Campaign trail notes: Here's what Yukon's political parties had to say March 25

All three major parties had policy announcements Thursday ahead of the Yukon territorial election on April 12. Here's a roundup of those promises:

Yukon Party

Leader Currie Dixon promised a Yukon Party government would freeze electricity rates for two years.

In 2019 Yukon Energy got approval for an 11.8 per cent rate hike, although 7.1 per cent of that increase expires this November (the reason is complicated). Another 11.5 per cent rate hike is currently before the Yukon Utilities Board, although Yukon Energy says it can implement the increase in a way that minimizes the impact on customers' bills.

Dixon said instead, the Yukon Party would directly fund new capital projects and make up any revenue shortfalls at YEC.

"We want to freeze rates for two years, work with the energy corporation to stabilize their budget and spend that two years to review the process by which rate applications occur going forward," he said.

Dixon said the rate freeze would have no impact on YEC plans, including importing power from the Taku River Tlingit's hydro project in Atlin, B.C., and a grid-scale storage battery in Whitehorse.

The Yukon Party also promised to replace the beleaguered school in Ross River, which has suffered from structural problems and, more recently, a bat infestation.

Liberals

Let's go, Huskies? Eagles? Grizzlies?

The Liberals are promising to look into the possibility of getting Yukon University into the varsity sports game. Details — such as which sports, cost and logistics (the nearest U-Sports school is in Prince George, B.C.)  — were scant. 

But Liberal candidate Ranj Pillai said the Liberals would work with the university to see what's feasible.

"We wanna be respectful to the university and their vision for this ... but we see that this is a great opportunity for the university and for the Yukon," he said.

The Liberals also promised to build a new field house for athletics and other uses, such as conventions, and to continue work on a bid for the 2027 Canada Winter Games in Whitehorse.

The Liberals said preliminary work on the bid began in January, although the government never publicly announced the bid. Pillai said the government filed paperwork with the Canada Games Council Jan. 13.

Earlier in the campaign the Yukon Party announced it would also bid for the 2027 games. 

NDP

Leader Kate White made her first campaign foray into Yukon's rural communities with a stop in Haines Junction. Appearing alongside the party's Kluane candidate Dave Weir, White announced a long list of promises for the communities.

"The people I've been talking to are feeling frustrated," Weir said. "They don't feel like the Yukon government thinks about their problems when they make choices that impact us."

Among the promises: more resources for education, healthcare and emergency services in small communities. The NDP would also decentralize some Yukon government jobs out of Whitehorse and apply a "community lens" to government decision-making.

White said an NDP government would also work with the CRTC and Northwestel to provide rural broadband packages capped at $100 per month. And it would establish, after consulting with businesses and First Nation and municipal governments, inter-community bus service.