NDP community services critic Kevin Barr has announced his plan to run for re-election in Mount Lorne-Southern Lakes in this year’s territorial election campaign.
Barr made the announcement on Sunday afternoon in front of the Carcross Commons.
“When I first ran I always felt I’d run for two terms,” he said this morning.
“The work has to continue. I’ve especially enjoyed being out with the people, that’s what I get the most out of this position.”
Early on in his term Barr was vocal about calling for a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing in the territory. A temporary ban on shale gas development was implemented in the Whitehorse Trough – a tract of land stretching from Tagish to Carmacks – in 2012.
In December he presented a petition signed by 650 people asking for National Aboriginal Day to be made a statutory holiday, starting this year.
An amended motion was passed unanimously agreeing to consult with Yukon First Nations, employers, employees and the public about the possibility of making that happen.
Barr said he’s also proud of the push he’s made to bring civic addresses to rural areas such as Tagish.
The Department of Community Services has been working with the local advisory councils of Mount Lorne, Ibex Valley, Tagish, Carcross and Marsh Lake with the hopes of making that happen.
If he were re-elected, Barr said he’d continue to focus on renewable energy.
“People are still concerned about the possibility of fracking in the territory,” he said.
He also wants to continue to develop tourism opportunities for residents in his riding, he added, and making sure the final agreements of First Nations are respected.
Contact Myles Dolphin at
myles@yukon-news.com