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WHITEHORSE – The Yukon Party Official Opposition is calling on the Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources to follow through with the promise he made to the placer mining industry at the Annual General Meeting of the Klondike Placer Miners’ Association on May 16th.
Despite months of warning, the Minister was only able to publicly commit to having solutions available to address expiring licenses “within a few weeks,” and so far, has been unable to offer any.
“Like almost all members of the placer mining community, we are growing increasingly concerned about the lack of urgency from the Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources regarding the expiration of Mining Land Use Plans and water licenses,” said Currie Dixon, leader of the Yukon Party Official Opposition. “The Minister has admitted that he’s known about this issue for months but has failed to live up to the public commitment he made to find a solution.”
The Yukon Party Official Opposition has been pressing the Liberal Government for action on this, particularly since the public letter from the KPMA to the Government on February 28, 2025. That letter stated, “If placer licenses expire while under regulatory review, due only to the fault of processing timelines, it will lead to business closures, employee layoffs, and widespread economic decline.”
On the first day of the Spring Sitting, the Yukon Party Official Opposition called on the Yukon Government to respond to that letter and to take immediate action to address these regulatory issues. Since then, the Liberal government has failed to act, and with almost every passing day, another placer operation sees its licenses expire.
“While the Minister kicks the can down the road, businesses in one of Yukon’s most important industries are facing closure and economic disaster,” added Dixon. “While we know that many of the Liberal Ministers have checked out, they still have a job to do until the election. Unfortunately, too many of them seem to have forgotten that.”
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Contact:
Tim Kucharuk
Media Director
(867) 689-7874
Change Starts Now!
Add your name if you will stand with Currie Dixon and the Yukon Party!