Yukon to host western, northern premiers in Dawson City

Yukon Premier Dennis Fentie says he and other Western and Northern premiers will have an ambitious agenda ahead of them at the Western premiers conference, which begins Thursday in Dawson City.

The Yukon town is hosting premiers from British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut at the two-day annual meeting.

Items up for discussion will include Canada-U.S. relations, ensuring safer cities, energy and the development and marketing of natural resources.

Many of those issues are related to the global recession, Fentie said, adding that the group can accomplish a lot by working together.

"We have a lot to deal with in terms of stimulus actions that have been taken, looking at what infrastructure actually is receiving investment, the issues around taking stock of the overall impacts that we are experiencing," he told CBC News on Tuesday.

"Frankly, it is vital that the West and the North remain collective in their approach, because we have a lot of common interests in northern Canada and in Western Canada."

The premiers meeting will take place on the traditional lands of the Tr'ondek Hwech'in Han Nation. Fentie said the premiers will meet with the First Nation's leaders during the conference.

Dawson City last hosted the Western premiers conference in 2002.