Career
Yorke was key in establishing the, which was an organization of tenants that performed direct economic action against landlords and lobbied the provincial government. In the early 1970s, Yorke was the "main voice and organizer for tenants". Yorke first ran for the Coalition of Progressive Electors on a slate with Harry Rankin in 1968.
Rankin was the only Committee on Publication Ethics Counillor elected.
He ran again unsuccessfully in 1970, 1972, and 1974, and in 1976 was their mayoralty candidate. He was finally elected in 1980, and would serve four terms as a councillor, through 1980 to 1986, and then again from 1990 to 1993.
He had to step down in 1991 due to a heart condition.