Opioid crisis on the agenda for Gov. Gen. Mary Simon's 1st visit to Yukon

In her first official visit to the Yukon, Gov. Gen. Mary Simon will deliver the keynote address at the Arctic Arts Summit, which opens in Whitehorse Monday. She'll also travel to Carcross to discuss the opioid crisis and that community's ongoing state of emergency.

Simon and her husband, Whit Fraser, will arrive in Whitehorse Sunday for a three-day visit, according to a news release from Rideau Hall.

The official visit will begin Sunday with a meeting with Commissioner Anglique Bernard at Taylor House Sunday morning.

On Sunday afternoon, Simon and her husband, Whit Fraser, will travel to Haa Shagon Hdi, the Carcross/Tagish First Nation Cultural Centre in Carcross, to discuss the opioid crisis with members of the First Nation and attend a reception.

The Carcross/Tagish First Nation declared a state of emergency in January after three people died from drug use.

The declaration preceded a similar declaration by the territory that same month.

The Arctic Arts Summit is a week-long event that will see about 300 delegates from across the Arctic countries gather in celebration of Indigenous art, film, music and performance. Now in its third year, it's the first time Canada has hosted the event, and is set to be the largest international gathering in the North since the onset of the pandemic in 2020.

The goal is to strengthen arts and culture in the North and "stimulate collaboration in the arts and creative industries," according to a news release from Rideau Hall.

Simon will deliver her keynote at 2 p.m. Monday at the Kwanlin Dn Cultural Centre.

That evening, the pair will take in the TETHER exhibit, a collection of artworks that showcases the connections among northern Indigenous artists. They'll also attend the premier of Dreaming Roots, a 70-minute multidisciplinary performance show by and about Yukon First Nations people, at the Yukon Arts Centre.

Also on Monday, Simon and Fraser will meet with Premier Sandy Silver at the Yukon Legislature, followed by a meeting withYukon First Nations leaders to discuss "issues impacting their communities."

A visit to Yukon University to meet with students is scheduled for Tuesday.