Vuntut Gwitchin (electoral district)

Vuntut Gwitchin

Yukon electoral district
Interactive map of riding boundaries
Territorial electoral district
Legislature	Yukon Legislative Assembly
MLA	Annie Blake New Democratic
First contested	1978
Last contested	2021
Demographics
Electors (2021)	204
Communities	Old Crow

Vuntut Gwitchin (formerly Old Crow) is a territorial electoral district of Yukon that has been represented in the Yukon Legislative Assembly since 1978.

Being one of Yukon's eight rural ridings, it is the least populated electoral district in any provincial or territorial legislature in Canada, with fewer than 200 total ballots cast in any territorial election to date.

In two elections since the district's creation, two candidates finished in an exact tie; under Yukon election law, a tied vote is settled by drawing lots rather than by reconducting a full by-election.

Geography

As of the 2025 Yukon general election, Vuntut Gwitchin comprises the community of Old Crow in northern Yukon and the surrounding traditional territory of the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation. The district also includes Vuntut National Park, Ivvavik National Park, Herschel Island, and adjacent areas of the northern Yukon tundra.

Members of the Legislative Assembly

Assembly	Years	Member		Party
Old Crow Riding created from Ogilvie
24th	1978–1982		Grafton Njootli	Progressive Conservative
25th	1982–1985		Kathie Nukon
26th	1985–1989		Norma Kassi	New Democratic
27th	1989–1992
Vuntut Gwitchin
28th	1992–1995†		Johnny Abel	Yukon Party
	1996–1996		Esau Schafer
29th	1996–2000		Robert Bruce	New Democratic
30th	2000–2002		Lorraine Peter
31st	2002–2006
32nd	2006–2011		Darius Elias	Liberal
33rd	2011–2012
	2012–2013			Independent
	2013–2016			Yukon Party
34th	2016–2021		Pauline Frost	Liberal
35th	2021–Present		Annie Blake	New Democratic

Election results

2025

v t e 2025 Yukon general election
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Debra-Leigh Reti
	Yukon Party	Sandra Charlie
	New Democratic	Annie Blake
Total valid votes
Total rejected ballots
Turnout
Eligible voters
Source(s) "Unofficial Election Results 2025". Elections Yukon . Retrieved April 24, 2021.

2021

As both candidates each received 78 votes, it resulted in a tie. A judicial recount took place and there remained a tie vote, therefore a random draw determined that Annie Blake would fill the seat. ^[1]

2021 Yukon general election
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	New Democratic	Annie Blake	78	50.0	+48.0%
	Liberal	Pauline Frost	78	50.0	-1.3%
Total valid votes
Total rejected ballots
Turnout			156	76.5
Eligible voters			204
	New Democratic gain from Liberal		Swing		+1
Source(s) "Unofficial Election Results 2021". Elections Yukon . Retrieved April 24, 2021.

2016

2016 Yukon general election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Pauline Frost	77	51.3%	-12.8%
	Yukon Party	Darius Elias	70	46.7%	+10.8%
	NDP	Skeeter Miller-Wright	3	2.0%	+2.0%
Total			150	100.0%	–

2011

2011 Yukon general election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Darius Elias [2]	93	64.1%	+18.1%
	Yukon Party	Garry Njootli	52	35.9%	+9.9%
Total			145	100.0%	–

2006

2006 Yukon general election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Darius Elias	65	45.8%	+22.0%
	NDP	Lorraine Peter	40	28.2%	-19.3%
	Yukon Party	William Josie	37	26.0%	-2.7%
Total			142	100.0%	–

2002

2002 Yukon general election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	NDP	Lorraine Peter	68	47.5%	+9.8%
	Yukon Party	Randall Tetlichi	41	28.7%	-0.3%
	Liberal	Joe Tetlichi	34	23.8%	-9.5%
Total			143	100.0%	–

2000

2000 Yukon general election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	NDP	Lorraine Netro	69	37.7%	-17.3%
	Liberal	Esau Schafer	61	33.3%	+33.3%
	Yukon Party	Kathie Nukon	53	29.0%	-16.0%
Total			183	100.0%	–

1997 by-election

April 1997 by-election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	NDP	Robert Bruce	88	55.0%	+13.2%
	Yukon Party	Esau Schafer	72	45.0%	+3.2%
Total			160	100.0%	–

• Held after a challenge of the 1996 results.

1996

1996 Yukon general election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	NDP	Robert Bruce	69	41.8%	-2.4%
	Yukon Party	Esau Schafer	69	41.8%	-14.0%
	Liberal	Shirlee Frost	27	16.4%	+16.4%
Total			165	100.0%	–

• Because of the tie vote, Robert Bruce was declared elected after his name was drawn from a hat.

1996 by-election

1996 by-election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Yukon Party	Esau Schafer	87	55.8%	-7.4%
	NDP	Randall Tetlichi	69	44.2%	+44.2%
Total			156	100.0%	–

• Held on the death of Johnny Abel, 1995.

1992

1992 Yukon general election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Yukon Party	Johnny Abel	96	63.2%	–
	Liberal	Grafton Njootli	56	36.8%	–
Total			152	100.0%	–

See also

• List of Yukon territorial electoral districts
• Canadian provincial electoral districts

References

1. "Yukon NDP win final riding by rare drawing of lots, maintaining Liberal, Yukon Party tie in assembly". CBC North . April 19, 2021. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
2. "Elias to Seek the Confidence of Vuntut Residents". Yukon Liberal Party. April 16, 2010. Archived from the original on January 15, 2013. Retrieved June 28, 2011.