Yukon NDP Leader Todd Hardy is in hospital in Vancouver after being diagnosed with leukemia.

He was medevaced south on Wednesday for treatment.
 
A party news released said Hardy will stay on as MLA for Whitehorse Centre, adding that he intends to run in the next election, which must be called this fall.

Todd Hardy is said to be in good spirits and ready to fight, but the extent of his illness is not known

Hardy, 49, will also continue to lead the party, a job he has held since 2002.
 
Mount Lorne MLA Steve Cardiff will assume temporary duties as acting leader of the caucus.

"It is a little bit of a shocker, but this is not by any stretch a death sentence or anything like that either you know, there's a lot of people who've made it through this," Cardiff said.

"He's down in Vancouver, he's being assessed, and there will be at treatment regime that's recommended and we go from there, but we talked to him yesterday, he was in the mood to fight this thing and continue on doing what he's been doing."

The party said Hardy has no detailed information about the form or severity of his illness, or what kind of treatment he may undergo.

Hardy was first elected to the Yukon legislature in 1996.