Vuntut Gwitchin (electoral district)
 Yukon electoral district | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Interactive map of riding boundaries | |||
| Territorial electoral district | |||
| Legislature | Yukon Legislative Assembly | ||
| MLA |
Liberal | ||
| First contested | 1978 | ||
| Last contested | 2025 | ||
| Demographics | |||
| Electors (2021) | 204 | ||
| Communities | Old Crow | ||
Vuntut Gwitchin (formerly Old Crow) is a territorial electoral district of Yukon that has been represented in the Yukon Legislative Assembly since 1978.
Being one of Yukon's eight rural ridings, it is the least populated electoral district in any provincial or territorial legislature in Canada, with fewer than 200 total ballots cast in any territorial election to date.
In two elections since the district's creation, two candidates finished in an exact tie; under Yukon election law, a tied vote is settled by drawing lots rather than by reconducting a full by-election.
Geography
As of the 2025 Yukon general election, Vuntut Gwitchin comprises the community of Old Crow in northern Yukon and the surrounding traditional territory of the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation. The district also includes Vuntut National Park, Ivvavik National Park, Herschel Island, and adjacent areas of the northern Yukon tundra.
Members of the Legislative Assembly
| Assembly | Years | Member | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Old Crow Riding created from Ogilvie |
||||
| 24th | 1978–1982 | Grafton Njootli | Progressive Conservative | |
| 25th | 1982–1985 | Kathie Nukon | ||
| 26th | 1985–1989 | Norma Kassi | New Democratic | |
| 27th | 1989–1992 | |||
| Vuntut Gwitchin | ||||
| 28th | 1992–1995† | Johnny Abel | Yukon Party | |
| 1996–1996 | Esau Schafer | |||
| 29th | 1996–2000 | Robert Bruce | New Democratic | |
| 30th | 2000–2002 | Lorraine Peter | ||
| 31st | 2002–2006 | |||
| 32nd | 2006–2011 | Darius Elias | Liberal | |
| 33rd | 2011–2012 | |||
| 2012–2013 | Independent | |||
| 2013–2016 | Yukon Party | |||
| 34th | 2016–2021 | Pauline Frost | Liberal | |
| 35th | 2021–2025 | Annie Blake | New Democratic | |
| 36th | 2025–present | Debra-Leigh Reti | Liberal | |
Election results
2025
| 2025 Yukon general election | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ** Preliminary results — Not yet official ** | ||||||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Liberal | Debra-Leigh Reti | 52 | 39.7 | |||||
| New Democratic | Annie Blake | 45 | 34.4 | |||||
| Yukon Party | Sandra Charlie | 34 | 26.0 | |||||
| Total valid votes | 131 | |||||||
| Total rejected ballots | ||||||||
| Turnout | ||||||||
| Eligible voters | ||||||||
Source(s) | ||||||||
2021
As both candidates each received 78 votes, it resulted in a tie. A judicial recount took place and there remained a tie vote, therefore a random draw determined that Annie Blake would fill the seat.[1]
| 2021 Yukon general election | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| New Democratic | Annie Blake | 78 | 50.0 | +48.0% | ||||
| Liberal | Pauline Frost | 78 | 50.0 | -1.3% | ||||
| Total valid votes | ||||||||
| Total rejected ballots | ||||||||
| Turnout | 156 | 76.5 | ||||||
| Eligible voters | 204 | |||||||
| New Democratic gain from Liberal | Swing | +1 | ||||||
Source(s) | ||||||||
2016
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | Pauline Frost | 77 | 51.3% | -12.8% | |
| Yukon Party | Darius Elias | 70 | 46.7% | +10.8% | |
| NDP | Skeeter Miller-Wright | 3 | 2.0% | +2.0% | |
| Total | 150 | 100.0% | – | ||
2011
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | Darius Elias[2] | 93 | 64.1% | +18.1% | |
| Yukon Party | Garry Njootli | 52 | 35.9% | +9.9% | |
| Total | 145 | 100.0% | – | ||
2006
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | Darius Elias | 65 | 45.8% | +22.0% | |
| NDP | Lorraine Peter | 40 | 28.2% | -19.3% | |
| Yukon Party | William Josie | 37 | 26.0% | -2.7% | |
| Total | 142 | 100.0% | – | ||
2002
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NDP | Lorraine Peter | 68 | 47.5% | +9.8% | |
| Yukon Party | Randall Tetlichi | 41 | 28.7% | -0.3% | |
| Liberal | Joe Tetlichi | 34 | 23.8% | -9.5% | |
| Total | 143 | 100.0% | – | ||
2000
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NDP | Lorraine Netro | 69 | 37.7% | -17.3% | |
| Liberal | Esau Schafer | 61 | 33.3% | +33.3% | |
| Yukon Party | Kathie Nukon | 53 | 29.0% | -16.0% | |
| Total | 183 | 100.0% | – | ||
1997 by-election
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NDP | Robert Bruce | 88 | 55.0% | +13.2% | |
| Yukon Party | Esau Schafer | 72 | 45.0% | +3.2% | |
| Total | 160 | 100.0% | – | ||
- Held after a challenge of the 1996 results.
1996
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NDP | Robert Bruce | 69 | 41.8% | -2.4% | |
| Yukon Party | Esau Schafer | 69 | 41.8% | -14.0% | |
| Liberal | Shirlee Frost | 27 | 16.4% | +16.4% | |
| Total | 165 | 100.0% | – | ||
- Because of the tie vote, Robert Bruce was declared elected after his name was drawn from a hat.
1996 by-election
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yukon Party | Esau Schafer | 87 | 55.8% | -7.4% | |
| NDP | Randall Tetlichi | 69 | 44.2% | +44.2% | |
| Total | 156 | 100.0% | – | ||
- Held on the death of Johnny Abel, 1995.
1992
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yukon Party | Johnny Abel | 96 | 63.2% | – | |
| Liberal | Grafton Njootli | 56 | 36.8% | – | |
| Total | 152 | 100.0% | – | ||
See also
References
- ^ "Yukon NDP win final riding by rare drawing of lots, maintaining Liberal, Yukon Party tie in assembly". CBC North. April 19, 2021. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
- ^ "Elias to Seek the Confidence of Vuntut Residents". Yukon Liberal Party. April 16, 2010. Retrieved June 28, 2011.
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