Yukon.

• Author: Kolody, Linda
• Position: Legislative Reports

The Third Session of the 34th Legislative Assembly will commence at 1:00 pm on October 3, 2019 with the Commissioner of Yukon, Angelique Bernard, delivering the Speech from the Throne.

Based on Yukon's Standing Orders (which provide that there be a minimum of 20 and maximum of 40 sitting days for each of the spring and fall Sittings, and a maximum of 60 sitting days per calendar year), it is anticipated that the 2019 fall Sitting will conclude between November 7 and 30 (being the 20th and 30th sitting days of the fall Sitting).

Passing of former Premier Fentie

On August 29, Dennis Fentie, the former Yukon Party Leader who served as Yukon's Premier from 2002 to 2011, died of cancer at the age of 68. In a statement released the following day, Premier Sandy Silver noted that Mr. Fentie "was a respected leader who served as Yukon's Premier for nearly a decade and passionately represented the people of Watson Lake and southeast Yukon for 15 years in the Yukon Legislative Assembly. As an MLA, he fought hard to ensure rural Yukon communities were at the forefront of decision making in the territory. Mr. Fentie's distinguished career has had an immeasurable impact on the territory and all Yukoners."

In a statement on August 30, Yukon Party Leader Stacey Hassard credited Mr. Fentie's efforts with achieving great strides in implementing devolution in the territory. Mr. Hassard further observed that Mr. Fentie "had a tenacious spirit and always fought for his constituents and for Yukoners no matter the issue ... he was instrumental in negotiating a better health care funding agreement between the territories and Canada as well as for getting improvements to the territorial formula financing arrangements.....", and that through the late Premier's efforts, "Yukoners now have access to modern hospitals in the communities of Dawson City and Watson Lake."

On August 30, Liz Hanson, MLA for Whitehorse Centre and former NDP Leader, tweeted that Mr. Fentie was "a tenacious and vigorous advocate of his vision for Yukon." In a statement issued the same day, the Yukon NDP said that Mr. Fentie had been "a capable and passionate leader in his representation of both his community and the Yukon."

An article in the Whitehorse Daily Star the day after the former Premier's passing included a characterization of Mr. Fentie by a friend as "a no-nonsense man of principle, who got things done ... 'When Dennis said something, and he said he...