The Brian Mulroney Institute’s Victor Dahdaleh Practitioner-in-Residence (PIR) Program offers a unique experience for political, government, and NGO practitioners to reflect on their work and share lessons learned with StFX students, faculty, and the local community. The program provides time to capture learnings that could benefit others and the space to encourage real experimentation, especially on critical issues of policy creation and implementation.
The Dahdaleh PIR Program welcomes a diversity of practitioners working on topics of governance, government, policy, politics, and the state. PIRs will be people who are willing to engage with the StFX community, share skills, experience and practice, mentor students, and to collaborate on events and public activities.
This PIR Program aims to
- Increase and diversify the Mulroney Institute’s engagement with external stakeholders;
- Facilitate conversations between academics, practitioners, students, and the general public on the big issues society faces locally, nationally, and at a global scale;
- Support the skills development of StFX students wishing to pursue careers in government, policy, politics, and civil society; and
- Build partnerships to support the development of collaborative research projects.
Inaugural Dahdaleh Practioner-in-Residence (November 2025)
The Honourable Sandy Silver
The Hon. Sandy Silver was first elected to the Yukon’s 33rd Legislative Assembly as the Member for Klondike on October 11, 2011. He was re-elected in the general elections for the 34th Legislative Assembly on November 7, 2016, and the 35th Legislative Assembly on April 12, 2021.
Mr. Silver served as premier from December 3, 2016 to January 14, 2023. In addition, he was also Minister of the Executive Council Office (which includes Indigenous relations and intergovernmental relations) and Minister of Finance during that time.
He was awarded the Council of Yukon First Nations Yukon 125 Medal. He was nominated by Grand Chief Peter Johnston for displaying values of leadership and reconciliation and contributing significantly to the well-being of the territory.
After announcing he would be stepping down from the Office of Premier, Mr. Silver continued as Minister of Finance, Minister of the Public Service Commission, and Minister responsible for the Yukon Liquor Corporation and the Yukon Lottery Commission. His positions will end after the Yukon’s fall 2025 election.
Mr. Silver served as chair of the Council of the Federation in 2017. In this role, he facilitated negotiations with the premiers and the prime minister on the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change. He was also tasked by the prime minister to conduct meetings with the premiers in Washington during the CUSMA negotiations.
He served as the Yukon Government’s representative with the Pacific Northwest Economic Region (PNWER),from 2023 to 2025 as both a vice-president of the organization, and the president of its corporate presence in Canada, PNWER Canada.
Mr. Silver was the leader of the Yukon Liberal Party from February 2014 to January 2023. He was Leader of the Third Party in the Legislative Assembly from August 17, 2012, to the end of the 33rd Legislative Assembly, bringing his party from one seat in the Assembly to a majority government in the fall of 2016.
Over his tenure as an MLA, Mr. Silver served on many boards and committees, including the Members’ Services Board; the Standing Committee on Public Accounts; the Standing Committee on Appointments to Major Government Boards and Committees; the Standing Committee on Rules, Elections and Privileges; the Standing Committee on Statutory Instruments; the Select Committee on Whistle-blower Protection; and the Select Committee Regarding the Risks and Benefits of Hydraulic Fracturing.
Originally from Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Mr. Silver lived in Dawson City for over twenty years. While living and working in the Klondike, he was an active and involved educator in the First Nations community. He supervised practicums for the Yukon Native Teacher Education Program, worked on converting and restoring oral history from analog to a digital format, and was involved with the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in Justice department and the restorative justice process,s including Community Group Conferencing. He worked with youth and mentored a number of at-risk teens in the community. He was a dedicated participant and volunteer in the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in Moosehide Gatherings.
The Hon. Sandy Silver holds a degree in Psychology with a concentration in Mathematics from StFX and a Bachelor of Education from the University of Maine.