News Release

Former Yukon Premier Penikett to Moderate Forum on Art, Nature and Conservation

October 6, 2004 – Whitehorse – The Yukon Arts Centre and CPAWS-Yukon announced today that Tony Penikett, former Yukon Premier, will moderate the Public Forum on Art, Nature and Conservation at the Yukon Arts Centre, Friday, October 15 at 8 pm.

This evening of intellectual entertainment features a diverse panel of artists, writers and community members that includes award-winning poet Brian Brett, award-winning author and cultural anthropologist Richard Nelson, and artists Ron Bolt, Michael Belmore, Haruko Okano and Joyce Majiski. The tone for discussion will be set by a short multimedia presentation on the Wind, Snake and Bonnet Plume rivers, and maintained with poetry and literature readings. Full audience participation in the discussion will be facilitated through a variety of means.

The Public Forum follows the gala opening of the Three Rivers: wild waters, sacred places nationally touring art exhibition taking place at the Yukon Public Art Gallery on October 14.

“We are delighted to have Tony Penikett join our Public Forum in the role of moderator,” said Juri Peepre, event coordinator for CPAWS-Yukon. “Tony is well known in the Yukon for his contributions to the territory, and will bring a very distinguished background in public policy, environment and the development of northern arts, culture and education to the Public Forum.”

“It will be great to have one of our founders participate in such an important exhibition,” said YAC Executive Director Chris Dray. “Art is a powerful medium for the expression and amplification of beliefs and ideas, and that’s what Tony is all about. I think we can look forward to a scintillating discussion.”

Tony Penikett was Yukon Premier from 1985-1992, and a member of the Yukon Legislative Assembly for 18 years. His NDP government was a key partner in forging the Umbrella Final Agreement, as well as several individual First Nation Final Agreements. Penikett’s government introduced the Yukon Environment Act, acknowledged as one of the most progressive statutes in Canada at that time, and he also supported initiatives to complete a protected areas network in the territory. As Premier, Penikett supported the development of arts, culture and education in the Yukon by establishing public institutions such as the Yukon Arts Centre and Yukon College.

After leaving the Yukon and politics, Tony Penikett was senior advisor to provincial governments in Saskatchewan and British Columbia, where he was Deputy Minister of Negotiations and later, Labour. Today, Penikett is an associate of Simon Fraser University’s Centre for Dialogue, where he has worked on First Nation treaty negotiation issues. Tony Penikett remains a keen observer and participant in the development of the Canadian north and circumpolar affairs.

Juri Peepre
CPAWS Yukon
Telephone: 867-668-6321
E-mail: jpeepre@cpawsyukon.org