Samson Hartland
Samson Hartland grew up in Whitehorse and operated a small business, Grizzly Collectables. He served as a translator for his hearing-impaired parents including on a presentation on CBC’s Dragon Den where his father secured an investment for his Yukon Smoked Salmon business.1)
Harland was elected to the Whitehorse City Council for the 2000 to 2003 term.2) In May 2002, Harland became upset after City work crews were ordered to clean up an area of Shipyards Park and, through a misunderstanding, the historic Sewell House was demolished. Samson suspected that the demolition was not an accident and called for the office of the territorial ombudsman to investigate. He commented that less space for heritage meant more space for commercialization. Hartland revealed confidential information to the press regarding the Kwanlin Dün First Nation land claim in presenting evidence that the city is taking a pro-commercial development approach to the waterfront. Kwanlin Dün Chief Rick O’Brien looked into possible legal action following the breach of a confidentiality agreement on the land claim settlement. Whitehorse Mayor Ernie Bourassa commented that plans for the Whitehorse waterfront had been under discussion for years and Hartland had never suggested at a meeting that the plans were bad.3)
Hartland was elected for a second term as City councillor in 2015 and was re-elected in 2018.4)
At one point, Samson served as the executive assistant to the Yukon deputy premier.5) He served for seven years, to September 2021, as the executive director of the Yukon Chamber of Mines. In 2025, Hartland is senior advisor – Investor Relations, Yukon Department of Economic Development, Innovation, Industry, and Business Development.