Premier Ranj Pillai with the French delegation, May 30, 2024 // Courtesy: Yukon Government
WHITEHORSE, YT – Premier Pillai was engaged in a number of meetings with foreign diplomats this week, with the topics of Arctic security and resource cooperation top of mind.
The French Ambassador to Canada, Mr. Michel Miraillet, US Ambassador David Cohen, and German Ambassador Sabine Sparwasser were all in Whitehorse on official business, along with US Consul General Jim DeHart and French Consul General Nicolas Baudouin.
It was the first official visit to the Yukon for both Ambassador Miraillet and US Ambassador David Cohen. This will be German Ambassador Sabine Sparwasser’s second official visit to the Yukon.
In talks with between the Premier, Ambassador Cohen and Consul General DeHart, the conversation focused on strengthening ties with the State of Alaska. The Yukon’s interest in the Port of Skagway was discussed, as well as and the Little Gold Creek border crossing’s return to pre-pandemic operations.
The talks with German Ambassador Sparwasser built on past conversations with the German Consul General during their last visit in 2022. Topics discussed included tourism, resource cooperation, as well as research being done in the fields of climate and environmental science.
French Ambassador Miraillet joined Premier Ranj Pillai for a closed door meeting on the vibrant Yukon Francophone Community, and the pair had spoke at length on the development of the Yukon’s Critical Mineral Sector, as well as ways to achieve the decarbonization of the mining industry. The technology available to do so was also discussed, and of particular interest: Small Modular Reactors
Small Modular Reactors are small scale nuclear reactors designed to be portable and utilized in remote areas to generate vast quantities of electricity on site. The technology is still under development and is not yet available on the market, but The Yukon Government’s Cabinet Communications team have confirmed that as signatories of Canada’s Small Modular Reactor Action Plan, the Yukon government has been engaged in discussions on the technology at the National Level.
A decision on weather or not to adopt SMR technology in the Yukon has not yet been made, but all options are on the table for consideration as the Territorial Government looks to create a self-sufficiency and a clean energy economy.
