Dennis Fentie jumped into territorial politics in 1996 as a New Democrat and as a Watson Lake businessman working in a logging industry floundering under the troubled forest management regime of the federal government.

His debut wasn't without a convincing splash, as 53 per cent of eligible voters sling-shot the rough and tumble personality past Barry Ravenhill, the popular Yukon Party representative and long-time mayor.

Though not elevated to cabinet status in then-government leader Piers McDonald's majority government, the confident rookie MLA from the southeast was appointed head of the forestry commission convened to straighten out issues surrounding logging in the Yukon.

The NDP ship, however, started taking on water as resistance from the right began building over the New Democrats' Protected Areas Strategy, a widespread initiative to protect 23 unique wilderness areas across the Yukon.

Fentie, however, held his ground despite a tumbling party, and in the 2000 territorial election he was one of six New Democrats returned to office, again taking 50 per cent of the votes in Watson Lake.

But as the New Democrats paid the price for their Protected Area Strategy, so did the Liberals, who adopted it as their own.

With opposition to the strategy continuing from the right, the wheels began falling off the red machine, and then premier Pat Duncan's Liberal majority imploded early in 2002, with the resignation of three MLAs.

From the dust of the Liberal blow-up, Fentie emerged early one morning in the company of Yukon Party campaign boss Craig Tuton at an unexpected news conference to announce his intention to seek the leadership of the right-wing party.

And he won. Former party leader Peter Jenkins, the only other contender, failed to show up for the convention.

In the 2002 election, Fentie began his reign, as he handily held Watson Lake when he captured 63 per cent of the votes while his party swept to a majority with 12 of 18 seats.

Fentie and his Yukon Party repeated their success in 2006, with the logger from Watson Lake carrying 65 per cent of the popular vote in the community of 1,600, while on his way to becoming the longest-serving premier of the Yukon.