Page 8 - Canadian Industry Online

CANADIAN INDUSTRY ONLINE -FROM THE LOCHEUX native word “Yuk-un-ah,” meaning “Great River,” the Yukon is one of threeof Canada’s territories, and one of the country’s most progressive and innova- tive economic jurisdictions.As of this March, there were 37,642 people living in the Yukon. Of those, 29,029 were living in the capital city of Whitehorse (www.travelyukon.com), a hub for economic development. One resident, exiting Premier of the Yukon Darrell Pasloski, is passionate about the territory’s future and how far the Yu- kon has come in the last decade—and he was happy to share his vision with CIO in a recent interview.First elected as leader of the Yukon party on May 28, 2011, Darrell Pasloski was sworn in as Premier on June 11 of that year. Pasloski also served as Minis- ter responsible for the Executive Coun- cil Of ce and as Minister of Finance. He lives in Whitehorse with his wife Tammie and is the father of four grown children. An active outdoor enthusiast, he enjoys hiking, shing, hunting and camping (popular Yukon activities).After the Liberals won Novem- ber’s provincial election, Pasloski stepped down as his party’s leader. However, while CIO’s interview took place prior to the election, his vision for the province is an important indicator of how far the Yukon has come in many respects.What’s your ultimate vision for the Yukon?Our vision and our goal is devel- op and sustainable and prosperous Yu- kon and become a valuable contributor to the country’s health. We are grow- ing and expanding the private sector and forging and expanding our rela- tionships with our First Nations. We’ve worked very hard to lay the foundation for our territory’s success.How is the province supporting and growing small business and help- ing entrepreneurs?We are looking to nd new inno- vative ways to boost entrepreneurship and small business. We developed a business tax credit and also an incentivePeople don’t realize that from a geological perspective the Yukon is the strongest mining jurisdiction in the world.”DECEMBER 2015Darrell Pasloski8 | Canadian Industry Online | November, 2016