Peter Jenkins

Who is Peter Jenkins?

Peter William Jenkins is a Canadian politician, who has served as deputy premier and health minister in the territorial government of the Yukon, and as mayor of Dawson City.

Jenkins, a hotelier, first ran for the territorial legislature in 1989 but lost to NDP cabinet minister Art Webster. In that vote, Jenkins' campaign manager was future Liberal Premier Pat Duncan.

Prior to entering provincial politics, he served as mayor of Dawson City from 1980 to 1994, earning the nickname "Pirate Pete" after he registered for satellite television service under the name of a dead local pioneer and then redistributed the television signals to residents of Dawson City for free.

Jenkins was first elected to the Yukon Legislative Assembly in the 1996 election in Klondike for the Yukon Party. He defended his seat in the 2000 election, the only Yukon Party member to do so. He assumed the leadership of the party after the election. He held the position as sole MLA and leader until May and June 2002, when Dennis Fentie crossed the floor from the NDP and won the leadership party's leadership, defeating Jenkins and former party president Darcy Tkachuk on the first ballot.

He defended his seat successfully in the 2002 general election and was sworn into cabinet in November, serving as Health Minister and Deputy Premier until November 28, 2005 when he resigned from the party and cabinet. Jenkins said this was because "the heart and soul of my community has been ripped out by the inefficiences of government at the municipal level, the territorial level." Fentie told the press at the time it was due to the ongoing loans file, which involved Jenkins owing $300,000 to the territorial government he was a part of. This eventually was cleared off the books in March 2006.