the really gre=
at
things that have happened in the games, I think, since I’ve been invo=
lved
is that transition has taken place so more and more young people are involv=
ed
in the games and, to this point now, adults are only involved as officials,
coaches, mentors and the viewing public, you might say. I think that’s
one of the great transitions that we’ve made over the years. I was involved the very first time =
as a
participant in 1972. Since that time, I’ve been involved as an offici=
al,
as a coach. I’m still wondering if I coached the Member for Kopper Ki=
ng
in 1992 in indoor soccer; I’m not sure. I know I had her in outdoor
soccer on a Yukon team and I know I have refereed the Member for Vuntut
Gwitchin as well as the member behind me here — so some wonderful
memories from those games. I also participated in the games as the minister=
of
sport and recreation for the So I’ve done a number of thin=
gs over
the years, but my most satisfying games of all was when I participated as an
official in a set of games; I don’t even remember which ones. I think it was the very first year =
—
it had to be one of the years that women’s hockey was included in the
Arctic Winter Games. I refereed hockey games at all levels at those games.
I’ll never forget the intense level of competition, but the true spir=
it
of sportsmanship, too, that went through those games. Because you are invol=
ved
in a number of different age groups and — in this case, men and women
— it was really interesting to see the sense of excitement with athle=
tes,
and anticipation — the great joy they had just being there at an Arct=
ic
Winter Games. One of those stories that I will never forget was when I made=
a
call — it was an offside call and it wasn’t like it was a close
call or anything — and I blew the whistle and we went to line up. I w=
as
going to drop the puck and a young lady came skating up to me and she said,
“Oh, Mr. Ref, I am so sorry. I guess I wasn’t supposed to do th=
at,
eh? I won’t do it again, honest.” She was the player that had b=
een
offside. I’ve often thought since then if the Member for Vuntut Gwitc=
hin
and my colleague behind me here could emulate that behaviour, it would make=
our
job — as the Premier and I know, it would make our job as referees mu=
ch better.
As many have said, the Arctic Winte=
r Games are
often the ultimate competition for some of our athletes and, for others, it
will be simply a stepping stone to higher levels of competition. It isnR=
17;t
only the participants in these games who will be set back. I remember some
years ago, I was referee-in-chief of the Especially since we’ve been
instituting new rules for coaches like them having to get their certificati=
on
for the various sports before they can participate, we’ve really
encouraged a number of people who used to go out, stand around there and let
the kids skate around the ice or kick the soccer ball or figure skate. Now those people have an idea of ac=
tually
how to train these kids. I credit that whole system and Sport Yukon bringing
that system of certification of coaches in to the great strides that our
athletes have taken here in We simply can’t let these cut=
s go
ahead without first taking a second look, as my colleague has said, and tak=
ing
another look at what we’re doing here and coming up with alternatives=
. I also had the opportunity to take =
a look
at the Arctic Winter Games International Committee webpage and I found on t=
here
a very interesting part that provides one of the benefits of the Arctic Win=
ter
Games and one of the duties of the international committee: “As stewa=
rds
of the games, the international committee provides leadership to safeguard =
the
future of the games. The international committee is entrusted to: Integrate=
a
strategic planning process ... Develop and update policies that reflect the
impacts of the changing environment as well as the needs of key partners;
Ensure that the structure and decision making processes reflect the steward=
ship
role entrusted to the international committee by its partners; Ensure that =
the
committee is and is perceived by others to be a responsive, professional,
accountable and well-managed organization.” I read those things and I thought, =
my
goodness, perhaps it’s time we reminded the committee — the sam=
e as
many of us here in political life have to be reminded sometimes — tha=
t we
have to respond to those participants, our partners and all of the others w=
ho
are involved in this great organization we call the Arctic Winter Games. =
span> I trust that my colleague, the mini=
ster,
will remind those members of the international committee that they do have a
responsibility to the people who not only fund that organization but who
participate. It’s not only the athletes. It’s the officials,
it’s the coaches, the managers and all of those other people who are =
involved
and contribute immensely to the whole process of the Arctic Winter Games. <=
/span> I see that the House Leader is givi=
ng me the
eye over there, so I’ll end this that point and thank you very much f=
or
this opportunity. Mr.
Barr:=
195; I rise definite=
ly in
support of the Minister of Community Services, who has been working hard to=
overcome
the obstacles to have inclusive games for everyone, and I’d like to t=
hank
the Member for Vuntut Gwitchin for bringing forward this motion today. What I feel here, at this point, is=
a
lightness in this House that feels great. We are talking about helping ever=
yone
and to also help overcome — you know, with the 2016 games in Greenland
— a situation where things aren’t all in place for everybody th=
ere
— to be inclusive, to have this feeling and excitement, not only to go
to, but to come back to and have the memories the minister opposite was just
speaking of — the lasting memories that, as was stated here today, th=
at
might be the only time. The Minister of Community Services was alluding to =
the
intergenerational opportunities — that if this opportunity is missed =
for
some of those to be able to attend this time, they may not get another chan=
ce. I think, as a parent myself, of my
granddaughter who was able to be part of soccer and who just went to have f=
un
to start. That was a part of the games. They went on to the Cowichan games.
They had the gold medal. It brought her places. I think back to when speaki=
ng
with her about that. I remember saying, “ The dreams are real and alive. With=
out
hope, without dreams, without thinking of an ultimate possibility of infini=
teness,
where are we? Hope is so important in our lives and for our spirit. =
I think back to my son, Jona, when =
I was a
single dad and he was a midget hockey player. Looking back at my own hockey=
experience,
it was traumatic. I wanted to be so much with my friends and I couldn’=
;t
skate very well. But my friends wanted me to be with them. So I went there,=
and
the first tournament — after I crossed — I didn’t even re=
ally
know much about the rules — I crossed. We had a breakaway. I crossed =
the
blue line in front of the guy who had the puck and I blew it for our team. I
was crushed when the coach the next day said, “Here’s some food
coupons, but maybe you should take your skates and go home.” Oh, my. =
That
was so awful. I was traumatized by this. The coach actually had the corner
store that sold the candies in our community. I never went back in that sto=
re
again. But I think of my son, then —=
when we
think about the opportunity that may be lost for some of these kids —=
as
a single dad, we spent a year on, a year off. He wanted to play hockey. Whe=
n we
think about costs, when we think about times and opportunities and the
sacrifices that the families make to be able to have this become a reality =
for
their children. He played hockey too. He got the last goal of the last game
— the only goal that winter. That was worth everything — t=
o be
able to see the glow on his face, the slaps from everybody. As a parent, I
can’t tell you how proud I was of that moment. That was enough hockey=
for
him. Like we say, where are you going to end up? These opportunities bring us to whe=
re,
maybe, we’re going in our lives. I’m so happy to hear of the
minister’s efforts to bring forward solutions to these obstacles beca=
use
I think it’s so important that we look at these struggles — as =
we
can maybe in the House — as really opportunities to grow; to come
together as we did with the totem raising; as we do when community comes to=
gether
with the volunteers of all the different aspects. The cultural aspect to this, when I=
think
back to the games here, that we had — and I’m not sure if it was
the winter games or the Arctic Winter Games that had the First Nation tent =
that
I remember Katie Johnson put together just out of — “Well, we
don’t have so much aboriginal content here.” It was an aftertho=
ught
— forethought on her part — but when that tent was raised all t=
he
communities came. That particular tent had line-ups morning, And that’s the vision that =
8212;
you know, when we talk about visioning and following them through — w=
ent
on to the next group of people who ended up going to the world Olympics in
Vancouver. It spawned an aboriginal contingent of 45 that I was so honoured=
to
be part of. It was voted number one in the world Olympics — the
aboriginal group to present on that level on the world stage. So I just commend the work of the
volunteers, this House’s members, the international committee that is
faced with obstacles here. However, we can support this. I would like to say
that, as my colleague — who forgot to mention that she does sell musi=
c in
her store too. You know, it just showcases so much. It’s so inclusive
that it extends to business, it extends to our children, our family, our pa=
st
and the strengthening of our culture. It’s such an important endeav=
our. I
wonder where it’s going to be in 50 years from now. I would just like to thank everyone=
for
their time and the opportunity to speak and for the hard work that has been
done — the Member for Vuntut Gwitchin for bringing this forward and f=
or
all the work from everybody. Thank you. Ms.
White:=
8195; I’m going=
to
speak about the Arctic Winter Games from a very personal standpoint and the
Minister of Health and Social Services — I still can’t remember=
if
he was my coach for the Arctic Winter Games in 1992, but I can tell you tha=
t he
coached me for a really long time and I used to play competitive soccer with
his daughter. I had a good kick — I really did. I played competitive soccer for a r=
eally
long time and I’m sure he can remember some of these tournaments, bec=
ause
there were a couple times when he actually had to leave the field, but we u=
sed
to play sometimes in In 1992, I was 15 years old. I was =
in grade
9 and I went to Jeckell Junior High — back when we had junior high
schools. The soccer team had been playing for a number of years at that poi=
nt.
We probably started when we were 11 or 12 and it was pretty much the same g=
irls
all the time, so you’d become very familiar with each other. We could
change into shorts on the soccer field without having to take off pants and=
we
spent a lot of time together. It is grade 9 at Jeckell Junior High and the =
tryouts
were going to be in Faro. Almost all the kids — okay it=
was the
Minister of Health and Social Services, because he’s nodding now beca=
use
he remembers Faro. So the tryouts were going to be held in Faro. That meant
essentially that all the kids got on a bus, I believe, and we went off to F=
aro.
It’s memorable because we got to stay in a hotel and normally when we
travelled, we slept on floors in all sorts of places, but it typically
wasn’t a hotel. We were in Faro and we got to stay at the Faro Hotel =
and
I remember this because it was such a novel thing. You could put the soccer
ball on one side of the floor in the hallway and the ball would roll down t=
he
hallway and then it might roll up a hill and it would hit a bump and it wou=
ld
roll down. We spent a long time rolling balls in the hallway. So it was in =
Faro
and it was pretty much the same players. I can’t remember even if the=
re
were any girls in Faro who came out for the tryouts, but we were there. I c=
an
tell you that the soundtrack was Nirvana — Teen Spirit was the song of
the day and it holds a lot of memories. At that point, at 15, you remember
stuff like that. We were in Faro and we had the tryo=
uts, and
it was pretty much the same rigours, and I can tell you that the Minister of
Health and Social Services was a great coach. There would have been a lot of
effort involved and there would have been a lot of fun and a lot of sweating
and a lot of yelling and probably a little bit of backtalk from our side,
because we’d been playing together for a long time at that point. In =
the
end, the team was selected and was pretty much the same players as it always
was. Then the real work started. So we had the normal soccer league =
that we
played in, and then we also practised twice a week. It was fun. You think a=
bout
the dedication of coaches, because at that point in time, we would have
probably had a practice for an hour to two hours a night, twice a week, on =
top
of the fact that the Minister of Health and Social Services would have coac=
hed
a regular team, at that point, I’m sure, because his daughter was
actively involved in soccer. So we played soccer all winter and =
it was
so much fun and it was so great. Then when we got closer to March, it kicked
up, so we had two games a week; we had two practices a week and we added the
third practice on the weekend. You also need to know at this point in time =
that
I was the goalie. I have to tell you, I never liked being the goalie. As the
goalie, the ball gets passed to every other person and you’re the only
one left. In indoor soccer, if you’ve n=
ever
played it, is fast and hard. The ball is a little bit fuzzy and the crease =
is
very close to where you are. It’s always very, very intense. <=
/p>
We were getting closer and there we=
re pep
talks and all this excitement. At 15, this was our first time to be able to=
participate
in the Arctic Winter Games. Then we got the uniforms. I am just going to po=
int
this out. I forgot about The really interesting thing about =
the 1992
Arctic Winter Games is that they were held in
The Arctic Winter Games were in
The one interesting thing about pla=
ying
outdoor soccer and going to places like
If you have never played outdoor so= ccer at 110 degrees Fahrenheit, I can only tell you that is not what you expect either. But indoor soccer always has walls; it always has door jambs= ; it always has things that you can look at, but it was consistent and the tempe= rature was even and we were on equal footing.
I liked that hockey was a really po=
lite
sport, but indoor soccer was not. The Alaskan and
We kept going and we kept playing. =
Then you
played the teams more than once by the time you are in toward the finals. Y=
ou
start to see things — especially as the goalie, because I had the ent=
ire
field of play to look at. Then you’re expecting the shots from some of
them and I’m sure you’ve probably realized this here, but IR=
17;m
quite loud, and I could carry my voice on a pitch. So I was the cheerleader
also in the back.
You know, the week was great and I can’t remember where we ate, because it was certainly not set up like= it is now. I can’t remember those things, but I do know that we played f= or the gold medal, and I can tell you that we lost. I can tell you that was really, really hard, but we did win silver, and that was important. But more than t= hat is that, when we played that gold-medal game, there were tons of people watching — not just soccer players — because that’s the really important part. You start to go and watch other Team Yukon teams. We played that game and we played the hardest we could, and we played the best= we could, and that day we just didn’t win. We had a great coach and he t= old us we did awesome, and we did. We did great.
It’s interesting because I wa= s still of an age that I could play the next year, and I tried out for the team for 1994. Around the same time, I started snowboarding. I made the soccer team,= and I actually decided that I wasn’t that into soccer and I certainly didn’t want to be the goalie. So I remember going to the team —= I think we were at Whitehorse Elementary for a practice — and I said, “Look guys. I’m just not into that any more.” I recanted — I can’t even remember who they had as goalie. I feel bad for = them and I apologize.
Then at that point, snowboarding was
dominating my life. It’s really exciting, because the first time that
snowboarding was involved in the Arctic Winter Games, I was an official. I =
got
to be a judge. So I did the prerequisite training to be a judge and I got t=
o be
in support of snowboarding, which is still one of my passions. I got to be
involved in that way, and that was really incredible because, unlike a lot =
of
other sports, snowboarding is pretty individual. It’s kind of like fi=
gure
skating and things like that, where it’s all you against yourself.
That’s something I’ve always appreciated about snowboarding.
So now to see a sport involved in a=
more
mainstream thing, where it’s sometimes not a lot of mainstream kids w=
ho
are involved, I really appreciate that. I see a lot of the kids now who are=
on
the
There is so much to be said about volunteering. My dad, Don, is a runner, and if you guys don’t know him through running, then maybe you know him through snowshoeing. My dad retired six years ago and he volunteers now, running and snowshoeing. I figure prob= ably two hours a day every day is what it seems like. My dad has nurtured traditional snowshoeing, so they are wooden snowshoes with the hide. They a= re traditional mukluks. My dad has kids who run all summer and he takes them snowshoeing in the winter.
The greatest thing about snowshoein= g is that pretty little guys can compete — so, 11, 12 — they are pre= tty small when they can start and they run with the bigger kids and you know, t= hey get all these things going on. My dad has quite the collection of jackets, = so if you were to come to my mom and dad’s house, not only would you see about 23 sleeping bags, all with a different year — and they’re great because you can always hand away an Arctic Winter Games sleeping bag = to someone who needs the emergency bag in the back. I always thought that was really quite interesting and quite awesome — you got your sleeping ba= g; that was cool; that was great.
So at my mom and dad’s house,=
you can
see a collection of jackets and you can see how things have changed and how=
substantially
more fashionable the
I had never done this before and a =
lot of
the volunteers had not done it either so we went through a bit of a
“snowshoeing boot camp” about what you could and could not do on
the snowshoeing course — understanding that the kids couldn’t c=
ross
lines in a certain spot, but could cross lines in another spot — tryi=
ng
to get people to the start line who do not speak English in any way, shape =
or
form.
So between motions and smiles and
increasing volume in trying to get people to where they had to be, it was
really exciting. The snowshoeing competition this year was really incredibl=
e,
because it was in
So, for the first time in the
I got placed on the far corner, so = I would see kids crest the hill. They had to get to the hob of the hill before I’d see them, and I would cheer like crazy as they came huffing and puffing past me and went back into the woods. It was so exciting. I got to watch young athletes struggle — because I knew they were tired — and sometimes I knew they were done. And when they were doing multiple laps= , I knew how many they had to go, so I’d be like — “You’= ;re so close.” It was incredible.
Then when I saw athletes come up = 8212; one team come up to pass another team — they always offered words of encouragement. So it wasn’t — “I’m going to pass yo= u, and I’m going to beat you.” It was — “You can do th= is, you’re almost there, you can do this.” It was an incredible thi= ng in snowshoeing.
And then we have my mom — her= name is Marg. She’s also a super volunteer, and she has been on the mission s= taff on more than one occasion for the Arctic Winter Games. She’s a high-ranking official in curling. You guys actually might know my mom. She = has volunteered for every Arctic Winter Games since as far as I can remember. S= he does it in the capacity of mission staff or support staff or regular volunt= eer, or sometimes she’s the curling official, and sometimes she’s an official for something that involves timing, because she does a lot of that. I’m always really grateful that I grew up in a family where volunteer= ing was so important.
I continue to see the changes. The
difference in the games from the 1990s, when I participated, to the one
recently, in 2012, that I was involved in an official capacity, was astrono=
mical.
In 1992, I am not really sure that = they knew where we were going or how we were supposed to get from point A to poi= nt B. I’m pretty sure that parents would drive us at times, and I’m sure at times we would walk between venues. It was not the organization tha= t it is now. There were volunteers, but there was not three volunteers per athle= te.
I think what Whitehorse did —= or, the Yukon did — in the last games was because of our practice with the Ca= nada Winter Games — I mean, we can host anything — “We can bri= ng the Olympics here and we’ve got it sorted out.” So, the differe= nces I’ve seen from the 1990s to now are incredible.
When I listen to the minister talk = about all the options that she has put forward, I know we can do it. I know that video screens between two places and all the hoopla that can go along with = that — the lights and the action and all that — can be incredible. I know that when it was my opening — I think it was at the Takhini Arena — it was probably the biggest venue we had at that point of time. It = was okay, but it certainly wasn’t the 2012 opening and closing ceremonies. There wasn’t hip hop and there wasn’t lighting and there wasn’t music. I think it was a little bit more subdued.
I thank the minister for all the wo= rk that she is doing, and I know that, with your help, this can happen. I thank the= Member for Vuntut Gwitchin for bringing it forward. To any kid who is not sure if = they want to work hard enough to be in the Arctic Winter Games — you total= ly should; it’s totally worth it. I’m glad I did and I’m gla= d I had the support of my community when it happened. I look forward to voting = for this.
Mr. Tredger:= The member besi= de me here mentioned the atmosphere and the feeling in the Legislature today. It = reminds me of the Canada Winter Games. Communities come together from across the circumpolar north, from disparate backgrounds, from different cultures R= 12; some things in common, some things not in common — and they build a t= eam and they build a community. They take the strength of that community to the host community as well as to the respective communities that they visit. I = want to thank everyone in here for sharing their experiences, for supporting the Member for Vuntut Gwitchin in his motion, and for supporting the Minister of Community Services in her endeavours to make the games just a little bit be= tter for athletes this year.
I speak from a number of different
perspectives. I was a principal in Pelly Crossing for many years when I fir=
st
heard of the games and the experiences of a small community and how they
affected them. I was also a principal in
I was a father. I was a volunteer a= nd I was a spectator. Each one of those capacities made me a better person. When I h= ear the stories shared today, that’s not a unique feeling. Of the people = in the House, all of us have been affected by the games. All of us had our liv= es enriched by the games. We all stand proud to be Yukoners and proud to suppo= rt the Arctic Winter Games.
When I was in
A number of the students did partic=
ipate in
teams and years later when they came into
The other aspect that people from <=
/span>
The games have expanded and involve= more people all the time, as they should. People have recognized the value and t= he importance of them.
My daughter was a soccer player and=
I can
remember her training all year long to get ready and hopefully make the soc=
cer
team.
There was preparation, dedication a=
nd work
that she and her teammates put in to coalesce. You know, as a teacher, one =
of
the things I realized was how important a peer group is to kids as they grow
up. My daughter’s soccer peer group — and neighbours have talked
about hockey peer groups; we have talked about different athletes and their
peer groups and the difference they make. As a parent or as a teacher, know=
ing
who your children are going out with and where they are going makes a huge
difference. As a parent, I was lucky enough to be able to drive my children=
to
athletic activities. At first I thought I was spending a lot of time driving
and then I realized how fortunate I was to have that time with my daughter
captive beside me so she couldn’t run away. There are little things l=
ike
that that a lot of people don’t think about when they think about the
Arctic Winter Games or other competitions — how important they are to
building family and building community.
I got to be a volunteer several tim=
es and
saw the athletes as they went to their venue and worked on things with inte=
nsity
and excitement. I watched the crowds as they worked with the athletes. As I
said earlier, it humbled me and made me much richer for it. We’re very
fortunate to live in a community that has hosted and is able to host the Ar=
ctic
Winter Games on a fairly regular basis. I watched my community in
Despite the work that it takes to h= ost the games, the effect lasts a long time.
When the Arctic Winter Games were h=
ere
last, I was volunteering on the ski hill. The ski hill itself developed a c=
ommunity
around it. I’ll never forget one young girl from Greenland
In
Last year when the dog mushers were=
here I
was at
I would like to commend the Member = for Vuntut Gwitchin for bringing forth this motion. I wholeheartedly support it= . I would like to thank the Minister of Community Services for taking this forth and for looking at alternatives and creative solutions. I’d like to encourage all the athletes in all of the events not to give up, but to keep their hopes up. Thank you.
Speaker: If the member now speaks, he will close debate. Does any other member wish to be heard?
Mr. Elias:= 8195; It’s a pleasure and I’m proud to be in here today, because our words today — I’m thinking up to 2016, when hopeful= ly everybody is still here. We’re going to look back on our words today = and be proud of what we did in here. We gave support to our minister so that she can work on behalf of our territory’s citizens and those athletes who= are aspiring to be the best that they can be. The eloquence and the words today fill my heart, so thank you.
I want to go over a couple of thing= s that I thought were important about how sport has the power to save lives. In 1986= , it was my first Arctic Winter Games as well. I was playing peewee hockey. I cr= edit my coaches and Mr. Wayne Peace and Mr. Mike House because there were two pa= ths I could have taken during that time in my life. One path wasn’t so go= od and the other one was to stick with hockey and to play sports. I’m confident today that decision I made to continue playing sports saved my li= fe; I can say that with confidence. So when we talk about the power of sport in here today, that’s what it means.
I also wanted to mention that my so=
n played
at his first Arctic Winter Games last year. I think he scored two or three
goals and he’s always going to remember that. They ended up in the br=
onze
medal final with
It was a pleasure to hear the minister’s options that she put forward on the floor today, because I didn’t realize some of those options had already been spoken about at such a high level, and I think some of them are very intriguing, especially having Iceland possibly as a venue — that’s the first I’ve ever heard of that.
In my discussions with Yukoners in =
the
stores and in the hockey rinks and in my office, there are a couple of
interesting options that haven’t been mentioned here today. One of th=
em
is actually from two totally different people, both involved in hockey,
however. It’s with regard to the Winter Classic hockey — the
National Hockey League game that was recently cancelled. The possibility th=
ere
was to have the biggest hockey crowd in the history of the NHL, and how the=
y do
that is they have the ability to have artificial ice made wherever with pla=
nts.
So a couple of people came up to me and said, “Why can’t we do =
this
in Nuuk? Why can’t we approach the National Hockey League PlayersR=
17;
Association and the National Hockey League — because they do need some
positive exposure right now — to help ensure that midget hockey and s=
peed
skating and curling are in the 2016 Arctic Winter Games?”
I thought, “Wow, they’re thinking about the details and about ways of solving this issue for our citizenry.” I think that’s amazing.
Another Yukoner came up to me and s=
aid,
“Look,
Back in 1986, again — I also =
have a
lasting relationship with someone, who was then an athlete and is now on th=
e international
committee. So it’s no surprise to me that
One of the challenges the Arctic Wi=
nter
Games International Committee is faced with in regard to an issue in dog
mushing is that it’s actually illegal to import dogs above the
If a dog is flown below
Mr. Frank Turner gave me a letter t= oday and I want to quote a couple of sections from it with regard to dog mushing. He said, “In my opinion to not include dog teams in the ‘Arctic= 217; games would be a travesty.
“Please do not deny our youth= the opportunity to come together with their dogs and build friendships that transcend time and geography. Respectfully, Frank Turner.”
He hand-delivered that letter to me= today.
In conclusion, I would just like to= thank everybody today. I think we can be proud of the words that hopefully will t= ranscend time and help our Minister of Community Services in achieving her goal on behalf of the citizens of this territory.
I almost forgot something, Mr. Spea= ker: I was walking through Wal-Mart last night and I was stopped about six times because I guess word spreads pretty quickly that this was being debated tod= ay and they said, “Darius, while you’re at it, can you try to incl= ude judo, weight-lifting and boxing and these sports into the games as well?= 221; I said, “Okay, I’ll make sure it gets on the permanent Hansard.” So I just did that.
Thank you to those citizens who als= o care about their sports and their inclusion in the Arctic Winter Games. <= /p>
Over the years of my participation = in the Arctic Winter Games and watching our citizenry over the decades, I’ve= had the privilege of observing the Arctic Winter Games and the athletes oath, w= hen they stand up and represent their jurisdiction and on behalf of the athletes say, “In the name of all participants, I pledge to embrace the Arctic Winter Games in the spirit of fair play and cultural exchange, respecting t= he traditions that govern them and celebrating the honour and excellence of our teams.” I think that in itself says a lot. So thank you to each and e= very one of the MLAs here today. Mahsi’ cho.
Speaker: Are you prepared for the question?
Some Hon. Members: Division. =
Division
Speaker: Division has been called.
Bells
Speaker: Mr. Clerk, please poll the House.
Hon. Mr. Pasloski: Agree.
Hon. Mr. Cathers: Agree.
Hon. Ms. Taylor: Agree.
Hon. Mr. Graham: Agree.
Hon.
Mr. Hon.
Mr. Nixon: Agree. Ms.
McLeod: Agree. Hon.
Mr. Istchenko: Agree. Hon.
Mr. Dixon: Agree. Mr.
Hassard: Agree. Ms.
Hanson:&=
#8195; Agree.=
p>
Ms.
Stick:=
8195; Agree.=
p>
Ms.
White:=
8195; Agree.=
p>
Mr.
Tredger:=
Agree.=
p>
Mr.
Barr:=
195; Agree.=
p>
Mr.
Silver:&=
#8195; Agree.=
p>
Mr.
Elias:=
8195; Agree. Clerk: Mr. Speaker, the results are 17 yea, nil nay. Speaker: The yeas have it. I declare the motion carried. Motion No. 252 agreed to<=
/i> Motion No. 275 Clerk: Motion No. 275, standing in the name of Mr. Tredger.=
p>
Speaker: It is moved by the Member for Mayo-Tatchun THAT this House urges the Governmen=
t of
Yukon to: (1) implement an immediate moratori=
um; (2) conduct a full and rigorous sci=
entific
review; and (3) conduct a public consultation o=
n the
effects and desirability of hydraulic fracturing, also known as
“fracking”, before any regulatory approvals or permitting is
allowed in Mr.
Tredger:=
It is with great
pleasure that I rise in the House today to speak to Motion No. 275. This mo=
tion
calls upon the Government of Yukon to implement an immediate moratorium on =
the
controversial practice of hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking.” =
The
motion further calls on the government to conduct a full and rigorous
scientific review of the potential impacts of fracking. Finally, the motion
calls on the government to conduct a public consultation on the practice of
fracking. The scientific review and public consultation should take place b=
efore
any regulatory approvals or permits are granted for fracking. The Yukon NDP has a proud history of
supporting responsible resource extraction in the territory. We believe, as do many Yukoners, th=
at we
can build a prosperous economy that benefits everyone without destroying the
environment. We understand and embrace the role of a responsible, competiti=
ve
resource extraction industry in our territory and its contributions to our
economy. We also take the role of government as steward of our environment =
and
our natural resources very seriously. There is no doubt that government pla=
ys
an important role in creating an attractive business environment in the
territory. Yet this role as economic facilitator must not come second to th=
at
of an environmental steward. As we all know, economic opportunities in the
resource sector come and go. They are subject to inevitable fluctuations in
world commodity prices and, of course, once those resources are gone, they =
are
gone forever. They are also subject to natural cyclical variances where
resource industries build up and then go away. As we noticed in the past five year=
s with
mining, there has been a gradual buildup of activity. Last year, exploration
activity peaked for this cycle. It’s important as stewards of the env=
ironment
and stewards of our territory to look at these cycles. When we had peak
exploration, who benefited? Who didn’t? How did our resources stand u=
p?
How did the communities fare? Did this new-found economic surplus benefit
everyone? How much of it stayed in our territory? How many of our children =
got
permanent jobs? Now is the time for an audit of the activity as we prepare =
for
the next wave of mining activity. We’re moving from exploration into
confirmation of that and into actual mining. How, without checking — witho=
ut doing
a serious look at our experiences — can we ensure that the extraction=
of
our natural resources benefits all our territory and that we leave no one
behind? Our environment — our one env=
ironment
that’s home to people, animals and plants alike — is forever. T=
he
elders tell us we are part of the land and part of the water. A book was ev=
en
written about that. Yukoners know that our wilderness is unique in the worl=
d.
We and all living beings depend on the land, the water and the air to susta=
in
us. Yukon First Nations have depended o=
n this
environment since time immemorial. They are an important part of our identi=
ty
and our deep attachment to the I would go further and say that our=
land
and our water are critical to all of us. The First Nations have shown us the
way. They’ve shown us and told stories and told us about the importan=
ce
of our land and where we are from and the importance of cooperating and
collaborating and living together — learning from our experiences,
growing from our experiences and sharing our experiences. Our children, our
children’s children, and future generations will all depend on our
environment to sustain them. We must not sacrifice our irreplaceable
environment in the name of making a quick buck. What we enjoy today should =
also
be a vital part of our legacy for future generations. Economic opportunities in the resou=
rce
sector come and go as world markets rise and fall. Our environment, our hom=
e,
is forever and while we need and embrace economic activity, it must be done=
in
such a way as to preserve the integrity of our land, our people and our
resources. As I was writing this, Mr. Speaker,=
the We all can have a spiritual touch t=
o it.
Yukoners throughout the territory are recognizing how special and how uniqu=
e in
the world our land is. I remember watching a movie called A River Runs
Through It. I don’t want to see the movie about the Peel called &=
#8220;A
Road Runs Through It”. Yukoners throughout the territory are calling =
for
greater respect for the values of conservation and protection and for actio=
ns
that are based on the sound and responsible management of the Yukon environ=
ment.
Yukoners support and seek sustainable development — development that
knows and respects environmental limits and that will benefit all Yukoners
today and in the years to come. Yukon New Democrats understand that=
. That
is why a Yukon New Democratic government passed the The Yukon Party government has repe=
atedly
refused requests for a full public discussion, informed by evidence, on the
issue of fracking. They have argued that since there are no current proposa=
ls
on the table for fracking in the As I said in Question Period, it is=
the
Yukon Party government that is causing alarm and polarization among Yukoner=
s by
refusing to discuss the issue. A public discussion, a consultation process,
that currently is supported by both the Yukon Conservation Society and Nort=
hern
Cross — those opposite ends of the spectrum, as the Premier likes to =
say
— a public discussion that is informed by good, objective, scientific=
evidence.
The government’s reluctance t=
o engage
Yukoners on this important issue and to allow their voices to be heard is d=
isconcerting.
By denying calls for a public discussion on fracking on the grounds that no
fracking is currently proposed suggests a peculiar approach to governing.
Instead of addressing the issue of fracking head on, this government seems =
to
be burrowing its collective head in the sand. They say that since there is =
no
fracking planned for tomorrow, we shouldn’t bother discussing it toda=
y.
This strikes me as incredibly shortsighted and counterproductive. =
p>
As long as the Yukon Party governme=
nt
continues to deny that fracking is on the horizon — while most Yukone=
rs
and industry can see it coming — members of the public will continue =
to
be concerned. Mistrust and doubt in the government will continue to grow. T=
his
isn’t in anyone’s best interest. The way to engage and embrace indus=
try is
to ensure — through public discussion and public participation; throu=
gh
scientific, rigorous examination of both the pros and the cons, the positiv=
es
and the negatives of industrial extraction — that Yukoners will have =
the
benefit of that extraction. That is the way to cease the polarization, the =
way
to engage Yukoners and the way to engage the industry and have productive a=
nd
valuable resources. Speaker: As the time is Debate on Motion No. 275 accordi=
ngly
adjourned The House adjourned at =
i> The =
following
document was filed November 7, 2012: 33-1-25=
Climate=
Change
Action Plan, Yukon Government: Progress Report (dated September 2012) (Dixo=
n)
1430 &n=
bsp;  =
; &n=
bsp;  =
; &n=
bsp; HANSARD =
=
span>