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Youth will led climate change forum for those running for the mayor or Whitehorse position

‘The climate emergency should be on the forefront of the City of Whitehorse municipal election’
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Whitehorse City Hall (Yukon News file) Whitehorse City Hall (Yukon News file)

From 6-7 p.m. tonight, a community-led collaboration between BYTE - empowering youth society, chairs and tables dot org, and Heart of Riverdale will host a Mayoral Candidates Forum at the intersection of Climate and Youth.

“The climate emergency should be on the forefront of the City of Whitehorse municipal election,” said Sruthee Govindaraj, co-chair of the Yukon Youth Panel on Climate Change.

“We see devastating effects of floods and fires this year. These disasters are only becoming more frequent and disastrous. Youth must be listened to by the politicians in all levels of the government. We are scared for our future and our home.”

The questions being asked at the forum have been collected from youth. It will be co-moderated by AFN Regional Chief Kluane Adamek and Yukon Panel on Climate Change panelist Bruce Porter.

“The youth vision on climate change cannot be ignored,” said Porter. “Yukon youth are tired of waiting. We want to see a municipal government willing to make bold decisions based on science, and prove that when they declared a state of climate emergency, they meant it.”

All people involved will be at the Heart of Riverdale, but those who wish to watch the forum must do so online.

The panel is scheduled to deliver its recommendations on the Our Clean Future report in October.

The municipal election is set for Oct. 21. Samson Hartland, Laura Cabott and Patti Balsillie have put their names forward to become Whitehorse’s next mayor.

Contact John Tonin at john.tonin@yukon-news.com