Nils Clarke was first elected to the Yukon Legislative Assembly in the general election in 2016. He was subsequently elected the 25th Speaker of the Yukon Legislative Assembly on January 12, 2017. As Speaker, he is also the Chair of the Members' Services Board.

Clarke, in addition to his duties as the Senior Presiding Officer of the Assembly, has focused upon community education outreach. Over the course of his Speakership, Clarke has hosted many elementary, high school and adult groups in the Legislative Chamber, delivering a program that has provided an educational and engaging overview of the "nuts and bolts" of how the Legislative Assembly operates.

As well, Clarke has initiated a Mace Tour where he has travelled to various Yukon community schools with the ceremonial legislative mace and has provided the opportunity for students to assume the roles of MLAs, giving them the chance to engage in debate and to ask often fascinating and insightful questions.

In addition, after a lengthy break, the Yukon Youth Parliament was successfully re-launched in 2019. The program was set to continue in 2020 but was not able to proceed due to COVID-19.

Clarke has lived in Riverdale North with his wife Janet for 29 years. Their two now adult sons, Max and Angus, were raised in the constituency and still call Yukon home.

Prior to his election as the MLA for Riverdale North, Clarke practiced law in the Territory for more than 24 years. For the majority of his practice, he worked for the Yukon Legal Services Society (Legal Aid) and he was the organization’s Executive Director for 16 of those years.

Over the course of his career, Clarke has had the honour of representing thousands of clients in various areas of law in all Yukon communities at all levels of Yukon Courts as well as at the Supreme Court of Canada.

Clarke has a long history of community volunteering through his long-term board membership with the Teen Parent Access to Education Society as well as at the MacBride Museum, the Whitehorse United Church, the Whitehorse Food Bank and the Whitehorse Elementary School Council. Additionally, Clarke has great memories of many years spent coaching and supporting his sons in both Whitehorse Minor Hockey and Whitehorse Minor Soccer, including of course the unforgettable road trips to tournaments in our beautiful rural Yukon communities.

In his spare time, Clarke tries to keep active through recreational soccer, downhill and cross-country skiing, tennis, hiking and canoeing. Clarke has had a dream since childhood that the Toronto Maple Leafs might one day hoist Lord Stanley’s Mug again, but he is also a pragmatic realist.

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: Nils Clarke

Twitter: @nils_clarke