The Yukon’s New Motto: In Dixon We Trust, In Gold We Drill
How Premier Currie Dixon is unleashing a new era of mining-friendly policy in Canada’s north
If you thought the Yukon was already Canada’s wild frontier for mining, buckle up. Currie Dixon, the 38-year-old freshly minted Premier who was literally born and raised in Whitehorse, has wasted no time telling the world that mining, especially gold mining, is about to get a serious shot of adrenaline.
In his first major speech since taking the premier’s chair on November 22, Dixon strode into the Yukon Geoscience Forum last week and declared the territory is sitting on a “a tremendous opportunity” for the mining sector. Translation: the red tape is getting trimmed, the power lines are getting beefed up, and anyone sitting on a promising gold or copper showing just got a very friendly wink from the top office.
Dixon’s opening moves have been anything but subtle. He handed the Energy, Mines and Resources portfolio to Ted Laking, a former employee of Whitehorse-based mining supply company ALX Exploration Services – the same outfit Dixon himself once worked for. Industry insiders call that a neon sign that reads “open for business.”

