The three candidates announced today are Indigenous women who have spent years working and volunteering in their communities in fields ranging from mental health to tourism and culture.
The Yukon NDP announced three candidates today, as well as a nomination contest in Mountainview.
The candidates for nomination announced today are: Ashley Cummings, an Inuk mental health advocate and former member of the Prime Minister's Youth Council; Francis van Kessel (Wat.si) a Teslin Tlingit citizen and an advocate for social inclusion and neuro-diverse awareness; and Patty Wallingham a citizen of the Na-Cho Nyak Dun First Nation and champion curler who represented Yukon at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts.
Cummings will be contesting the NDP nomination in Mountainview, alongside previously announced candidate Michelle Friesen, a Yukon First Nation citizen who works with the Yukon Region of the Assembly of First Nations. Van Kessel will be running in Porter Creek North; and Wallingham will be running in her home region, Mayo-Tatchun.
The three candidates announced today are Indigenous women who have spent years working and volunteering in their communities in fields ranging from mental health to tourism and culture.
“It’s so important we safeguard the future,” said Cummings. “It’s not enough to just make promises, we need to give young people role models who they can look up to. We need to show our youth we will act for them and for their children after them, to make a difference now.”
“Change starts with one person,” said van Kessel. “Finding new ways to help people is already a huge part of my life, but I want to be able to help people across the territory. I want Yukon to be a more prosperous place for the next seven generations, and as a member of a Yukon NDP government I know we can make it happen.”
“This is about building a new future,” said Cunningham. “Indigenous people are facing crises that have been causing harm for years. Going ‘back to normal’ just isn’t an option. That’s why I am running, to make a real difference, and I believe in Kate White because she will fight to make a difference too.”
The Yukon NDP say this election is not just about the next few years but has ramifications for generations to come. They aim to assemble a team of candidates who know how to address the difficult issues facing the territory.
“These women have put their lives into their work, they are dedicated to their communities, and those are exactly the qualities I am looking for as we build the Yukon NDP team,” said Yukon NDP Leader Kate White.
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