Ed. note: this is one of a series of riding profiles the Star is publishing in the leadup to the Oct. 11 election.

Porter Creek Centre is a very new riding, arising from a 2002 division of Porter Creek North.

Its borders extend from the Yukon River in the north end to the Alaska Highway in the west. The riding's northern boundary extends along Wann Road to Sycamore Street and down Oak Street back to the Yukon River.

Currently, Energy, Mines and Resources Minister Archie Lang represents the riding, but he is not seeking a third term.

A suburban riding, the two major issues in Porter Creek Centre are development along existing green areas such as McIntyre Creek and the ongoing housing crisis.

David Laxton, the Yukon Party candidate, ran for the Grits in 2006 but left the party because of growing political differences with the party leadership.

He is a 22-year veteran of the Canadian military and has lived in Whitehorse since 1998. He and his partner, Leslie, own a small business, Plantation Flower and Gifts, on Alexander Street.

He is involved with several local NGOs and holds chair positions in the Child Development Centre and the Whitehorse Housing Authority.

Laxton is also a member of the steering committee for the Abbyfield Society and B.C./Yukon Command Executive and is the national vice-president of the Army Cadet League of Canada.

As a volunteer and community leader, Laxton is a strong advocate for grassroots community involvement.

"All of my volunteer work works toward the improvement of quality of life for Yukoners,” says Laxton.

"With quality of life comes self-esteem, a personal feeling of self-respect and being part of a community. I believe that by working through our differences, we'll be strengthening the community.”

Kerry Huff is the Liberal candidate for Porter Creek Centre. This is Huff's first time running for political office, but he has spent the last two decades living in the riding, working as a teacher at Porter Creek Secondary School for 20 years, the last eight of which he served as principal.

His son and daughter grew up in the riding, and he currently lives in the family home with his partner.

Increasing government transparency was a major motivation for Huff's entrance into territorial politics.

"I first got interested when the previous government tried to sell off (Yukon Energy in 2009),” Huff says.

"I always thought there was just too much borrowing and spending and back room stuff going on, and I knew I wanted to get into politics to address that. I chose the Liberals because I have always felt they have the right balance of economic and social responsibility,” he says.

Jean-Francois Des Lauriers represents the NDP.

Des Laruiers worked for 14 years as the regional executive vice-president for the Public Service Alliance of Canada, a position he was elected to five times.

In that role, he represented 15,000 workers across Canada's North and administered 90 separate collective agreements.

Des Lauriers began working for the territorial government as a firefighter at the Whitehorse airport and has been an NDP supporter since moving to the Yukon in 1980.

He sought to represent the party federally in 2004 but lost the bid to Pam Boyd. Des Lauriers also raised his children in the area and lives there with Sylvie Leonard, his wife of 35 years.

Des Lauriers favours greater co-operation with all levels of government in addressing the riding's housing and environmental concerns.

"We need to sit down with the municipal government, the territorial government and we need to look at what we can do collaboratively to provide housing and environmental protection in the community,” he says.

The environmental debate in Porter Creek Centre is focused largely on the protection of the McIntyre Creek wildlife corridor.

Des Lauriers favours co-operation with the municipal government to protect the region from development.

"I had a chance to take a guided tour with biologists and the president of the Klondike Snowmobile Association one month ago to take a look at the creek and the damage done over the years, especially because of off-road vehicle use,” he says. "We need to pay attention to the damage and do what we can to reverse it.”

Huff also believes strongly in protecting the creek.

"I am on the record to protect the creek,” he says. "I certainly will do that, through working with the city and Kwanlin Dun (First Nation), to see that it is not developed.”

Laxton recognizes the importance of the debate to the riding's residents, but believes it's an issue that lies more within the realm of municipal politics.

"Some feel it isn't an issue,” he says. "Development was planned a long time ago, and if it is needed for housing, it should be developed.”

"Others are opposed to developing and infilling the area. It's more of a city issue but it's also an environmental issue, and no matter what, we need to make sure it is maintained so there is no runoff into the Yukon River,” he says.

Housing is another key issue for voters in Porter Creek Centre.

"Housing is a shared concern for all residents of Porter Creek,” says Huff. "A lot of people want to have their family here and they cannot do that.

"We need affordable housing for everyone, from people living on the street to young people who want to return and can't buy land, to the elderly who can't afford to keep what they have,” he says.

Laxton believes in freeing up more social housing lots from the territory and enriching funding to the Salvation Army and social services to assist the homeless and hard-to-house. He also believes in private sector solutions to the crisis.

"The private sector is better because we can provide housing to the middle class,” he says.

"We're not all lawyers who can afford downtown condos, but we may not qualify for social assistance either,” he says.

"What we need to do is release YTG land for development,” says Des Lauriers.

"That's the most direct action we can take. Then we need to assure adequate resources to the YHC (Yukon Housing Corp.) because accommodation has such a direct impact on the economy.

"There are also lots of people separated from their families because of the lack of adequate housing.

"Either their kids have had to move away to look for work or affordable accommodation. There are grandparents who don't have access to their grand children. The housing situation can really break families apart,” he says.

In the last election, Porter Creek Centre had a voter turnout of 76 per cent, which is quite high for the territory. It is a relatively middle-class riding, with an aging population.