General
The Gushing Money Faucet
I read with interest MLA Steve Nordick’s recent open letter to the public expressing his ‘personal’ view that Dawson should receive a brand new recreation complex. I think almost everyone would agree that a shiny new recreation centre is something we all deserve. Especially when taxpayers in the rest of Canada are obliged to pay... »
Farmers of the Year
Belated congratulations to the 2009 Yukon Farmers of the Year, Grant Dowdell and Karen Digby. Recognition came at the annual North of 60º Agricultural Conference Banquet last November. They missed the ceremony because the Yukon River gets choked with ice during freeze-up making it impossible to leave their island farm, about 13 kilometers up river... »
What’s old is new and what’s new is old
Ah… nice to get out of Dodge for a breather! As much as I love Dawson I was feeling a bit claustrophobic after the big sundown shoot-out on Front Street last October. The glare coming off the shiny new pavement skewed my aim and was only able to graze my opponent. One thing is for... »
Trumped?
The Yukon Municipal Act which serves as the rule book for Municipalities and Territorial Government states the following - Effect of this Act 5 – The Government of the Yukon is bound by the bylaws of a municipality, except as otherwise established by the Commissioner in Executive Council by regulation. Because municipalities are a ’statutory creature’ and... »
Anatomy of a Town Council Meeting – Part 1
A lot of people think that the mayor sets the agenda for a council meeting – a common misconception. The mayor brings a draft agenda forward with input from staff and other councilors in accordance with the Procedures Bylaw #05-18. This draft agenda is posted in public at least 48 hours before the meeting. A call to... »
Musical Chairs Anyone?
If ever there existed a case for doing away with party politics, the moment appears nearer than we think. An already tenuous faith in our legislative political system teeters on the brink of the absurd while some members dance back and forth across the floor at will for the sake of convenience, not conviction or... »
Dawson Staff to Unionize
There you have it! Previously, little appetite existed for city workers to unionize during my term as Mayor of Dawson, until now. Unionizing our municipal workforce only two days into Mayor Jenkins’ term speaks volumes to the anticipated difficulties that may lie ahead for our town. That says it all. Personally, I believe the move to join the... »
8 vote difference! Potential for Challenge.
My campaign anticipated the closeness of the result but not this close! After several agonizing recounts my opponent edged past me by seven votes – 259 for myself and 267 in favour of Peter Jenkins. I’ll be getting a legal opinion on what options are available in terms of challenging the result. In the absence of a... »
Election Day!
Today is the day we get to vote for our municipal leaders. I would encourage all Yukoners to get out to the polls. Don’t fall into the trap of believing your favourite candidate will win anyway – so why bother. Every vote counts! I know it’s a cliché but it’s true. In the Dawson area if you... »
New Yukon College Campus
Ever since the idea of an accredited art school was conjured up more than ten years ago, part of the vision was to include Yukon College under one roof. A centralized location for both campuses certainly makes sense. After lots of work and lobbying by all of the partners with support from the city,... »