Yukon politicians met with a wide variety of their federal and provincial colleagues last week in Ontario during Yukon Days.

Yukon Days is an annual event featuring engagements in Ottawa involving Yukon cabinet members, First Nations chiefs and federal ministers to discuss Yukon priorities.

Yukon Days began with an Intergovernmental Forum last Monday. That event enabled participants to discuss shared priorities on the 50th anniversary of Together Today for Our Children Tomorrow.

A plan was unveiled for the eventual construction and operation of a Yukon First Nations-led, land-based healing centre in the Whitehorse area.

After the forum, chiefs joined Premier Ranj Pillai, Deputy Premier Jeanie McLean, ministers Nils Clarke, John Streicker and Richard Mostyn and Yukon MP Brendan Hanley for trilateral meetings with federal ministers and parliamentary secretaries.

Subjects included combatting the substance use health emergency, building affordable housing and strengthening community safety.

Cabinet members held a series of bilateral meetings with federal ministers, parliamentary secretaries and Hanley to advance such goals as clean energy, affordable housing and infrastructure.

Meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Pillai “spoke to collaborative efforts to enhance affordability, strengthen health care and ensure a strong and secure North,” the territorial government said in a statement Friday.

While in Ottawa, Pillai delivered a keynote speech at the Indo-Pacific Strategy Forum, focusing on the Yukon’s relationships in the Indo-Pacific region, including opportunities advanced through his mission to Asia in September.

Yukon cabinet members met with EU Ambassadors, the UK High Commissioner and the Philippines’ Ambassador to Canada.

Later, in Toronto, Pillai held meetings with private and public investors to actively promote the Yukon’s investment potential and met jointly with Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey.

“Every year, Yukon Days brings the issues that matter most to Yukoners to federal leaders,” Pillai said.

(Last) week, I had the opportunity to speak to the continued need for federal support for affordable housing in the territory, investing in strategic, dual-use infrastructure that can propel economic growth and Arctic security, and centring the needs of northerners in the national dialogue.

“Through our engagements alongside Yukon First Nations Chiefs, we brought a strong, united voice to Ottawa.

“Collaboration across all levels of government is crucial to advance reconciliation and addressing the challenges facing Yukoners and all Canadians,” Pillai added.

The federal ministers and secretaries the Yukoners met with included:

• the minister of Mental Health and Addictions and associate minister of Health, Ya’ara Saks;

• the minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, Sean Fraser;

• the minister of Health, Mark Holland; and

• Jennifer O’Connell, the parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs (Cybersecurity) Jennifer O’Connell.

They also met bilaterally with:

• deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Chrystia Freeland;

• the minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Jonathan Wilkinson;

• the minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Jenna Sudds;

• the minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth Marci Ien;

• the minister of Labour and Seniors, Seamus O’Regan Jr. ;

• Dan Vandal, the minister of Northern Affairs, minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada and minister responsible for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency Dan Vandal;

• the minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, Gary Anandasangaree;

• the minister of Transport and Quebec lieutenant, Pablo Rodriguez;

• the minister of National Defence, Bill Blair;

• the minister of Foreign Affairs, Mélanie Joly;

• Treasury Board president Anita Anand;

• the minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities, Kamal Khera;

• Soraya Martinez Ferrada, the minister of Tourism and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec;

• Randy Boissonnault, the minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages ;

• Sherry Romanado, the parliamentary Secretary to the President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Emergency Preparedness;

• Mike Kelloway, the parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard Mike Kelloway; and

• Adam van Koeverden, the parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Sport and Physical Activity.

The territorial cabinet members also met with Dr. Melita Gabrič, the Ambassador of the European Union in Canada, and a group of 18 European Union member state ambassadors.

Pillai conferred with Philippine Ambassador Maria Andrelita Austria and UK High Commissioner Susannah Goshko.