Hon. Dennis Fentie – Premier
MLA for Watson Lake
- Minister responsible for Executive Council Office, including Devolution, Land Claims, and Youth Directorate
- Minister of Finance
- Minister responsible for Yukon Development Corporation
- Minister responsible for Yukon Energy Corporation
Dennis Fentie was first elected to represent Watson Lake in the Yukon Legislative Assembly in the general election of September 30, 1996. He was re-elected in the general elections of April 17, 2000, November 4, 2002 and October 10, 2006. Mr. Fentie was first sworn into cabinet on November 30, 2002 and re-appointed to cabinet on October 28, 2006.
Mr. Fentie has been the leader of the Yukon Party since June 2002.
As a business person, Mr. Fentie has a long history of involvement in a variety of economic activities, including logging, tourism, mining, trucking and fuel distribution. Most recently, he was owner and manager of Francis River Construction Ltd. in Watson Lake. Until his election as an MLA, he was director of the Association for Yukon Forests. He is also former director for the Watson Lake Chamber of Commerce.
Mr. Fentie was born in Edmonton, Alberta on November 8, 1950, and moved to Watson Lake at the age of 12. He has been an active participant in baseball and senior hockey, and is a former minor hockey coach. He also maintains a keen interest in history and current affairs.
Mr. Fentie and his partner Lorraine live in Watson Lake.
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John Edzerza
MLA for McIntyre-Takhini
- Minister of Environment
John B. Edzerza was elected as the MLA for McIntyre-Takhini on November 4, 2002 and re-elected in the general election of October 10, 2006. Mr. Edzerza was appointed Minister of Environment on February 4, 2010.
Mr. Edzerza was born August 14, 1948 in Lower Post, British Columbia; was raised in Atlin, BC and moved to the Yukon in 1963 to attend high school. He worked as a journeyman welder throughout the Yukon for 15 years, and in the healing and counselling profession with First Nations for 20 years.
He has extensive training in, and experience working with, agencies and service providers including justice systems, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Social Services, Youth Probations, and Child Abuse Treatment Services. He went back to college at age 40 and has since completed courses in psychology, criminology, sociology, northern studies, women’s studies, social work and accounting.
He has served as a member of the following boards and committees: the Elijah Smith School Council, the Yukon Advisory Committee on Indian Child Welfare, the Board of Directors for Northern Network of Services for Youth at Risk, the Kwanlin Dun Justice Committee, Kwanlin Dun Hiring Committee, and as Main Table Negotiator for the Separation of the Kwanlin Dun and Ta’an First Nations.
Mr. Edzerza was elected and served as a member of the Kwanlin Dun First Nation Chief and Council under four administrations.
Mr. Edzerza is married to Jennifer and between the two have four children and eight grandchildren.
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Hon. Glenn Hart
MLA for Riverdale South
- Minister of Health and Social Services
- Minister responsible for the Yukon Hospital Corporation
- Minister responsible for the Yukon Workers’ Compensation Health and Safety Board
- Minister responsible for French Language Services
Glenn Hart was first elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly in the riding of Riverdale South, in the 2002 territorial election.
He was appointed Minister of Community Services, Minister of Highways & Public Works and Minister responsible for the Yukon Housing Corporation on November 30, 2002. He was re-elected in October 2006 and appointed Minister of Community Services, Public Service Commission, and Minister responsible for the French Language Services Directorate. On July 3, 2008, he was appointed Minister of Health and Social Services, Minister responsible for Workers’ Compensation Health and Safety Board, and Minister responsible for the French Language Services Directorate.
The married father of three first came to the Yukon in 1979 from British Columbia. He has lived in his riding of Riverdale South in the City of Whitehorse for over twenty years. Mr. Hart has been actively developing his French language skills allowing him to address members of the Legislative Assembly and the general public in both of Canada’s official languages.
As a founder and developer of Meadow Lakes Golf Course and a former financial executive, Mr. Hart has a strong appreciation and understanding of the challenges facing small business owners in the Yukon. Mr. Hart also has a valuable background in the public service, having worked in three different government departments: Economic Development, Renewable Resources, and Energy Mines & Resources.
Mr. Hart has contributed many hours to Yukon societies, serving in several positions with the Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race, most notably as President and as one of the members of the trail breaking team. He also served as an official with the Whitehorse Minor Hockey Association. His support for local seniors includes spending time and attending meetings of the Golden Age Society and the Elder Active Association.
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Hon. Marian Horne
MLA for Pelly-Nisutlin
- Minister of Justice
- Minister responsible for Womens’ Directorate
Marian Horne was first elected to the Yukon Legislative Assembly in the general election of October 10, 2006. Ms. Horne was sworn into cabinet on October 28, 2006.
Ms. Horne is a Teslin Tlingit citizen. She was born on “Marian’s Mountain” off the Canol Road and raised in the Teslin area.
Ms. Horne currently resides in Teslin with her husband Dick Horne. She returned to Teslin in 2000 after being out of the territory for many years. From the 1970’s to 2000 Ms. Horne lived in Alberta where she worked as a businesswoman and accountant.
The culture and traditions of the Teslin Tlingit are important to Ms. Horne. She was appointed to be a representative of her Clan, the “Dakhlawedi” on the General Council, the main governing body of the Teslin Tlingit First Nation government.
Ms. Horne has also worked for the Teslin Tlingit Council. She was employed for several years as the Elders’ Coordinator. At the time of her election to the Legislative Assembly she was working at the Teslin Tlingit Heritage Centre as the business/marketing manager, as well as working as the manager for the Teslin Housing Authority, the regional Yukon Housing office.
Ms. Horne has obtained the necessary training to become the Coroner and the Justice of the Peace for the Teslin area. She also sits as President of the Teslin Historic and Museum Society.
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Hon. Jim Kenyon
MLA for Porter Creek North
- Minister of Economic Development
- Minister responsible for Yukon Liquor Corporation
- Minister responsible for Yukon Lottery Commission
- Minister responsible for Yukon Housing Corporation
Jim Kenyon was first elected to the Yukon Legislative Assembly in the general election of November 4, 2002. He was re-elected in the general election of October 10, 2006. Dr. Kenyon was first sworn into cabinet on November 30, 2002 and re-appointed to cabinet on October 28, 2006.
In 2006, Dr. Kenyon was elected as President of the Pacific North West Economic Region (PNWER), a sub-national regional partnership created by statute in 1991 by Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Yukon.
Before being elected to the Legislative Assembly Dr. Kenyon practiced as a veterinary surgeon in Whitehorse for 12 years. He first came to the Yukon in 1988, and for the next three years divided his time between the Yukon and Toronto where he worked as the Assistant Vice-president, Research, of the Toronto General Hospital. Prior to 1988, he served as a Director in the Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto and as a consultant to institutions such as the Alcohol and Drug Addiction Research Foundation, the Clarke Institute of Psychiatry and the Royal Ontario Museum, among others. His primary interest was experimental surgery.
Dr. Kenyon has been involved in a variety of community-based activities such as the Yukon Kennel Club and the Yukon Quest, and has worked with dogs in many other races including the Iditarod and the Copper Basin 300. Dr. Kenyon is active in the Rendezvous Rotary Club and also served eight years as an Auxiliary Member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
Dr. Kenyon lives in Porter Creek with his wife Micki, and has three children and five grandchildren.
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Hon. Archie Lang
MLA for Porter Creek Centre
- Minister of Highways and Public Works
- Minister of Community Services
Archie Lang was first elected to the Yukon Legislative Assembly in the general election of November 4, 2002. He was re-elected in the general election of October 10, 2006. Mr. Lang was first sworn into cabinet on November 30, 2002 and re-appointed to cabinet on October 28, 2006.
Mr. Lang’s private sector experience is in the hospitality, retail and outfitting/tourism sectors in Watson Lake, Old Crow, and Whitehorse; and in the Northwest Territories.
Mr. Lang has served on the Yukon Energy Corporation Board of Directors, the Yukon Outfitters Association Board of Directors and Executive, the Robert Service Society, and has been involved with Father Mouchet and his Old Crow project for a number of years.
Mr. Lang has lived in the Yukon since 1957. He and his wife Karen live in Whitehorse. Mr. Lang is the father of three children: Graham, a practicing lawyer with Davis and Company in Whitehorse; Meagan, a practicing lawyer with Bull Housser and Tupper in Vancouver, B.C.; and Fraser, who is attending the University of Victoria.
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Steve Nordick
MLA for Klondike
- Deputy Speaker
- Cabinet Commissioner for Community Services
- Cabinet Commissioner for Highways & Public Works
Steve Nordick was first elected to the Yukon Legislative Assembly in the general election of October 10, 2006. Mr. Nordick was elected Deputy Speaker on Thursday, November 23, 2006. On February 4, 2010, Mr. Nordick was appointed as Cabinet Commissioner for Community Services and Highways & Public Works.
Mr. Nordick and his wife Tracy have owned the 5th Avenue Bed and Breakfast in Dawson City since 1999. Before the last election, he was the operations manager for MacKenzie Petroleum and Kluane Freight Lines in Dawson City. Prior to being the operations manager with MacKenzie Petroleum, he hauled fuel and freight as a long haul truck driver, and drove tour bus for a local company.
Mr. Nordick grew up on a family farm in Saskatchewan and came to Dawson in the early 1990s to work in the recreation department with the City of Dawson. Since then, he has had a long association with the tourism industry. At the time of his election to the Yukon Legislative Assembly, Mr. Nordick was also sitting on the Board of Directors of the Klondike Visitor’s Association. As well, he has previously been a director of the Dawson City Chamber of Commerce and a member of various other community groups.
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Hon. Patrick Rouble
MLA for Southern Lakes
- Minister of Education
- Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources
Patrick Rouble was first elected to the Yukon Legislative Assembly in the general election of November 4, 2002. He was re-elected in the general election of October 10, 2006. Mr. Rouble was sworn into cabinet on October 28, 2006.
Mr. Rouble was born in Renfrew, Ontario and was raised in Nepean, Ontario. He attended St. Lawrence College in Kingston, Ontario. He recently completed his Masters degree in Business Administration at Royal Roads University in Victoria.
Mr. Rouble has owned and operated two small businesses, taught business planning courses and has worked in the construction, mining and tourism industries.
Mr. Rouble moved to the Yukon in 1992 and has since become involved with a number of community organizations. The list of organizations includes the Marsh Lake Community Club, Yukon Special Olympics, Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race and the Yukon International Storytelling Festival. Prior to his election to the Legislative Assembly, Mr. Rouble was involved in local government, as a director of the Marsh Lake advisory council.
Mr. Rouble and his wife, Ms. Sophie Elasoff, reside in the community of Marsh Lake.
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Hon. Ted Staffen
MLA for Riverdale North
- Speaker
Ted Staffen was first elected to the Yukon Legislative Assembly in the general election of November 4, 2002. He was re-elected in the general election on October 10, 2006. Mr. Staffen was elected Speaker of the Yukon Legislative Assembly on Thursday, February 27, 2003, and re-elected on Thursday, November 23, 2006.
Mr. Staffen has a background in the public sector, having worked as a legislative researcher for the Yukon government. He has also served as Executive Assistant to cabinet ministers and as director of research to cabinet. In the 1970s Mr. Staffen was the community co-ordinator for the Lysyk inquiry into the building of the Alaska Highway gas pipeline.
Mr. Staffen has private sector experience as a business owner, a venture capital co-ordinator, a business facilitator and business consultant in the energy, forestry and mining sectors in the Yukon, the NWT and Alaska. He has been a founding director of several companies in the Yukon and Alaska. He has also done contract research with the Arctic Institute of North America on northern sustainable development.
Mr. Staffen holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Simon Fraser University. He served two terms as Director of the Whitehorse Chamber of Commerce. He has chaired the Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous, the Yukon Quest, and the Social Assistance Appeal Committee. His volunteer activities also include being Director of the Yukon Visitors Association, Co-Treasurer of Ducks Unlimited, and President of the Yukon Amateur Boxing Association.
Mr. Staffen has lived in the Yukon since 1969. He resides in Whitehorse with his wife Susan, they have two grown children, Jess and Bailey.
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Hon. Elaine Taylor
MLA for Whitehorse West
- Deputy Premier
- Minister of Tourism and Culture
- Minister responsible for the Public Service Commission
Elaine Taylor was first elected to the Yukon Legislative Assembly in the general election of November 4, 2002. She was re-elected in the general election of October 10, 2006. Ms. Taylor was first sworn into cabinet on November 30, 2002 and re-appointed to cabinet on October 28, 2006. Ms. Taylor was appointed Deputy Premier on January 23, 2008.
Prior to her election to the Yukon Legislative Assembly, Ms. Taylor was a candidate in Whitehorse West in the 2000 general election. As well, in recent years, she has served as Executive Assistant to Government Leader Hon. John Ostashek and as a researcher and constituency caseworker for the Yukon Party Caucus.
Ms. Taylor has also worked in various capacities for the Government of Yukon. She was a Visitor Receptionist for the Department of Tourism and a Yukon Host at the 1986 World Exposition in Vancouver.
Ms. Taylor has been a volunteer with Revenue Canada (as a Community Income Tax volunteer), Food for Learning (at Elijah Smith Elementary School), the Heart & Stroke Foundation (as a Team Division Leader), Adopt-A-Family and Humane Society Yukon.
Born December 3, 1967, Ms. Taylor is the daughter of Ivan and Dianna Raketti of Watson Lake, Yukon. She attended Johnson Elementary and Watson Lake Secondary schools. Ms. Taylor attended Concordia College in Edmonton, Alberta and subsequently graduated from the University of Alberta with a Bachelor of Arts Degree, majoring in political science.
Ms. Taylor, her husband Troy, and their son Will, reside in the Whitehorse West riding.