DAWSON CITY, Yukon –

Municipal leaders in the Yukon now have the option of taking an oath to the Constitution or to King Charles III during their swearing-in ceremonies, after a new council in one community refused to pledge allegiance to the monarch.

Minister of Community Services Richard Mostyn says the territory has amended its Municipal Act after Dawson City’s mayor-elect and four new councillors refused to swear an oath to the King during their Nov. 5 investiture ceremony.

Governance in the Yukon’s second-largest municipality has been at a standstill since then.

Coun. Darwyn Lynn says he wasn’t comfortable taking the mandatory Oath of Allegiance to the monarch because of the Crown’s history with Indigenous Peoples.

He says he appreciates that the territory has made the change and plans to swear an oath to the Constitution next week.

Mostyn says council members will still be required to take an oath of office within 40 days after an election, with the other oath of their choosing.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 29, 2024.