2011 Yukon general election

Pre-writ period

Redistribution

In 2008, the Yukon Assembly struck a committee to review the electoral district boundaries for this election. The committee decided to increase the number of seats in the territory to 19. Yukon now matches the other territorial assemblies in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut in terms of the number of seats.

The rural districts outside of the capital city of Whitehorse remained unchanged with the exception of Mount Lorne and Southern Lakes which were merged into a single district. The total number of rural districts dropped from 9 to 8.

The urban ridings in Whitehorse were increased to 11 from 9. Only three districts in Whitehorse had no boundary changes, Whitehorse Centre, Riverdale North and Riverdale South. The riding that received the most significant alteration was Copperbelt. That district was split into four ridings, primarily Copperbelt North and Copperbelt South, while McIntyre-Takhini was significantly expanded in western uninhabited part of Copperbelt and renamed Takhini-Kopper King. An entirely new riding was also created out of Copperbelt called Mountainview. The remaining urban districts all received minor boundary adjustments.

The boundary changes were adopted by the Yukon Legislative Assembly in 2009.

Lake Laberge dispute

In the fall of 2009, Yukon Party MLA Brad Cathers had a falling out with Premier Dennis Fentie, and ended up sitting as an independent on the opposition side.

Cathers remained a party member despite his public criticism of Fentie. On May 19, 2010, the Yukon Party riding executive of Lake Laberge nominated Brad Cathers as a delegate to the party's 2010 convention. The meeting lasted three hours and saw the riding executive loyal to Fentie, including the President, walk out on the 60 members who attended. Former MLA Al Falle defended Cathers at the meeting. The meeting ended with a board of directors loyal to Cathers being elected.

Results

Official results.

Candidates running

Bold incumbents indicates cabinet members and party leaders and the speaker of the assembly are italicized.

Rural Yukon

|- | ||Steve Nordick 404 (37.4%) | ||Jorn Meier 147 (13.6%) || ||Sandy Silver 530 (49.0%) | || || ||Steve Nordick |- || ||Wade Istchenko 287 (37.9%) | ||Eric Stinson 220 (29.0%) | ||Timothy Cant 219 (28.9%) | ||Gerald Dickson (FNP) 32 (4.2%) || ||Gary McRobb† |- || ||Brad Cathers 528 (51.9%) | ||Frank Turner 330 (32.4%) | ||Mike Simon 159 (15.6%) | || || ||Brad Cathers |- | ||Elaine Wyatt 214 (31.6%) || ||Jim Tredger 282 (41.7%) | ||Eric Fairclough 181 (26.7%) | || || ||Eric Fairclough |- 395 (37.9%) 488 (46.8%) 111 (10.6%) 49 (4.7%) || |Vacant Mount Lorne

Whitehorse

|- 520 (47.9%) 159 (14.6%) 407 (37.5%)

|- Copperbelt |- 394 (40.4%) 397 (40.7%) 184 (18.9%)

Timeline

• October 10, 2006, the Yukon Party, under Dennis Fentie, wins its second majority government in the 36th Yukon general election.
• January 2009, John Edzerza resigns from the YNDP to sit again as an independent.
• August 28, 2009, Brad Cathers, MLA for Lake Laberge resigns from cabinet and the government caucus to sit as an independent member over issues with Premier Dennis Fentie.
• September 26, 2009, the NDP chooses Elizabeth Hanson as party leader.
• October 22, 2009, John Edzerza joins the Yukon Party (which he had previously been a member of until 2006) and now serves as Minister of the Environment.
• July 28, 2010, Todd Hardy, MLA for Whitehorse Centre and former leader of the Yukon New Democratic Party dies after a long battle with leukemia at age 53.
• September 17, 2010, the United Citizens Party of Yukon is registered.
• December 13, 2010, in a by-election, Elizabeth Hanson is elected MLA of Whitehorse Centre with 51% of the vote.
• February 28, 2011, the Yukon Green Party is registered.
• April/May 2011, United Citizens Party leader Willard Phelps resigns.
• May 28, 2011, the Yukon Party chooses Darrell Pasloski as party leader and Premier at a convention in Whitehorse.
• June 12, 2011, Darrell Pasloski is sworn in as Premier.
• June 29, 2011, Brad Cathers rejoins the Yukon Party.
• July 6, 2011, Steve Cardiff MLA for Mount Lorne dies in a car accident.
• August 2011, Kristina Calhoun is appointed leader of the Yukon Green Party.
• September 6, 2011, the Yukon First Nations Party is registered, Gerald Dickson is the leader.
• September 9, 2011, issue of the writs.
• September 19, 2011, 62 candidates are successfully nominated, none from the United Citizens Party, causing it to be deregistered.
• October 2 & 3, 2011, advance polling.
• October 5, 2011, CBC North hosts a leader's debate with Hanson, Mitchell, and Pasloski.
• October 11, 2011, polling day.
• October 17, 2011, return of the writs. Elections Yukon also announces the results of a recount in Copperbelt South, confirming Lois Moorcroft's three-vote margin of victory over Valerie Boxall.

Retiring MLAs

Opinion polls

Notes

References

References

1. [http://www.electionsyukon.gov.yk.ca/docs/elections_report_2011.pdf Report of the Chief Electoral Officer of Yukon on the 2011 General Election] Elections Yukon, 2011. Retrieved January 21, 2017
2. (March 2008). "Yukon Electoral Boundaries Commission Final Report". Elections Yukon.
3. John Thompson. (May 21, 2010). "Not your typical riding meeting". Yukon News.
4. "Results by Political Affiliation". Elections Yukon.
5. "Election Results". Elections Yukon.
6. (January 28, 2009). "Yukon MLA Edzerza quits NDP, will sit as Independent". cbc.ca.
7. (August 31, 2009). "Yukon minister's resignation threatens to collapse government". The Globe and Mail.
8. (August 28, 2009). "Cathers resigns over ATCO scandal". Yukon News.
9. (August 28, 2009). "Cathers Shocker Creates a Minority Government". Whitehorse Star.
10. (October 22, 2009). "Edzerza rejoins Yukon Party". cbc.ca.
11. (February 4, 2010). "Edzerza named Yukon environment minister". cbc.ca.
12. (July 28, 2010). "Todd Hardy succumbs to cancer". [[Yukon News]].
13. Munson, James. (December 3, 2010). "Phelps' party in limbo". Yukon News.
14. Sander-Green, Nadine. (August 9, 2011). "Greens are a party of balance, candidate says". Whitehorse Daily Star.
15. (May 9, 2011). "United Citizens Party of Yukon loses leader". CBC News.
16. (June 29, 2011). "Cathers returns to Yukon Party caucus". CBC News.
17. (July 6, 2011). "Yukon NDP MLA killed in crash". CBC News.
18. Thomson, John. (August 12, 2011). "Green shoots grow slow". Yukon News.
19. Sander-Green, Nadine. (September 9, 2011). "Yukon First Nations Party established". Whitehorse Daily Star.
20. "Election Calendar – 2011 General Election". Elections Yukon.
21. (September 19, 2011). "List of Candidates". Elections Yukon.
22. (September 19, 2011). "Registration of United Citizens of Yukon Cancelled". Election Yukon.
23. (October 6, 2011). "Yukon's political leaders pack the house". CBC News.
24. [https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/moorcroft-confirmed-copperbelt-south-winner-1.1009963 "Moorcroft confirmed Copperbelt South winner"]. [[CBC News]], October 17, 2011.
25. (May 31, 2011). "Yukon's Fentie looks ahead to life after politics". CBC News.
26. John Thompson. (September 19, 2011). "Election battle map". Yukon News.
27. John Thompson. (July 6, 2011). "Archie Lang to leave politics". Yukon News.
28. John Thompson. (August 3, 2011). "A fighter hangs up his gloves". Yukon News.
29. (June 15, 2011). "Yukon MLA Rouble leaving politics". CBC News.
30. (June 27, 2011). "Long-time Yukon Speaker won't run in upcoming territorial election". iPolitics.ca.