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Letter Writing Tips and Yukon Government Contacts

How to write an effective letter

Have you ever had one of your favourite natural areas desecrated by some inappropriate activities? Have you ever come back from a wilderness trip upset and thought “I should complain to someone about this”? Have you ever thought while you were out enjoying your favourite area that you need to do something to keep the area just the way it is?

There are many ways in which you can make your voice heard. This could include talking to friends about something you care about, speaking up at a public meeting, or writing a letter.

Writing a letter can be a very powerful tool. Those in positions of power or influence do, in fact, react to the letters they receive. They realize that folks care about what is happening, that their actions are being watched, and that they will have to answer for their actions.

It is also a very simple tool. You can write a letter at home, edit what you want to say, and focus on what is important to you and avoid being sidetracked.

Here are some tips on how to write an effective letter.

1. Keep your letter to one page.

2. Keep your letter to one idea or topic. More than one topic may mean that it gets circulated to several staff for review and it can get misdirected.

3. Don’t use a form letter. Your own letter will carry a lot more weight.

4. Be sure to sign the letter. Write your name, don’t type it.

5. A handwritten letter is fine if your writing is legible. It doesn’t need to be fancy.

6. Address the letter to a particular person. Make a quick phone call to find out whom you should address the letter to. (You can always contact CPAWS at (867) 393-8080 or info@cpawsyukon.org for help.)

7. State why you are writing the letter in the first sentence. “I am writing to express my concerns about …”

8. Use a personal account to describe why the issue is important to you. “I canoe here all the time with my family and this is where my children have developed an appreciation and a sense of caring for the river.”

9. Make a specific request of the person to whom you are writing, and try to make the request reasonable.

10. Ask for a response.

11. Send a copy to CPAWS. It helps to pull some weight if the reader knows that there are more of you out there.

Making contact

Click here for information on the most current Yukon Legislative Assembly. From that page, click on any representative's name to obtain contact information.

Federal Government

The Honourable John Baird
Minister of Environment
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A6
Phone: (613) 996-0984
Fax: (613) 996-9880
E-mail: Baird.j@parl.gc.ca

The Honourable Larry Bagnell
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A6
Telephone: (613) 995-9368 / Fax: (613) 995-0945
E-mail: Bagnell.L@parl.gc.ca
Constituency Office: 204 Black Street, Suite 204
Whitehorse, Yukon Y1A 2M9