{{Short description|Canadian politician}} {{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}} {{Infobox officeholder | image = Sandy Silver.jpg | honorific_prefix = The Honourable | name = Sandy Silver | birth_name = Sidney Alexander Silver | birth_date = October 15, 1969 | birth_place = Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada | office = 9th Premier of Yukon | term_start = December 3, 2016 | term_end = January 14, 2023 | 1blankname = Commissioner | 1namedata = Doug Phillips<br />Angélique Bernard | deputy = Ranj Pillai<br />Tracy-Anne McPhee | predecessor = Darrell Pasloski | successor = Ranj Pillai | office2 = Leader of the Yukon Liberal Party | term_start2 = August 17, 2012 | term_end2 = January 9, 2023 | predecessor2 = Darius Elias | successor2 = Ranj Pillai | assembly3 = Yukon Legislative | constituency_AM3 = Klondike | term_start3 = October 11, 2011 | predecessor3 = Steve Nordick | term_end3 = October 3, 2025 | successor3 = Brent McDonald | party = Liberal | occupation = Teacher | caption = Silver in 2017 }} '''Sidney Alexander "Sandy" Silver''' (born October 15, 1969) is a Canadian politician, who served as the ninth premier of Yukon from 2016 to 2023. He was first elected to the Yukon Legislative Assembly in the 2011 election,<ref>[http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/yukonvotes2011/ridings/003/ Yukon Votes 2011: Klondike] CBC News, October 11, 2011.</ref> and was re-elected in 2016. He represented the electoral district of Klondike and previously served as Leader of the Yukon Liberal Party.

==Political career==

===33rd Assembly===

Silver was first elected on October 11, 2011, defeating incumbent Yukon Party Cabinet minister Steve Nordick in the rural Yukon riding of Klondike. It was the only gain for the Yukon Liberal Party that election, which saw its caucus reduced to two seats (Silver and Darius Elias) and its leader, Arthur Mitchell defeated.

As a member of the assembly, Sandy Silver sat on the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, the Standing Committee on Appointments to Major Government Board and Committees, and the Members’ Services Board. He also served on the Select Committee on Whistle-blower Protection and the Select Committee Regarding the Risks and Benefits of Hydraulic Fracturing.<ref name="auto">[http://www.legassembly.gov.yk.ca/members/silver.html Sandy Silver], Yukon Legislative Assembly. Retrieved January 26, 2017.</ref>

On August 17, 2012, Silver became interim leader of the Yukon Liberal Party following the resignation of Darius Elias, who quit the Liberals to sit as an Independent and leaving Silver as the lone Liberal MLA in the legislative assembly.<ref>[https://www.yukon-news.com/news/elias-quits-the-liberals/ Elias quits the liberals]. ''Yukon News'', August 17, 2012. Retrieved June 24, 2021.</ref> Elias would later cross the floor to sit with the governing Yukon Party.

Silver became the permanent leader of the Yukon Liberal Party by acclamation in February 2014.<ref>[http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/sandy-silver-named-new-yukon-liberal-party-leader-1.2531874 "Sandy Silver named new Yukon Liberal Party leader"]. CBC News, February 11, 2014.</ref>

===34th Assembly===

Silver led the Liberals to a majority government in the 2016 election, taking his party from his single seat in the legislature to 11 of 19.<ref>{{cite web |title=Once a lonely Liberal, outgoing Yukon Premier Sandy Silver reflects on six years at the top |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-once-a-lonely-liberal-outgoing-yukon-premier-sandy-silver-reflects-on/ |website=The Globe and Mail |publisher=The Canadian Press |access-date=13 September 2023 |date=10 January 2023 |quote=...the Liberals sweeping to power with a majority in 2016, winning 11 of the legislature's 19 seats ...}}</ref> It was also the party's strongest-ever showing in rural Yukon, where the Liberals took four of eight seats. Silver himself won the most votes and the highest share of support than any other candidate on election night. His party had campaigned on a platform that advocated for economic diversification, environmental protection, and improving First Nations relations.<ref>[http://www.ylp.ca/platform ''Be Heard''], Yukon Liberal Party Platform, 2016. Retrieved January 26, 2017.</ref>

Silver and his Cabinet was sworn in on December 3, 2016. His seven-member cabinet consisted of four men and three women.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://yukon.ca/en/office-premier|title=Office of the Premier|date=August 15, 2018|website=yukon.ca}}</ref> Silver himself assumed the portfolios of Minister of Finance and Minister of the Executive Council Office, in addition to Premier. He is currently also a member of the Members' Services Board.<ref name="auto"/>

=== 35th Assembly === Silver led the Liberals into the 2021 territorial election. The party won 8 seats, an exact tie with the Yukon Party. The Liberals lost the popular vote overall to the Yukon Party. Silver was personally elected in the district of Klondike.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/no-clear-winner-yukon-election-intrigue-1.5986107| title = With no clear winner, Yukon's election-night intrigue will linger {{!}} CBC News}}</ref> Silver announced his intent to form a minority government despite the tie.<ref>{{cite web | title=Yukon NDP win final riding by rare drawing of lots, maintaining Liberal, Yukon Party tie in assembly| website=CBC | date=2021-04-19 | url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/silver-governnment-vuntut-gwitchin-recount-result-1.5993478 | access-date=2021-04-21}}</ref> On April 23, the Liberals were sworn in with a minority government.<ref>{{Cite web|date=April 23, 2021|title=Yukon Liberals set to be sworn-in as party aims to form minority government|url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/article/yukon-liberals-set-to-be-sworn-in-as-party-aims-to-form-minority-government/|access-date=April 26, 2021|website=CTVNews|language=en}}</ref> On April 28, the NDP announced that they had entered into a formal agreement with the Liberals.

On September 9, 2022, Silver announced his intention to resign as premier and party leader, staying on until the party elected a successor. He also announced he would not be running for re-election to his riding of Klondike in the 2025 Yukon general election.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2022-09-09 |title=Yukon Premier Sandy Silver to step down, asks Liberal Party to find a new leader |work=CBC News |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/sandy-silver-announcement-1.6577665 |access-date=2020-09-09}}</ref> He was succeeded by Ranj Pillai.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/ranj-pillai-acclaimed-yukon-liberal-leader-1.6707647|title=Ranj Pillai, acclaimed as Yukon Liberal leader, becomes premier this weekend|website=CBC|access-date=29 March 2023|date=9 January 2023|author=Chris Windeyer}}</ref> He continued to serve as a minister in the Pillai and Mike Pemberton ministries.

==Personal life== Originally from Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Silver lived in Dawson City since 1998, but took up residence back in Nova Scotia as of 2025.<ref>{{Cite web |title=St. FX University's Brian Mulroney Institute of Government names Former Yukon Premier Sandy Silver as the inaugural Victor Dahdeleh Practitioner-in Residence - 989 XFM |url=https://www.989xfm.ca/st-fx-universitys-brian-mulroney-institute-of-government-names-former-yukon-premier-sandy-silver-as-the-inaugural-victor-dahdeleh-practitioner-in-residence/ |access-date=2025-11-04 |website=www.989xfm.ca/ |language=en-US}}</ref> Before his election to the Legislative Assembly, he was a high school math teacher at Robert Service School in Dawson. He holds degrees in math and psychology from St. Francis Xavier University and a Bachelor of Education from the University of Maine.<ref>[http://www.ylp.ca/sandysilver Sandy Silver, Liberal Leader], Yukon Liberal Party. Retrieved January 26, 2017.</ref>

==Electoral record== {{2021 Yukon general election/Klondike}}

===Yukon general election, 2016===

{{Election box begin | title=Klondike<ref>[http://results.electionsyk.ca/results/03.htm Unofficial Results, Klondike] Elections Yukon, November 7, 2016. Retrieved January 23, 2017</ref>}} |- {{Canadian party colour|YT|Liberal|row}} | Liberal | '''Sandy Silver''' | align="right"| 687 | align="right"| 59.1% | align="right"| +10.3% |- {{CANelec |YT |Yukon | Brad Whitelaw | 365| 31.4% | -5.8%}} |- {{Canadian party colour|YT|NDP|row}} | NDP | Jay Farr | align="right"| 111 | align="right"| 9.5% | align="right"| -4.0% |- ! align=left colspan=3|Total ! align=right| 1,163 ! align=right| 100.0% ! align=right| &ndash; |}

===Yukon general election, 2011===

{{Election box begin | title=Klondike<ref>[http://www.electionsyukon.gov.yk.ca/docs/elections_report_2011.pdf Report of the Chief Electoral Officer of Yukon on the 2011 General Election] Elections Yukon, 2011. Retrieved January 21, 2017</ref>}} |- {{Canadian party colour|YT|Liberal|row}} | Liberal | '''Sandy Silver''' | align="right"| 530 | align="right"| 48.8% | align="right"| +34.1% |- {{CANelec |YT |Yukon | Steve Nordick | 404 | 37.2% | -7.9%}} |- {{Canadian party colour|YT|NDP|row}} | NDP | Jorn Meir | align="right"| 147 | align="right"| 13.5% | align="right"| -19.6% |- ! align=left colspan=3|Total ! align=right| 1,085 ! align=right| 100.0% ! align=right| &ndash; |}

==References== {{Reflist|30em}}

{{Yukon Liberal Leaders}} {{YKPremiers}} {{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Silver, Sandy}} Category:Yukon Liberal Party MLAs Category:1969 births Category:Living people Category:Yukon Liberal Party leaders Category:People from Antigonish, Nova Scotia Category:Politicians from Dawson City Category:St. Francis Xavier University alumni Category:University of Maine alumni Category:21st-century members of the Yukon Legislative Assembly Category:Premiers of Yukon Category:Members of the Executive Council of Yukon Category:Canadian schoolteachers