Commissioner Angélique Bernard introduced Whitehorse resident Michael Gates as the inaugural Story Laureate of Yukon on Friday.

The Story Laureate will serve as an ambassador for the literary arts, storytelling and literacy in the context of the Yukon’s past, present and future for two years starting Jan. 1.

Gates has lived in Yukon since he was hired by Parks Canada in 1977 to work as the curator of collections at Klondike National Historic Sites in Dawson City.

While in the position, he was involved in projects including the recovery of silent movie films discovered in 1978 in Dawson and the restoration of the Commissioner’s Residence, which was opened in Dawson in 1996.

Gates is an accomplished author who has written hundreds of articles about museums and Yukon history as well as published six books on Yukon history.

“I hope that during my term as the Story Laureate of Yukon I will be able to promote the spoken and written word in the territory and abroad through exploring people, places and events in Yukon where human history goes back farther than anywhere else in Canada,” Gates said.

The Story Laureate was chosen by an independent selection jury made up of members of the literary arts community.

The Story Laureate will create work and focus on cultural, historical and heritage themes that are relevant to the people who live in the Yukon, the commissioner office said.

“It is my honour to introduce Michael Gates as the Story Laureate of Yukon,” Bernard said.

“I am looking forward to working with Michael to champion the territory’s written and spoken arts and share Yukon stories over the next two years through this new program.”