Secrecy once again sabotages our leaders
Is it too much to ask of our territorial leaders that, when they hold a splashy news conference, there is actually something to announce? Apparently, yes.
When skepticism turns into silliness
The Yukon has a sprawling 8,400 kilometres of road. In a territory with fewer than 140 Mounties, perhaps it's time to ask whether it's the best use of tax dollars to enforce motor vehicle regulations.
Taking responsibility means answering questions, Elias
Hopefully Darius Elias gets the help he needs to deal with his drinking problem. While he's at it, the MLA for Vuntut Gwitchin could take time out to learn how to give a real apology.
The shame of segregation secrecy
Many Yukoners were shocked to learn that an inmate in Whitehorse Correctional Centre had made a video-linked court appearance earlier this year while naked and shackled within the jail.
Bagnell’s in. Will Streicker take him out?
So Larry Bagnell wants his old job back as MP of the Yukon. The big question seems to be, will John Streicker let him have it?
Fix or scrap flawed whistleblowing protection plans
It must suddenly be in style for legislators to dream up draft laws with ironic names. Just as the federal Conservatives have pushed a Fair Elections Act that...
The fight against measles isn’t over
Measles was among a handful of new diseases that wreaked a terrible toll upon residents of northern Canada during the late 19th and early 20th century.
Live by the sword, die by the sword
If Yukon MP Ryan Leef faces one big obstacle in seeking re-election next year, it will be in fending off accusations that he is merely a patsy for Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
A few vital distinctions
It's not often that a piece of legislation as obscure as the Vital Statistics Act becomes a focus of political debate in the territory.
Silver questions Yukon Party fundraiser
Silver questions Yukon Party fundraiser Liberal Leader Sandy Silver wants to know why Premier Darrell Pasloski, Minister Scott Kent and Minister Currie Dixon attended a $300-a-plate Yukon Party fundraiser during a taxpayer-funded trip to Vancouver in Ja
All eyes on Capstone’s Minto mine
Minto, one of the Yukon's few operating mines, lost money in 2013 according to annual financial information released by its parent Capstone in February.
Dreaming the big dream
Yukoners like to think of themselves as a hardy, self-reliant lot. This collective self-image is at odds with the reality that our territorial government is propped up with massive subsidies from Ottawa.
More questions than answers on Ross River Bridge
The ultimate fate of the Ross River footbridge is still unclear.
In fracking fracas, enviros turn on one another
John Streicker's weakness as a politician has always been that he is far more reasonable than many of his followers realize. On the subject of oil and gas development, this has led to some sparks lately.
Commentary raises many questions
A bit of a tizzy has been produced over the past week by an opinion piece in the National Post that offers a jaundiced view of Yukon's land-claim agreements. The controversy has as much to do with who wrote the piece as its contents.
On Tibetan New Year, a hunger strike protests China’s occupation
Icy wind whipped off fresh snow on the Himalayas and I shivered beneath layers of wool and fleece, hurrying towards the main temple by the Dalai Lama's residence.
Yukon’s Catholic school boards are out to lunch
We hope the leaders of Yukon's Catholic school boards have prayed a few Hail Marys for themselves lately, for they have failed to make the well-being of students their priority.
With Trudeau, be careful what you wish for
There is an old saying that we should be careful what we wish for because we may get it. The implication is that it will not at all be what we expected and we may be sorry for having wished for it.
End the property tax prejudice
Granger residents are getting ripped off by the City of Whitehorse. That conclusion is hard to escape, anyhow, following a commentary by real estate lawyer Graham Lang published in last Friday's News.
A hat trick of sorts
The Yukon government has won a gold medal in an event that you may not even know existed: provoking lawsuits. In an impressive feat, the territory has racked up three of them in three weeks.