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Prime minister to visit Yukon

Prime Minister Stephen Harper will be in Whitehorse this weekend as part of his annual northern tour.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper will be in Whitehorse this weekend as part of his annual northern tour.

Canada’s political leader will be flipping burgers with Yukon MP Ryan Leef and Senator Dan Lang at a community barbecue on Sunday at North Fork Farm on the Klondike Highway.

“He does his northern tour every year. We’re starting to lose count, it happens so often,” said Lang.

“I believe it’s his ninth appearance here in Yukon as prime minister. I think it symbolizes that he views the North as important, and that Yukoners who do want to take the time to come out can hear Canada’s prime minister speak directly to them and for them.”

Along with being a good photo op, Harper’s visit also sends a strong message back to bureaucrats and civil servants in Ottawa that the North is a priority, said Lang.

Last year Harper’s visit sparked protests outside a barbecue in Carcross. Members of the Carcross-Tagish First Nation protested an ongoing funding dispute with the federal government.

During his tour this year, Harper will also visit the Northwest Territories, Nunavut and northern Quebec, said Lang.