Prime Minister Stephen Harper stood on stage last night at the Yukon Convention Centre and thanked the more than 300 Yukoners in attendance for their trust.

Harper received loud applause upon his arrival at the dinner, hosted in honour of his visit, and was given first nations art by Premier Dennis Fentie and Grand Chief Andy Carvill of the Council of Yukon First Nations.

The prime minister called the gestures part of a 'warm and trusting Yukon welcome.'

He said the presentation of gifts often are saved until the end of the evening out of fear he may leave the event.

'I appreciate your trust,' said Harper.

But less than an hour later, after just sampling the soup, Harper left the dinner at approximately 8:25 p.m. to board his plane and proceed to the Northwest Territories.

'He had no choice, folks,' Fentie said today of the prime minister's abrupt departure.

'If he had not been wheels-up in 15 minutes, his air crew would have been grounded. They would have been timed out and therefore their whole schedule would have been set back 24 hours.

'When you're leading the country, that can create serious ramifications.'

Harper spent the day whirling around Whitehorse in a GMC Yukon motorcade, doing a brief tour of the Canada Games Centre (see p. 3) and meeting with Fentie in the legislature.

He also made a $25-million funding announcement regarding relief aid for Lebanon.

The prime minister's address to the dinner attendees patted both the Yukon Party government and his federal Conservative government on the backs.

'(The) strong economic growth and sense of optimism (in the Yukon) for which I think your government can share considerable credit,' said Harper.

He also took the time to highlight the new federal Conservative government's GST cut, efforts to crack down on crime, the federal accountability act, the residential schools settlement and the $100 a month child care program.

Harper's 17-minute speech focused on the North as a region rather than the Yukon specifically.

'Canada's new national government is looking forward to working with you in this territory and the other territories to unleash the North's full potential,' he said.

Several minutes were spent again addressing the Conservatives' stance on Arctic sovereignty.

'For far too long, Canadian governments have failed in their duty to rigorously enforce our sovereignty in the Arctic,' said Harper. 'A national government's first obligation is to defend the territorial integrity of its borders.'

Harper also touched on the economic opportunities in the North related to resource development.

'The North is poised to take a much bigger role in Canada's economic and social development. It is attracting international attention, investment capital, people and commercial and industrial development,' he said.

He added his government wants to establish infrastructure necessary for the North to be able to net economic opportunities for future generations.

The prime minister pointed to tourism as a source of economic revenue that hasn't yet reached its full potential.

Telling anecdotes about his trip to Alert and listing off tourist attractions in each of the territories, Harper said the federal government wants to make the North known throughout Canada and the world as a first-class destination.

'A trip to the North is an experience like no other, and that's why I'm asking Canadians to heed the call. Come to the land that figures so largely in our national consciousness; one that has coloured our past, and one that is going to illuminate our future,' he said.

Fentie focused his speech on highlighting the Yukon's priorities to the prime minister.

'We have a vision in the Yukon and the North of how we wish to develop and grow within Canada,' said Fentie.

Arctic sovereignty must be based around healthy communities with adequate infrastructure, he said.

'We need to be able to provide our citizen with services comparable to services offered to Canadians elsewhere in Canada.'

The premier highlighted the Alaska Highway pipeline and the potential Alaska-Canada rail link as important projects.

Disagreements regarding the Alaska-Yukon border at the Beaufort Sea and the need to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge were also mentioned in Fentie's address.

Partnerships with first nation governments and the North's growing role on the national scene are also extremely important, said Fentie.

'Our territory has become a place where all parties recognize the need to develop better ways to work collaboratively to achieve shared goals for political, economic and social development,' he said.

A shared vision with the federal government and the other two territories is a prerequisite to the North's ability to 'prosper, grow and take our rightful place within this great country that is Canada.

'These are exciting times and there are exciting times ahead for the North,' said Harper. 'As prime minister, I look forward to working with this region to unlock its potential for itself and for all of this country.'

The dinner audience included most Yukon MLAs, city councillors, first nations leaders, senior government officials, Canada Winter Games and Association Franco-Yukonnaise representatives and Terry Weninger, the acting president of Yukon College.