MLA for Vuntut Gwitchin, Yukon NDP Health Critic Annie Blake seeks re-election
September 9, 2025
Annie Blake, MLA for Vuntut Gwitchin and Yukon NDP Health Critic, announced she is seeking re-election for the 2025 territorial election.
“No matter which community you live in, you deserve good healthcare for you and your neighbours,” said Blake. “But for years, people have been struggling without access to care. I have heard from many people in Old Crow and communities all over the territory who are not getting the healthcare they need.”
Blake, a descendant of the Dagoo people and citizen of Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation (VGFN), was first elected in 2021. As an MLA, Blake has supported hundreds of Yukoners across the territory to get the services they need, from healthcare to justice, youth programming and more.
“Over the past four years I have listened to so many Yukoners share their stories with me. Stories of waiting in pain for months, of being forced to drive into Whitehorse 6 times in one week without getting care, or of experiencing burn out while working at a community health centre,” Blake added. “Every one of these stories is a reason I am running for re-election. People in every community deserve to be well, and to thrive and to do that they need better healthcare, and we can deliver this, with Kate White and the Yukon NDP.”
She also serves as the Deputy Speaker and the Yukon NDP’s Critic for Health and Social Services. In this role, she advocated for better healthcare and more support for frontline workers, including overseeing the creation of Canada’s first public dental program, the Yukon Dental Program, the creation of a new public walk-in clinic and funding Blood Ties’ supervised consumption site.
Blake is also one of few opposition MLAs to pass a law with unanimous support. In her first year as an MLA, Blake’s bill established Truth and Reconciliation Day (September 30th) as a statutory holiday in the Yukon. This was a historic step forward on the path towards reconciliation, which other provinces have since followed.
Blake is a trained social worker. Before being elected, she served as the Director of Health and Social Programs for VGFN, where she oversaw the delivery of healthcare to people living in Old Crow. She previously worked for the Council of Yukon First Nations, the First Nations Health Program at the Yukon Hospital Corporation, Kaushee’s Place and the Yukon Child & Youth Advocate.
“Annie is a powerhouse, and we’re honoured to have her run for re-election with our Yukon NDP team,” said Leader of the Yukon NDP Kate White. “As an MLA, Annie truly listens to community members and she knows firsthand the solutions to make healthcare better for rural Yukoners.”
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