The Yukon government is now offering an alternative to swearing an oath-of-allegiance to the monarch for municipal councillors.
Councillors can now swear an oath-of-allegiance to the Constitution of Canada.
The change comes after the newly elected town council in Dawson City, Yukon, refused to pledge the oath in early November following opposition from Darwyn Lynn, a citizen of the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in First Nation.
“I didn’t expect it to go as far as it did, but I think the conversation was needed to be had, and the change came up,” Lynn told a news conference on Nov. 29. “And I’m happy and excited about it.”
Lynn, a rookie councillor, said he wasn’t comfortable swearing allegiance to the monarch because of its negative history with Indigenous Peoples. Under Yukon’s Municipal Act, councillors must take the oath of office and swear allegiance to the Crown.
“I was hesitant on it,” he said. “I actually sat there and I looked at it and I read it probably about 15 times, and it didn’t get any easier to do.
“I thought that there may be another option.”
While all four councillors and the mayor affirmed their oath of office, they refused to swear allegiance in support of Lynn.
However, they are legally required to do both within 40 days of being elected. Otherwise, their seats would be declared null and void and a by-election called.
That left Yukon’s community services branch to come up with a solution before Dec. 9.
Yukon Community Services Minister Richard Mostyn said offering an alternative was the right thing to do.
“This change should help Yukon First Nations feel welcomed and respected, it’s a step in the ongoing journey towards reconciliation,” he said.
“The change that we’ve made will ensure everyone in the Yukon feels comfortable when stepping into the important role of municipal council.”
All eyes on Dawson City
The issue has received international media attention, something Lynn wasn’t expecting when he brought his concerns forward.
“I did not intend for this to be a media phenomenon that it turned out to be. (Though) it’s great that it did,” he said.
He also noted reaction in Dawson City has been mixed.
“There’s people that are all for it, others that are hesitant on it; yet everybody has the right to have their opinion and option, and that is the great part about our country. So, I’m good with how everybody feels about it,” he said.
Moving forward in a good way
Dawson City Mayor Stephen Johnson said he is pleased with the alternative and is happy council could come together to support Lynn.
“I recognize that Canada has a lot of difficulty in dealing with First Nations,” he said. “I thought about what this means to First Nations people, and I thought I’m going to try and put myself into their shoes.
“I bet you, I probably will be uncomfortable, and I didn’t want Darwyn to be uncomfortable.”
Johnson feels it’s more practical to swear allegiance to Canada as opposed to a single person.
“If you look at the Constitution, it flows through to the Crown, being our head of state. To me, that is perfectly fine, absolutely fine,” he said.
Dawson City councillors swore their oath of allegiance on Tuesday.
Lynn said council can now move forward in a good way.
“It turned into a wonderful conversation and had a great outcome,” he said.
Mostyn noted other jurisdictions like Ontario and Quebec have alternatives for the oath of allegiance.
