The new Dawson City Council was fully sworn in on December 3, completing a rite of passage that had to be accomplished by December 9. This ticking clock was set in motion because the council decided on November 5 to refuse to take the oath of Allegiance to the monarch, the second of two oaths that municipal councils traditionally had to take within forty days of the announcement of the election results.
A revised version of the second oath was alternatively drafted by the Yukon Government’s Department of Community Services and was made public at a press conference on November 28.
The Council gathered in the Chambers on December 3 for a brief meeting during which Chief Executive David Henderson administered the two oaths to the five members of the Council, beginning with the new Mayor, Stephen Johnson, who recited the following.
“I, Stephen Johnson for the City of Dawson Council, confirm that I am a Canadian citizen and am in no way disqualified from serving as Mayor. I do not have and will not have any direct or indirect interest in any contract, service or conflict relating to the Municipality of the City of Dawson unless I have a legitimate interest under the provisions of the Municipal law. I have not, by myself or by any other person, knowingly used bribery, corruption or intimidation to obtain my election. I will not, without due authority, divulge or make known any matter which comes to my knowledge by reason of my office, and I will faithfully discharge the duties of my office and will not allow any private interest to interfere with my conduct in my role as chairman. mayor. I confirm that.”
This was followed by the modified Oath of Allegiance, which offered an alternative to the traditional oath to the king.
“I, Stephen Johnson, affirm that I will faithfully respect and be faithful to the Constitution, the laws of Canada and the laws of Yukon. I confirm that.”
Following the mayor’s lead, each of the four council members – Tobias Graf, Justine Hobbs, Cud Eastbound and Darwyn Lynn – recited the council members’ version of the same oath.
Henderson then presented the gold-studded mayor’s chain to Johnson, who spoke briefly to the dozen or so people in the audience and via the Zoom link.
“I present you with your counsel,” he said. “What you have seen tonight is a historic moment in the swearing-in of municipal councils in the Yukon. What this moment focuses on is a deeply respectful and inclusive change in the world Municipal law in which new municipal councils in the Yukon swear or affirm the oath of allegiance and the oath of office, and to whom the oath is sworn or affirmed. It also gives credibility to reconciliation with First Nations.
“We decided on November 5 that we would not take the oath as it was written, and this was in support of our very good colleague, Darwyn Lynn. This decision, this solidarity, was not taken lightly, and we knew the consequences could be just as difficult.
“This historic change was completed in less than 40 days and we are extremely grateful for the efforts of the Yukon Department of Community Services in guiding the change we recognize today. We are especially grateful for the Director of Community Services, Samantha Crosby, and the dedication of her staff in drafting the memorandum and potential wording of the new Pledge of Allegiance, which reflects the respect and inclusivity we see today. day reading.
“We are grateful to Minister for Community Services, Richard Mostyn, for his efforts to transfer the burden of this change to his colleagues in government. We are grateful for the work of the Yukon Government in completing the new oath in the very short time it was administered. Thank you very much.”
After a brief break, the meeting resumed at 6:00 PM with a brief special council meeting, during which the council voted on several items related to a subdivision request and a zoning change that they could not legally address in this manner until the oaths were both taken. . The Council has met three times since November 5, but in each case it was clearly stated that the matters discussed are for information purposes only.
This meeting was short and was followed by a regular committee of the whole (COW) meeting at 7 p.m. COW meetings allow for freer discussion of matters that will be referred to later regular council meetings for final decisions.
When asked how it felt to have resolved the issue of the oath and come to a satisfactory conclusion on what some media reports, especially national and international stories, were calling a crisis, Johnson responded briefly: “There was never a crisis. .”
Dan Davidson taught in Beaver Creek, Faro and Dawson from 1976-2008. Since 1977, he has written reviews, news and commentary for the Whitehorse Star and What’s Up Yukon, and most recently for the late Yukon Star. In 1989, he helped found the Klondike Sun, where he served as editor for 31 years and remains a member of the board of directors.