Senior leadership appointment for the Eagle Gold Mine emergency response

Premier Ranj Pillai has appointed Sierra van der Meer as the Acting Deputy Minister to oversee the Eagle Gold Mine emergency response at Energy, Mines and Resources for a term of up to six months, effective December 18, 2024. In addition to this new role, van der Meer will continue to oversee Tourism and Culture, as well as the Women and Gender Equity Directorate.

Sierra van der Meer succeeds Lauren Haney, who transitioned out of her role after providing strong leadership throughout the Eagle Gold Mine emergency response efforts and in her broader departmental responsibilities prior to the heap leach failure.

Paul Moore continues to serve as Interim Deputy Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources to ensure department operations will continue uninterrupted while van der Meer leads the Eagle Gold Mine emergency response.

The Energy, Mines and Resources portfolio will continue to be divided between the Acting Deputy and Interim Deputy Ministers, with van de Meer responsible for Mineral Resources, Yukon Geological Survey, Assessment and Abandoned Mines and Compliance, Monitoring and Inspection. Moore will continue to be responsible for Land Planning, Land Management, Agriculture, Energy, Geothermal and Petroleum Resources, Forest Management, Strategic Alliances, Policy, Human Resources, Communications, Finance and Information Management.

Sierra van der Meer brings exceptional leadership and expertise to her current Deputy Minister roles, and we are confident she will continue to provide strong leadership in overseeing the Eagle Gold Mine emergency response. Her proven track record equips her to handle the challenges ahead while supporting the department’s ongoing work. I also want to thank Lauren Haney for her dedicated service and leadership in the Eagle Gold Mine response and wish her the best in her future endeavors.

Premier Ranj Pillai

Quick facts
  • Deputy Ministers, including Presidents of government corporations, are the most senior public servants in the Government of Yukon. They are responsible for the departments or corporations’ budget, day-to-day operations and program development.

  • Deputy Ministers serve at the pleasure of the Premier.

Backgrounder

Sierra van der Meer moved to the Yukon in 2003 and joined the federal public service in 2007. She held director positions with Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (AANDC) in areas including with the Environment Directorate responsible for Type II Mines and Northern Contaminants Program. In 2015 she became regional director of the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNor) where she championed COVID-19 economic relief programs that provided rapid and critical support to a wide range of Yukon businesses and organizations during the pandemic. She was promoted to vice-president of CanNor in 2021 and gained responsibility for all three northern territories. van der Meer completed her Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Simon Fraser University.

Media contact

Laura Seeley
Cabinet Communications
867-332-7627
[email protected]

Kelan Deigh
Public Service Commission
867-471-2983
[email protected]

News release #:
24-581
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