Yukon nominates 3 'truly notable' women for Canadian bill

Yukon MLAs often disagree, but there was little argument about the three Yukon women deemed most worthy to be pictured on the next series of Canadian bank notes.

The legislative assembly unanimously agreed to nominate politician Martha Black, storyteller Angela Sidney, and Kate Carmack, who may have helped spark the Klondike Gold Rush. 

Premier Darrell Pasloski called them "truly notable Yukon women," but also said the list could have been much longer.

Martha Black is a widely-celebrated figure in Yukon. She arrived in the territory at the height of the gold rush in 1898 and went on to become "first lady" (her husband George Black was Commissioner of the Yukon). She was later elected to Parliament, becoming Canada's second female MP. 

Angela Sidney was a respected Tagish elder and storyteller who helped document Tagish legends and place names. She co-founded a storytelling festival in Yukon and was named to the Order of Canada in 1984. She died in 1991.

Kate Carmack was a Tagish First Nation woman whose husband George Carmack and brother, Skookum Jim Mason, are credited with finding gold in the Klondike in 1898. But, as the premier acknowledges, Kate Carmack was there, too.

"Many people actually believe that she was the discoverer of the initial gold find on Bonanza Creek," Pasloski said.

The names are now included on a long list of submissions from across the country. An advisory council, established by the Bank of Canada, will winnow it down to a short list, with Canada's minister of finance making a final decision. 

As part of their motion, Yukon MLAs also urged the federal government to feature more Canadian women on bank notes, and also ensure a Northern voice on the Bank of Canada's advisory council.