Honourable senators, with profound sadness, Yukoners learned and shared with you the passing of the Honourable Ione Christensen, a former Yukon senator.

The story of Ione Christensen is the story of the Yukon. The family of Ione’s mother, Martha Ballentine, arrived in the Yukon during the gold rush with the sourdough starter which I will reference in a moment. Ione often repeated her family story that if you wanted something done in Dawson City, you got it “Ballentined.” Her mother Martha Ballentine, a lay nurse, married her father Gordon Irwin Cameron of the RCMP. Ione’s early years were spent at the confluence of the Yukon River and the Pelly River at Fort Selkirk. This historic site, a well-known former meeting place and trading post, is now carefully preserved and jointly managed by the Selkirk First Nation and the Yukon government.

A young Ione’s lifelong relationship with dogs started with her own dog team. Her dog team was as necessary to run her own trapline as was her .22-calibre gun and knife. The value of carrying a knife was not appreciated when she attended private school in British Columbia, and it was swiftly confiscated.

Back in the Yukon, Ione Christensen broke trail as only a Yukoner well acquainted with the land in all its seasons could do. Her many firsts included: the first female justice of the peace, the first female juvenile court judge, the first female mayor of Whitehorse, the first female Commissioner of Yukon and the first female Yukon senator.

Ione was a founder and board member of the Yukon Foundation, the Wildfire Awareness Society and the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Society Yukon. She received the Order of Canada and was one of the first to receive the Order of Yukon.

In 1979, she resigned as commissioner after receiving the “Epp letter” from Ottawa. Jake Epp was the then-Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development. Rick Nielsen, who shared a love of Yukon history with Ione, gave an explanation for Ione’s resignation. It was not a disagreement with the political evolution of the Yukon; it was a point of principle. There was an error in the letter from Ottawa — not the first time that has happened. The error was later corrected. Her resignation was a principled decision required at the time.

The iconic photograph of the Chilkoot Trail — the hike to the goldfields in Dawson — is a challenging hike, jointly managed today by Parks Canada and the U.S. National Park Service. Celebrating the 100-year anniversary of the gold rush in the summer of 1996, Ione somehow persuaded — or “Ballentined” — governments to allow her and a few friends to set up a cookshack and serve pancakes from the legendary sourdough starter to hikers who completed the trail during that summer of celebration.

That was Ione. She hiked the trail 21 times herself. To quote her fellow cook Pat McKenna that summer:

Ione, your spirit is forever in the northern Yukon skies in the wind through the trees, over the land and lakes you loved so much.

To Ione’s family — Philip, Paul, Michelle, Kate and her grandson, Harry — we offer our sincere condolences. To my fellow Yukoners, we are forever grateful to you Ione for breaking trail.

Shä̀w níthän. Mahsi’cho. Gùnáłchîsh.

Thank you.

Honourable senators, I rise today to pay tribute to a remarkable Canadian and former senator, the late Honourable Ione Christensen.

Ione Christensen was born in Dawson Creek, B.C., my home province. She later moved with her family to Whitehorse, Yukon, where she grew up and began her long career in public service.

She was a leader, a businesswoman, a public servant and an advocate. She broke barriers at every turn, becoming the first woman to serve as justice of the peace in Yukon, the first female judge of the juvenile court, the first woman elected mayor of Whitehorse — after defeating seven other male mayoral candidates — and the first woman appointed as the Commissioner of Yukon. She was a true trailblazer whose courage opened doors for generations of women who would follow in her path.

In 1999, she became the first female senator of the Yukon to be appointed to the Senate of Canada — another first. As a senator, she continued to champion her community and all Canadians, serving on committees such as the Aboriginal Peoples Committee, the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee and the Social Affairs, Science and Technology Committee.

The late Honourable Ione Christensen was well loved and respected in the Yukon, as expressed by Premier Mike Pemberton in his official statement on September 16, 2025:

Over her long life, Ione broke barriers in politics, law and public service. She opened doors, inspired countless Yukoners and showed the power of kindness, hard work and courage. The Yukon is stronger because of her.

Mayor Kirk Cameron of Whitehorse issued the following:

The Yukon is known to be larger than life, and Mrs. Christensen embodied this spirit in her life and work.

Beyond her many professional accomplishments and distinctions, Ione was a warm, joyful and compassionate individual who loved the North and the people that live here. She was known for her commitment to community and helping others, and made our city a better place throughout her life.

The Honourable Ione Christensen’s legacy is one of leadership, courage and tireless service. She paved the way for women in public life and made a lasting impact on the Yukon and on Canada. It is with great respect that we remember and honour her today. On behalf of the Conservative caucus, the official opposition in the Senate, I express my sincere condolences to her family, friends and community. May she rest in eternal peace and may her legacy live on in the lives of all those she touched.

Honourable senators, I too am pleased to rise to pay tribute to our former colleague Ione Christensen. Like Senator Ringuette, I’m part of the alumni association of the Senate Liberal caucus, and we used to have Senator Christensen as a valued member of that group.

Colleagues, I’ll start by offering a little advice to all senators: Be nice to the younger senators. They will be the ones giving a tribute to you when you pass away. When I served with Senator Christensen, I was much younger.

Senator Christensen was the first woman appointed as senator of the Yukon and the only senator from the Yukon. In that capacity, she was laser-focused on the Yukon. She represented that area for seven years in the Senate, but, as others have mentioned, she had a remarkable career long before that. When I reviewed her CV many years ago, I was struck by how many activities she was involved in, and it was at a time when it was very difficult for women to have the prominence that she obtained.

Others have talked about her running for mayor against seven men and her being the Yukon commissioner. She was also a First Nations economic development officer, and she took on a host of other responsibilities throughout the years while she was working in the Yukon.

I met Senator Christensen long before I came to the Senate. At the time, I was in the Prime Minister’s Office, and the former prime minister was looking for a senator from the Yukon, so he asked me to travel to meet Senator Christensen. I was also asked to travel to meet future Senator Cordy. Those were the only two. I trotted off to Whitehorse and went to Senator Christensen’s house where we had tea and a wonderful discussion. Of course, I had read her very impressive CV, indicating that she had received the Order of Canada and other things she had done. I came back to the prime minister, and then the prime minister spoke to her and she was appointed.

As I said, she was focused on the Yukon, which was her responsibility. Imagine being a senator from an area — as Senator Duncan is — where you’re the only senator. You have to carry all the responsibilities. There’s nobody to share it with. During her time in Ottawa, she worked on issues that were important to her area, such as water supply, global warming and issues surrounding First Nations youth in urban Canada. She was a very hard-working and conscientious senator. She served her community very well.

I imagine that the highlight of her career — in addition to helping win a bid for the winter games in 2007 — was when she sponsored the Yukon Act, which was very important for the citizens in her area.

To her family, I offer my condolences. It was a pleasure serving with her over the years.

Honourable senators, I rise today on behalf of the Progressive Senate Group to pay tribute to the late Honourable Ione Christensen.

Her passing in September has inspired countless tributes already, particularly from fellow Yukoners who have witnessed first-hand the impacts of her life’s work. I thank our colleague Senator Duncan for her own words in honour of Senator Christensen’s vast contributions to their territory.

When she was first introduced in this chamber, the Honourable Alasdair Graham had this to say:

As we reflect upon the appointment of Senator Christensen to this chamber, we are reminded that the North is our great challenge and our great adventure as Canadians. The Yukon is truly a land of mystery and a land of magic. Ione brings with her an understanding of the mystery, which is unparalleled, and an intuitive sense of the magic which few could rival.

It is clear that Senator Christensen never lost that connection to her land. In fact, I have heard that she used to provide a bit of Yukon magic to some of her fellow senators. Apparently, she would arrange to bring their red Senate lapel pins back home with her, and when she returned to Ottawa with the pins, they would be newly embellished with some Yukon gold. What a fitting way to remind her colleagues to value the contributions of her territory.

As we have heard, Senator Christensen truly embodied the term “trailblazer.” She was responsible for a number of important firsts, opening doors and breaking barriers for generations of women, making a name for herself both within the Yukon and throughout our entire country.

She even made a name for herself internationally. Those who visit the international Sourdough Library — either in Belgium or virtually online — will learn that Senator Christensen donated the sourdough starter that had been in her family since at least 1898, travelling with her great-grandfather from New Brunswick to the Klondike Goldfields. She famously made Sunday morning Yukon-style waffles with it. I have no doubt that her own legacy will also endure, as evidenced by the words we have heard today.

On behalf of the Progressive Senate Group, I offer my sincere condolences to the family and friends of the late Honourable Ione Christensen. Wela’lin. Thank you.

Honourable senators, I would ask that you all rise and join me in a minute of silence.