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Peter Jenkins (politician)

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Peter Jenkins
Mayor of Dawson City, Yukon
In office
2009–2012
Preceded byVi Campbell
Succeeded byArt Webster
In office
1980–1994
Preceded byJohn Steins
Succeeded byWayne Potoroka
MLA for Klondike
In office
September 30, 1996 – October 10, 2006
Preceded byDavid Millar
Succeeded bySteve Nordick
Deputy Premier of the Yukon
In office
November 30, 2002 – November 28, 2005
PremierDennis Fentie
Preceded byOffice established
Succeeded byElaine Taylor
Minister of Health and Social Services
In office
November 30, 2002 – November 28, 2005
PremierDennis Fentie
Preceded bySue Edelman
Succeeded byBrad Cathers
Minister of the Environment
In office
July 12, 2004 – November 28, 2005
PremierDennis Fentie
Preceded byJim Kenyon
Succeeded byDennis Fentie
Leader of the Yukon Party
Acting
In office
April 17, 2000 – June 15, 2002
Preceded byJohn Ostashek
Succeeded byDennis Fentie
Personal details
Born(1944-04-30)April 30, 1944[1]
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
DiedOctober 2021(2021-10-00) (aged 77)
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Political partyYukon Party (1996-2005)
Independent (2005-2006)
OccupationHotelier

Peter William Jenkins (April 30, 1944 – October 2021) was a Canadian politician, who served as deputy premier and health minister in the territorial government of the Yukon, and as mayor of Dawson City.

Biography

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Jenkins, a hotelier, first ran for the territorial legislature in 1989, but lost to NDP cabinet minister Art Webster. Jenkins' campaign manager at that time was future Liberal Premier Pat Duncan.[2]

Prior to entering provincial politics, he served as mayor of Dawson City from 1980 to 1994,[3] earning the nickname "Pirate Pete" after he registered for satellite television service under the name of a dead local pioneer and then redistributed the television signals to residents of Dawson City for free.[4]

Jenkins was first elected to the Yukon Legislative Assembly in the 1996 election in Klondike for the Yukon Party.[5] He defended his seat in the 2000 election, the only Yukon Party member to do so. He assumed the leadership of the party after the election. He held the position as sole MLA and leader until May and June 2002, when Dennis Fentie crossed the floor from the NDP and won the party's leadership, defeating Jenkins and former party president Darcy Tkachuk.[6]

Jenkins defended his seat successfully in the 2002 general election and was sworn into cabinet in November, serving as Health Minister and Deputy Premier until November 28, 2005 when he resigned from the party and cabinet. Jenkins said this was because "the heart and soul of my community has been ripped out by the inefficiences of government at the municipal level, the territorial level." Fentie told the press at the time it was due to the ongoing loans file, which involved Jenkins owing $300,000 to the territorial government, in which he served as minister.[7] This eventually was cleared off the books in March 2006.

Jenkins sat as an Independent MLA in the Assembly until dissolution, and chose not to run in the 2006 general election. Jenkins later ran for another term as mayor of Dawson City in the 2009 municipal election,[3] defeating incumbent John Steins by seven votes.[8] He was defeated in the 2012 municipal election by Wayne Potoroka.[9]

At the age of 77, Jenkins died from COVID-19 at a hospital in Vancouver, British Columbia, in October 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic in British Columbia.[2][10]

Electoral record

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Yukon general election, 2002

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Klondike[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Yukon Party Peter Jenkins 508 54.2% +14.8%
  Liberal Glen Everitt 224 22.9% -14.0%
  NDP Lisa Hutton 200 21.3% -1.9%
Total 937 100.0% –

Yukon general election, 2000

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Klondike[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Yukon Party Peter Jenkins 424 39.4% -15.5%
  Liberal Stuart Schmidt 397 36.9% +28.2%
  NDP Aedes Scheer 249 23.2% -10.7%
Total 1,075 100.0% –

Yukon general election, 1996

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Klondike[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Yukon Party Peter Jenkins 603 54.9% +2.0%
  NDP Tim Gerberding 372 33.9% -12.0%
  Liberal Glen Everitt 96 8.8% +8.8%
  Independent John Cramp 21 1.9% +1.9%
Total 1,099 100.0% –

References

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  1. ^ The Canadian Parliamentary Guide. P. G. Normandin. 1972. ISBN 0-7876-3561-8.
  2. ^ a b Gilick, Tim (October 4, 2021). "Former cabinet minister, Dawson mayor dies". Whitehorse Star.
  3. ^ a b "Jenkins seeks Dawson City mayor's job, again". CBC News, September 24, 2009.
  4. ^ "Pirate Pete seeks Dawson mayor’s seat". Yukon News, September 25, 2009. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  5. ^ Yukon Votes 2006: Klondike. cbc.ca.
  6. ^ "Fentie wins Yukon Party leadership race". 17 June 2002. Retrieved 9 October 2021. Dennis Fentie won a leadership convention in Whitehorse over the weekend, taking more than half the votes. The Watson Lake MLA defeated incumbent party leader Peter Jenkins and Darcy Tkachuk ... Fentie was a member of the New Democratic Party just a few months ago.
  7. ^ Jenkins' stroll astonished NDP leader Whitehorse Star (November 29, 2015)
  8. ^ "Jenkins is mayor of Dawson, again". Yukon News, October 21, 2009. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  9. ^ "Dan Curtis elected mayor of Whitehorse". CBC News, October 19, 2012.
  10. ^ "'Force of nature': Peter Jenkins, former Dawson City mayor and deputy premier of Yukon, has died". CBC News. 5 October 2021. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
  11. ^ Report of the Chief Electoral Officer of Yukon on the 2002 General Election Elections Yukon, 2002. Retrieved January 21, 2017
  12. ^ Report of the Chief Electoral Officer of Yukon on the 2000 General Election Elections Yukon, 2000. Retrieved January 21, 2017
  13. ^ Report of the Chief Electoral Officer of Yukon on the General Election Held on September 30, 1996 Elections Yukon, 1996. Retrieved January 21, 2017
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