Rally to Protect the Peel plan on Nov 27

Whitehorse – After decades of work, and a significant victory at the Supreme Court of Canada, Yukoners need to once again come together to Protect the Peel.

On Wednesday November 27th, the Yukon Supreme Court will be hearing the case by the Yukon government against the Yukon Environmental and Socio-Economic Assessment Board (YESAB) and their recommendation that the Michelle Creek project does not go forward, a recommendation based on upholding the Peel Watershed Regional Land Use Plan.

This decision to take YESAB to court is one that cannot fly under the radar. People will be rallying outside the courthouse in Whitehorse from 12:00pm – 1:00pm calling for the Yukon government to respect regional land planning and stop trying to subvert it through the court system.

Going to court over this recommendation is an egregious breach of the Yukon government’s stated intentions to work collaboratively alongside Yukon First Nations and the written policies within the Peel Watershed Regional Land Use Plan.

“So many people fought for the Peel Watershed and to honour the Final Agreements. The high standards for development projects were celebrated in 2019 by the Yukon government as they signed the land use plan in Mayo, but now, when expected to uphold these standards, the Yukon government has chosen to take YESAB to court instead. We are calling on the Yukon government to truly co-manage the Peel Watershed with the First Nation signatories to the plan as they said they would and stop wasting taxpayer money and everyone’s valuable time. If a project doesn’t meet the standards, it shouldn’t proceed.” – Joti Overduin, Outreach Manager

Other concurrent rallies are pending for Mayo, Dawson City, and Fort McPherson. Details to come.

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Contact
Adil Darvesh
Communications Manager, CPAWS Yukon
adarvesh@cpawsyukon.org | 867-393-8080 x9