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Sandy Silver Klondike MLA Inside this issue: Klondike Concerns, Food Security, Grad Tidings, and more

The spring sitting of the legislature wrapped three year low, another sign of a slowing up on May 28th, and I am happy to be able economic stagnation. Our economy will to spend more time at home in the Klondike. remain a priority for me. Just hours after the sitting finished I was already on a plane to participate in the I continue to bring your concerns to the Governor General’s Leadership Conference legislature, whether it is the need for more that was hosted here. continuing care beds in Dawson, redundancy for internet along the North Klondike Highway, One of the highlights of the sitting was or petitioning a minister to take rural needs successfully getting my private members’ into consideration when it comes to offering day motion calling for a territory wide mental government programs. health strategy, passed. This is an issue that many Yukoners have approached me about Thank you for continuing to allow me to and I was happy to have the opportunity to represent you in the legislature and I look bring it forward. forward to chatting with you over the course of the summer. A major focus of my questions during the sitting was our slowing economic growth. We have seen our GDP post negative growth in two consecutive years, the only province or territory to do so, with very little response action from the current government. Sandy Silver, has also seen our unemployment reach a MLA Klondike

Sandy Silver Phone: 867.393.7007 Yukon Legislative Assembly Fax: 867.393.7444 Box 2703 E-mail: [email protected] Whitehorse, Yukon Y1A 2C6 Website: http://twitter.com/klondike_silver Growth and Opportunity

Klondike Concerns Bringing your thoughts to the Capitol.

Silver receives unanimous support for mental health strategy

During the session I put forward a motion urging A mental health strategy was something promised by all the government to fulfill its commitment to a Yukon parties in the 2011 election, but one that has yet to be mental health strategy, which received unanimous delivered upon. It is the first time that an un-amended support from the house. I brought forward the motion introduced by an opposition member has motion, because I know how important mental health received the support of all members of the house since issues are to Yukoners. I began my work in fall of 2011.

In my speech I highlighted the many issues that I am happy that the motion received unanimous support Yukoners have been bringing forward to me, and in the house, but the real work still needs to be done to what our health care professionals are facing in rural deliver a mental health strategy. We are one of only two Yukon. I would like to thank the many Dawsonites who jurisdictions in Canada without one. expressed their concerns about mental health and rural For anyone interest the full transcript of my speech is services to me and helped inform the debate. Much of available online through Yukon Legislative Assembly what I had said came from members of our community Hansard service. and I was proud to be able represent your concerns.

In order to be successful in developing a Mental Health Strategy we need to consider the importance of understanding the reality of rural community living and the opportunities and challenges that are provided, based on this reality. We also need to acknowledge that there are gaps in health and social services to rural communities and that finding solutions to creating equitable services does not necessarily mean looking at our Whitehorse model for guidance. Blanket policies for both rural and urban Yukon are not necessarily working for rural community needs. Again, a comprehensive mental health strategy should be able to address this issue.

I also noted that a strategy should have implications across many departments and not just focus in on Health and Social Services.

2 Growth and Opportunity

Paving the Dawson Runway to retire, the demand for continuing care is growing. I An issue I have continued to raise this sitting is the would like to see the demand in rural Yukon being met government’s unfulfilled promise to pave the Dawson in rural Yukon, rather than move seniors to Whitehorse. runway. A year ago, Yukon’s former Minister of Tourism One of the planned studies that the government is had just returned from a meeting in Dawson where he relying on, as it proceeds with the continuing care heard concerns about the gravel runway: It was limiting decision, says that the only new beds that will be built the number of visitors Air North could fly in and out from in the future are all going to be in Whitehorse. Rural Alaska. Two members of the government committed to seniors don’t want to move to Whitehorse to retire. They paving the runway to increase air traffic to Dawson. A want to stay in their own communities. We’ve already year later there is no money in the budget to pave the heard concerns of First Nation elders in my community Dawson runway and there is no money in next year’s and in other communities who are very uncomfortable forecast either. The flights to Dawson have begun again with such a large institution. and plans to pave the runway have not been advanced. This issue was raised at a meeting with federal Minister some time ago, and he said it was good Dome Road Realignment project and suggested the Yukon apply under the Build The government is set to begin working on the Canada Fund for funding. It’s very disappointing to see realignment of the Dome Road in in order to allow the runway plans have been put on the back burner access to a placer claim. I brought forward two even though industry sees potential for market growth. outstanding issues with this work to the Minister during I would like to see the potential of these flights from Question Period. The first is what the top of the road Alaska be fully realized. Being able to increase the will look like when the project is completed, particularly capacity of our air traffic is key to expanding the existing the intersection that occurs with Mary McLeod Road. flights and opening any potential new travel in the future While the government has stated that safety concerns and is something I will continue to lobby for. will also be addressed by this road project, residents I have spoken to have a different point of view and want a different solution — in particular, one that was under Continuing Care in Yukon Communities consideration by this government but was scrapped. Currently the Government of Yukon is proceeding with Another aspect of this project that should be addressed a 300-bed continuing care facility in Whitehorse. It with the maintenance work is repairs to the worst will centralize continuing care in a one-size-fits-all type section of the Dome Road that is mere feet away from of way; a cost estimate for this new facility is $330 where the new road construction starts. As Dawsonites million. At the same time, the government is proceeding know, it is the most unsafe piece of the entire road, with replacing McDonald Lodge in Dawson. While and it only makes sense to fix it at the same time. This there were plans to make this a 20-bed facility, these attention to detail will go a long way to show that this have been scaled back to 15 beds. Many Yukoners government is actually listening to citizens’ concerns. in Dawson and other rural centres are interested in staying in their home communities. There is a missed For those interested in reading more, full transcripts opportunity to have more beds in rural Yukon. As more of my question period comments are posted on people decide to stay in Yukon rather than move south http://www.legassembly.gov.yk.ca/handsardindex.html

3 Growth and Opportunity

Congrats SOVA grads!

The direct programming of SOVA has a lasting impact on the social fabric of the community, but this year’s cohort stepped up more than ever and participated in many community events. The students helped organize a fundraiser, “Punk-Rock the Night Away,” to provide a summer girls’ rock camp for Dawson students. Students also participated in “(s)hiver”, a made in Dawson nuit blanche project in the dead of winter that involved indoor and outdoor projects, events and functions at a number Sandy Silver shows off his pink shirt for of locations. There were circus performances; art projections the Day of Pink to celebrate diversity on buildings all around town; and even an Outside DJ on Front and push back against bullying. Street complete with dancing and wood-chopping.

On behalf of Dawson City residents, I would like to thank the students for choosing SOVA and for the contributions they made to the town this year. Congratulations to the class of 2015. Thank you to the SOVA faculty staff and Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in for another successful semester.

Yukon/Stikine

Silver in Rock Creek checking in on the Regional Science Fair Klondike river levels during break up. I would like to congratulate Macy Dewald-Rose from Robert Service School on her recent success at the Yukon/Stikine Regional Heritage Fair this spring. I was delighted to hear that her project “the haida,” won three awards at the heritage fair, including being chosen the People’s Choice award by the other participants; it is a great accomplishment to be chosen by your peers. On top of all that, Macy took third place over all in the grade 4 category and won the graphic design award. Both are outstanding accomplishments.

Congratulations again on your success, Macy. You have made me and all of Dawson City proud. Sandy Silver met with Yvonne Jones and Larry Bagnell at the Parliamentary Committee for Bill S-6.

Sandy Silver Phone: 867.393.7007 Yukon Legislative Assembly Fax: 867.393.7444 Box 2703 E-mail: [email protected] Whitehorse, Yukon Y1A 2C6 Website: http://twitter.com/klondike_silver