Roses are red, violets are blue, the two most terrifying words for a bureaucrat are ‘project review’
To most of us, the words “program review” are just routine bureaucratic jargon. But to senior officials, they sound a lot like an air raid siren.
New players in the Arctic game
The hottest Christmas board game in our house was 2019: The Arctic, which my son bought at Titan Gaming on Main Street. Each player is the CEO of a global oil company.
The Yukon’s nuclear option
By candlelight and over hot Lindemans at an off-grid cabin this Christmas, some friends and I debated nuclear power in the Yukon.
Silver risks irrelevance on offshore exploration ban
There was some bad news for the Yukon’s long-term constitutional development while you were sipping eggnog and decorating the Christmas tree.
New Year’s debt resolutions
It’s an extreme example of the old saying that, just because someone is willing to lend you money, it doesn’t mean you are smart to borrow it.
The meth labs of Riverdale
I was shocked at first to find out that a meth lab had caught fire down the street from my home in Riverdale earlier this year.
Silver’s First 100 days: a Day 7 update
You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression, as the old saying goes.
The future of Yukon mining
The Yukon Chamber of Mines told the media they were “pleased with the election of a Yukon Liberal government and looking forward to working with them on issues that are important.”
Day 1 issue: Yukon’s oil and gas industry on life support
The newly elected Liberal MLAs will have enjoyed their victory party Monday night. Many of them battled for months in tightly fought contests in their ridings.
The Three I’s of a Yukon carbon tax: inevitability, impact and inequality
The carbon tax has become perhaps the defining issue of the territorial election. It is clear the Yukon Party is against it, while the NDP, Liberals and Green Party are on the other side.
Money and influence in Yukon politics
Money and politics have always been intimately connected. Cicero reported that one election in ancient Rome was so hard fought that interest rates doubled during the campaign as candidates borrowed feverishly to finance their vote buying.
Running in the centre a tightrope walk for Liberals
The political strategies of the three main parties are starting to emerge from the electoral fog.
Charting paths to victory for Yukon’s political parties
Look out Hillary and Donald, here comes Darrell, Liz, Sandy and Frank. Actually, I hope attention stays on the US campaign, which increasingly reminds me of a bush party gone horribly wrong.
Geeking out over carbon pricing
The more you hear about the carbon tax plans being put forward by the Yukon Liberals, NDP and Greens, the more interesting it gets.
How to carbon proof your wallet
It looks like a carbon tax will be one of the big issues in the upcoming territorial election. Last week Premier Pasloski said he would fight likely federal plans for a national carbon-pricing program that would include the Yukon.
Licence to build: unpacking the meaning of ‘social licence’
No, it doesn’t mean needing a licence to use social media, although that might be a good idea given what you see on Twitter these days.
City versus frontier: 21st century economic development
Whitehorse is on the battle lines of a big debate in economic development. Will big cities rule the 21st century, or will growing populations and the need for space give another push to geographical expansion?
Tear that ‘Frack Free Yukon’ sticker off your car
It’s a small town, and I know your dirty secret: You’ve been fracking again.