Oath to monarch now optional in Yukon after council rejects pledge

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DAWSON CITY, Yukon — A day before his inauguration ceremony, Darwyn Lynn looked at a copy of the oath of allegiance to King Charles he was required to take to officially assume his new role as councilor in the Yukon, wondering why the pledge was necessary. .

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“I actually sat there and looked at it, and read it probably about 15 times, and it didn’t get any easier to do,” he said, adding that ‘as an Aboriginal man, the history of the Crown took place. with his people remained etched in his mind.

So, on November 5, he refused to take the oath. His fellow Dawson City council members and Mayor-elect Stephen Johnson followed suit, ending governance in Yukon’s second-largest municipality.

But on Friday, about 10 days before the deadline to take the oath, Yukon announced it had amended its municipal law because the territory agreed that elected leaders should not be required to swear allegiance to King Charles.

Instead, the territory said Yukon municipal leaders now have the option of swearing allegiance to the Constitution or the monarch during their swearing-in ceremonies.

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“The change we have made will ensure that all Yukoners feel comfortable taking on the important role of municipal council in particular,” Community Services Minister Richard Mostyn said at a conference press.

“This allows municipal officials to take the Pledge of Allegiance in a way that aligns with the broader values ​​and cultural identities of society…. This change should help Yukon First Nations feel welcomed and respected.

Mostyn said council members will still be required to take an oath of office within 40 days of an election, along with another oath of their choice.

The law states that if a person elected to the council does not take the oath of office within 40 days, “their election shall be considered null and void and their position vacant.”

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Lynn said he appreciates the territory making the change and plans to take the oath of office to the Constitution next week.

Lynn said Yukon did not conduct public consultations to make changes to the regulations and acknowledged some people in the community disagreed with Dawson city council.

But that’s why he said the possibility of swearing in the king was still on the table.

“Everyone has the right to their opinion and their choice. And that’s what’s great about our country,” he said.

Mostyn said that during consultations, the Yukon cabinet found similar regulations in Ontario and Quebec that allow elected officials to take oaths in other ways.

For example, the Ontario Public Service Act says: “A public servant who identifies as an Indigenous person is exempt” from confirming or swearing “his or her allegiance to the Crown if he or she asserts that taking an oath or affirmation would inconsistent with the Public Service of Ontario Act.” with his views regarding the relationship between the Crown and Indigenous peoples.

Lynn said that as Dawson’s new councilor, the help he received from the territory has allowed him to be optimistic about Yukon’s future.

“It shows that we are a united team and I am happy with that,” he said.

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