The Whitehorse West riding encompasses the Whitehorse neighbourhoods of Ingram, Arkell, Logan and part of Copper Ridge north of Lazulite Drive.
It includes École Émilie Tremblay with Hamilton Boulevard serving as the major road through the riding and as the riding boundary to the west.
To the east is the Takhini-Kopper King riding with the Mountainview riding to the north and Copperbelt North to the south.
Whitehorse West is currently held by Yukon Liberal member Richard Mostyn, who is seeking reelection. He won his seat in the 2016 election with 455 votes, a total of 22 ahead of then-incumbent Yukon Party member Elaine Taylor who had represented the riding since 2002. NDP candidate Stu Clark took 106 votes in the 2016 election.
Three candidates are running in the 2021 election. They have been profiled in alphabetical order.
Angela Drainville - Yukon Party
It took a global pandemic for Angela Drainville to realize she had something to offer in the political landscape of the territory.
While Drainville said she has long seen a political career as the ultimate act of public service, it has been through the COVID-19 pandemic she has come to realize her experience as a consultant and work in health and safety could help her serve as an MLA as the territory moves out of the pandemic.
Drainville currently works as the general manager of Outcrop Yukon as well as an occupational health and safety educator for the Northern Safety Network.
She’s also worked in a variety of management roles over the years.
Running for office, Drainville said she’s excited about the potential to represent Whitehorse West, a riding she’s called home and raised her sons in since 2014.
“I love this community,” she said.
Danville wants to be a champion for constituents. She said she isn’t afraid to work with other governments.
For example, she’s heard from many Ingram residents who are frustrated with the limited access onto Hamilton Boulevard. Those coming out of the neighbourhood have to turn right, which means turning around further up Hamilton Boulevard to get downtown.
While it’s a municipal issue, Drainville said as an MLA she would work with the city to address it.
Among other issues Drainville’s hearing on the campaign trail, there’s concerns about post-pandemic planning, education among other matters.
Drainville is running under the Yukon Party’s banner as she sees the party as being focused on Yukon-based solutions and making the best choices for the territory rather than simply following national trends.
“I love the independence of the Yukon Party,” she said.
Richard Mostyn - Yukon Liberal Party
When Richard Mostyn talks about seeking a second term as Whitehorse West’s MLA, the reason is simple.
“There’s a lot to do,” he said.
Mostyn counts himself fortunate to have many interesting jobs — a journalist for more than 22 years, spokesperson for the Workers Compensation Health and Safety Board to name a couple — throughout his career.
The highlight, he said, has been representing Whitehorse West since 2016. Along with his MLA duties, Mostyn has also served as Minister of Highways and Public Works and Minister of the Public Service Commission.
He described the riding, where he’s lived for 24 years, as “a microcosm of the entire territory” with great people, great trails and as “a fabulous little community”.
It’s for that reason he continues to call it home and wants to keep serving as MLA.
Mostyn also wants to see another Liberals win to continue the work it has started.
After hitting the campaign trail, Mostyn said child care, affordable housing and education are the top issues for many in his riding.
“They’re all closely linked,” he said, pointing to the Liberals new universal child care program that will see parent fees kept to $150 per child per month in child care facilities signed on to the program with a plan to have all licensed facilities signed on in two years.
Mostyn argued the program will help families keep more money in their pockets.
He outlined plans for early Kindergarten beginning in September, the Our Clean Future climate change plan and more the Liberals hope to continue.
Of the COVID pandemic, Mostyn said the Yukon is leading the way in vaccinations and has ensured an approach that keeps Yukoners safe while having many freedoms other jurisdictions cannot enjoy right now.
He described the Liberals as taking a more centred approach.
“It’s rationale, it makes sense,” he said. “It’s working for the Yukon.”
Ron Davis - Yukon New Democratic Party
When the opportunity to run for office under the NDP banner in the Whitehorse West riding presented itself, Ron Davis decided it was time to put his name forward.
Many may already know Davis for the Gravy Train food truck he co-owns or through his other work with GP Distributing.
“I’d been thinking about politics for some time,” Davis said, noting his support of the NDP platform and position on many issues.
While Davis no longer lives in the riding, he previously called the area home and is anxious to help support constituents there, many who he knows from the years he lived there.
As he continues campaigning throughout the riding, he noted issues around midwifery and mental health continue to come up.
Davis, who with his partner has been an advocate with the Yukon Association of Birth Choices (previously the Community Midwifery Association), noted while the legislation is now in place for midwives to practise in the territory, the regulatory framework has yet to be adopted.
Davis pointed to the NDP platform which states that midwives are “primary health care professionals that must be fully integrated into health care settings with the access they need to do their job”, highlighting plans to train and recruit midwives to deliver culturally appropriate services.
Davis also cited mental health as a major concern for those in the Whitehorse West riding, pointing to the NDP’s plan to build a mental health walk-in clinic that would provide counselling services seven days a week.
As Davis emphasized, many of the plans outlined in the NDP’s platform align with his own vision of where the territory should go and he wants to be part of making it a reality for the Yukon.
Contact Stephanie Waddell at stephanie.waddell@yukon-news.com