Apparently, the working of placer claims and the staking and working of quartz claims inside municipal boundaries is perfectly acceptable, and indeed encouraged, in the Yukon. The “right to mine” appears to even supercede the basic human rights of families to peaceful enjoyment and free disposition of their property.
If such antiquated laws do indeed exist, then to quote Oliver Twist’s Mr. Bumble, “If the law supposes that, then the law is an ass!” I urge our politicians and government departments to ensure that this absurd legislation be amended as a matter of urgency to provide security for Yukon families and certainty for the mining industry.
Jim Taggart
Dawson City