Hobbies
Yukon Traditional Hobbies
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Issue: 2017-09-27, PHOTO: Sue Starr
Helping to Warm Whitehorse Feet
For decades – well, for centuries - knitters have worked their craft to warm others. Whitehorse knitters are continuing that tradition this year, aiming to collectively craft 150 pairs of socks to contribute to the city’s Outreach Van... Read more
Sep. 27, 2017
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Issue: 2017-06-21, PHOTO: Government of Yukon
Plenty of fun under the midnight sun!
Celebrated across cultures for centuries, the summer solstice falls on Wednesday, June 21. Each year, the summer solstice marks the longest day of the year and brings with it the kickoff of the major summer festivities in the Yukon. This week will... Read more
Jun. 21, 2017
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Issue: 2017-06-14, PHOTO: Nellie Dale
Who knit you?
In 2015 my husband, Roger, and I visited Newfoundland; we rented a vehicle and hit the road. The breathtaking western shore drive took us through Gros Morne National Park and along the coast to L’Anse aux Meadows. Read more
Jun. 14, 2017
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Issue: 2017-04-05, PHOTO: Selene Vakharia
Bend the Rules of Exercise
While Whitehorse’s newest yoga studio True North Massage and Yoga just opened, it’s already setting itself apart from the other offerings in town. The yoga studio, located at 407 Black Street, opened mid-January. Since opening, its owners Sheila... Read more
Apr. 05, 2017
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Issue: 2017-03-15, PHOTO: Mary Holozubiec
Artistic Announcements in Beads and Bells
Back in the day, when a team of dogs came into a camp or trading post, you would hear them coming. Just outside the camp, people would put belled and beaded blankets on their dogs. They would make a beautiful announcement of the team’s arrival... Read more
Mar. 15, 2017
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Issue: 2016-12-07, PHOTO: Sue Starr
Wool Gathering
The Heart of Riverdale Community Centre, located at 38 Lewes Boulevard, is a unique location in Whitehorse. Involvement of community members across generations is the focus of the centre. There is programming to nurture children and youth as well... Read more
Dec. 07, 2016
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Issue: 2016-11-16, PHOTO: Erin Peacock
Dawson Quilts
An internet search will show that the hottest baby gifts of 2016 include a light-up singing turtle, organic cotton mittens and an infant sized pair of UGGs. But the hottest gift for Dawson City babies is a handmade quilt. It’s been the most... Read more
Nov. 16, 2016
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Issue: 2016-10-06, PHOTO: courtesy of the Klondike Institute of Art and Culture
Calling All Arty Teens
From November 2 to 5, youth from all over the Yukon will be converging on Dawson City to hone their art skills in the 16th annual Youth Art Enrichment Program. Hosted by the Klondike Institute of Art and Culture (KIAC), the four-day program is... Read more
Oct. 06, 2016
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Issue: 2016-08-25, PHOTO: Darrell Hookey
A new place to knit
Jackie Yaklin is a true knitter. If you see her at the dentist office, she likely has knitting needles in her hands conjuring up something warm for someone. “It is like an obsession and I seem to be really obsessed with starting projects,” she... Read more
Aug. 25, 2016
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Issue: 2016-06-16, PHOTO: by Meagan Deuling
Come On Out To the Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre
On June 21st the Kwanlin Dün Cultural Society will be hosting National Aboriginal Day at the Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre. The festivities are open to the public and will include games, music, food, kids activities and cultural displays... Read more
Jun. 16, 2016
Yukon Arts and Crafts
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Issue: 2019-10-02, PHOTO: courtesy Murray Martin
The history of the canoe
Back in the early 1970s I wrote a monthly outdoors column for an Ontario outdoors magazine. One evening, after a day spent hunting moose, we pulled the canoe up on the sandy shore of an island and started a small campfire a short distance from our... Read more
Oct. 02, 2019
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PHOTO: Murray Martin
The amazing bat
Back in the 1930s and 40s, many weird stories hung from the tails of bats—they would get tangled in your hair, they were mixed up in witchcraft, a bite from a bat would condemn you to a life married to a witch. Read more
Aug. 28, 2019
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Issue: 2019-08-07, PHOTO: courtesy of Augusto Children’s Festival
Three days of family fun
Are you keen on learning about drama, circus, dance or crafting? The Augusto Children’s Festival features a diverse group of workshops, with a roster that includes local artists and teachers as well as groups from across North America. Read more
Aug. 07, 2019
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Issue: 2018-11-21, PHOTO: Dan Davidson
It’s beginning to look a lot like ... (you know)
The pre-Christmas season will soon be underway here in the Klondike, actually beginning a few days before this piece can see print. It’s a season of bazaars and open houses that lead up to the actual holidays... Read more
Nov. 21, 2018
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Issue: 2018-11-14, PHOTO: courtesy of the Northern Fibres Guild
The Yukon’s exclusive arts and crafts
Only two weeks to go until the 2018 Cranberry Fair, when, again, over 40 artists will gather to present the Yukon’s exceptional artistic craftsmanship. On November 25, the doors open for another grand exhibition and sale at the Kwanlin Dun... Read more
Nov. 14, 2018
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Issue: 2018-11-14, PHOTO: courtesy of the Yukon Comic Culture Society
Geek the Halls, a craft fair for the geeks-of-us
The second annual Geek the Halls craft fair is a different affair than the larger, more established craft fairs. But the vendors participating are a different sort of crafters and artists than the traditional Yukon crafters... Read more
Nov. 14, 2018
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Issue: 2018-11-14, PHOTO: courtesy of the Yukon Craft Society
It’s (almost) that most wonderful time of the year ...
Spruce Bog. Two inspiring and motivational words that bring back many pleasant memories, both of crafting and shopping; they evoke a sense of excitement in so many Yukoners who have an appreciation for the incredible talent and variety of our... Read more
Nov. 14, 2018
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Issue: 2018-11-07, PHOTO: Allison Button
Drinking with Scissors
Do you like crafting, socializing with friends—perhaps with a beverage or two—in a casual, relaxed yet well-lit atmosphere, complete with pinball machines to take a break and try your game expertise? Then Drinking with Scissors is for you... Read more
Nov. 07, 2018
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Issue: 2018-10-31, PHOTO: Ulrike Wohlfarth Levins
Rope wreaths and Yukon steamers
What a history-packed day November 3, 2018, will be at our local Yukon Transportation Museum (YTM). The special activities start at 3 p.m. with creating wreaths from ropes that formerly adorned the Canadian National Historic Site in Whitehorse... Read more
Oct. 31, 2018
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Issue: 2018-10-03, PHOTO: Emma Barr
Myth Buster: Oils are too messy, toxic and expensive
Many people of all walks of life enjoy painting. Most of the time, acrylics trump oils in popularity. Children, starting out in school, are offered tempera, watercolour and acrylics. The general belief is that oil paints are too messy, toxic... Read more
Oct. 03, 2018
Yukon Games
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Issue: 2019-04-17, PHOTO: joannapoe on Foter.com
LARP, or not LARP, how’s that a question?
The Company of the White Wolf is Whitehorse’s medieval combat fighting group, but there is a common misconception that their activities can be classified as live action role-playing, aka LARPing. Live Action Role-Playing involves dressing up in... Read more
Apr. 17, 2019
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Issue: 2018-09-05, PHOTO: courtesy of the Yukon Hospital Foundation
Today’s the day the teddy bears have their clinic
The inaugural Teddy Bear Clinic in November 2017 was a hit with families and medical professionals alike as about 200 families came through the door to get checkups for their important stuffie friends. Those attendance numbers, and the... Read more
Sep. 05, 2018
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Issue: 2018-07-18, PHOTO: Mitsue Ozeki
‘Pink Aisle’ or ‘Blue Aisle’?
Have you ever wondered what a three-year-old boy would want for his birthday? Recently, I found myself paralyzed in the toy section of a local store. I don’t have any grandchildren, but I do serve as a “pseudo-grandmother” to many of my younger... Read more
Jul. 18, 2018
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Issue: 2018-07-11, PHOTO: BagoGames on Foter.com
Fortnite drops at Titan Gaming and Collectibles
Titan Gaming and Collectibles is adding Fortnite to its menu of gaming options, and they’re marking the occasion with a kickoff tournament on July 14. Fortnite launched as a paid-for game on July 25, 2017, that encouraged cooperative play between... Read more
Jul. 11, 2018
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Issue: 2018-02-28, PHOTO: Danny Macdonald
Calling all players who are LFG
The Whitehorse Dice Knights are providing a haven for roleplaying gamers who are “LFG” – or looking for group – in the Yukon’s capital. The Dice Knights are the brainchild of group organizers Eli Boivin, Siobhan McLeod and Travis Lohner, and they... Read more
Feb. 28, 2018
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Issue: 2017-11-15, PHOTO: Pixabay
It's no picnic
If teddy’s looking a bit peaked this season, you’re in luck. Whitehorse General Hospital is offering health care for bears this week. The hospital’s first-ever teddy bear clinic takes place from 10 am. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, November 18... Read more
Nov. 15, 2017
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Issue: 2017-11-01, PHOTO: Catherine Newsome
eSports: Gamers reach superstar status
This November one of the most watched sporting competitions on the planet will be broadcast and you likely know nothing about it. On November 4, small groups of Yukoners will gather in living rooms and basements for viewing parties to watch the... Read more
Nov. 01, 2017
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Issue: 2017-02-15, PHOTO: IMDb
Live by these words and don’t see the movie
Warcraft: The Beginning is an epic fantasy film that released on digital download September 13, 2016. It’s based on a popular series of video games by Blizzard Entertainment. This two hour movie is directed by Duncan Jones and written by Duncan... Read more
Feb. 15, 2017
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Issue: 2016-09-29, PHOTO: Tao Wong
Gaming with Family Takes a Turn
Board gaming has seen a widespread resurgence in the last few decades, driven by a growing desire to unplug and connect with people in real time. The changing of seasons is a great time to review this hobby and the myriad ways that modern... Read more
Sep. 29, 2016
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Issue: 2016-09-08, PHOTO: wikimediacommons.com
Out of the basement, into the parks
The clever people who invented Pokémon Go obviously did not have my generation in mind when they launched the new smartphone craze that's taking the world by storm. When you give the name Snorlax to one of your ethereal and elusive characters, an... Read more
Sep. 08, 2016
Yukon Yoga, Meditation, Wellness
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Issue: 2017-02-22, PHOTO: Amazon.com
Don’t Ignore that Gut Feeling
From breakfast to dinner, allergies to diets, less sugar, more greens — we talk a lot about what we do and do not eat. But what about once we’ve supped our plates clean? Do you feel awkward already? Digestion is a private if not at times taboo... Read more
Feb. 22, 2017
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Issue: 2018-09-05, PHOTO: courtesy of the Yukon Hospital Foundation
Today’s the day the teddy bears have their clinic
The inaugural Teddy Bear Clinic in November 2017 was a hit with families and medical professionals alike as about 200 families came through the door to get checkups for their important stuffie friends. Those attendance numbers, and the... Read more
Sep. 05, 2018
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Issue: 2017-04-19, PHOTO: courtesy of Ronald McDonald House British Columbia & Yukon
A Home Away from Home
“Gaby was four when she was diagnosed in June 2016, and her birthday is in October so she’s five now,” says Keira Kucherean. Her life changed dramatically when she was told that her daughter Gabriella has medullary pilocytic astrocytoma, a type of... Read more
Apr. 19, 2017
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Down and dirty in Dawson
They're getting down and dirty in Dawson City – dirty actions of the gardening kind, that is. Dawson City Community Gardens, now in its third year of existence, is alive and thriving with more people joining every year. Read more
Jun. 02, 2011
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Issue: 2017-05-10, PHOTO: Aislinn Cornett
Care for the Whole Self
I want you to imagine your favourite pie – apple, blueberry, rhubarb or a rebel mix of all three. I want you to picture yourself eating this freshly baked, perfectly flakey pie, one beautiful bite at a time. In math class, you may have learned to... Read more
May 10, 2017
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Issue: 2016-10-19
500 Moments of Mindfulness
Think this whole mindfulness meditation thing is just woo-woo mumbo-jumbo that could never really do anything for you? Do you scoff at the idea and get defensive or evasive when the subject comes up? Your stress is real! Your pain is true! Read more
Oct. 19, 2016
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Issue: 2016-09-22, PHOTO: by Selene Vakharia
A Fat Chance of Healing Concussions
When I was a teenager, I took karate twice a week. One year, my instructor got really into throws. Given that he never really taught proper falling technique, combined with the class having a lot of young people in it, it is not surprising that I... Read more
Sep. 22, 2016
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Issue: 2018-09-05, PHOTO: Helene Dobrowolsky
Tai Chi? Why Not?
Are you looking for a new activity this fall? Why not try Tai Chi? It is an ancient Chinese martial art designed for exercise, self-defence and meditation. Many people I have spoken to about Tai Chi have the mistaken impression that it is... Read more
Sep. 05, 2018
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Issue: 2016-08-11, PHOTO: by Sue Meikle
Off to the Races with Allan Benjamin
Looking for healthy-living inspiration? Turn your gaze from younger athletes and movie stars toward the golden generation - 55 might just be the new 20. Just ask the 97 Yukoners aged 55 to 91 who will be participating in the 2016 Canada 55+ Games... Read more
Aug. 11, 2016
Yukon Hobbies Stories
Issue: 2019-08-28, PHOTO: Hugh Copland
Straight talk on joints
There is a geological feature that has caught human imagination for tens of thousands of years. Read more
Aug. 28, 2019
Issue: 2019-08-07, PHOTO: Omnidoom 999 via Wikimedia Commons
Brilliant Vega - Our tempestuous neighbour
Vega is a wild star living a fast and furious life. Being a larger star, it is fusing its hydrogen into helium at a prodigious rate. And at less than a half a billion years old, it is already halfway through its life. Read more
Aug. 07, 2019
Issue: 2019-06-26, PHOTO: Lalithaa Krish
Tattoo You: Lalithaa Krish
Hello readers, Do you have a tattoo that is important to you? Is it inspired by something or someone in the Yukon? Please submit a highres image of your ink along with a brief explanation of its significance to editor@whatsupyukon.com. Read more
Jun. 26, 2019
Issue: 2019-06-12, PHOTO: Catalin Tapardel
Noctilucent Clouds—a rare meteorological phenomena for northern observers
Unless you’re dedicated enough to get up in the middle of the night with very good binoculars or a small scope to view the Virgo cluster of galaxies cresting our southern horizon, your stargazing options have greatly diminished. Read more
Jun. 12, 2019
Issue: 2019-05-01, PHOTO: Carlos Gabriel Morales Toro/Pixabay
It’s been weeks of geek
May 4 has long, long been, even in countries far, far away, celebrated in geek culture. “May the fourth be with you” has been an inside joke for years. It only seems fitting that Titan Gaming & Collectibles’ Free Comic Book Day concludes an... Read more
May 01, 2019
Issue: 2019-04-17, PHOTO: Giuseppi Donatiello
A Contrast in character—meet our neighbour, and maybe even a distant relative
What the constellation Cancer lacks in bright stars, it makes up for with its special deep sky resident, the Beehive open star cluster, or M44 in the Messier catalogue. At less than 600 light years (ly), the Beehive is one of our nearest open... Read more
Apr. 17, 2019
Issue: 2019-04-17, PHOTO: joannapoe on Foter.com
LARP, or not LARP, how’s that a question?
The Company of the White Wolf is Whitehorse’s medieval combat fighting group, but there is a common misconception that their activities can be classified as live action role-playing, aka LARPing. Live Action Role-Playing involves dressing up in... Read more
Apr. 17, 2019
Issue: 2019-03-20, PHOTO: NASA, Hubble Heritage Team (STScl/AURA)
M31, The Andromeda Galaxy—a hungry “island universe” with its sights on us
Its difficult not to be awed by the stunning beauty of the “grand design” spiral galaxies, so exquisitely detailed in Hubble images. These incomprehensibly immense discs of dust and gas and stars, structured on a sinuous backbone of fluid spiral... Read more
Mar. 20, 2019
Issue: 2019-02-06, PHOTO: Jozien Keijzer
Lichen what I see - But not always sure what to call it
If there is anybody out there who recognizes what is in these pictures, please step forward. Recently, I found myself looking more intensively at lichens and mosses. As there are no blooming wildflowers in the midst of winter and as there happened... Read more
Feb. 06, 2019
Issue: 2019-01-30, PHOTO: Jim Borisenko/ FreeStarCharts.com
Algol the demon - The exoneration of an eclipsing binary star
The sheer darkness of our Yukon winter sky is studded with many awe inspiring wonders. Some obvious and dazzling, such as the naked eye “stellar nursery” that is the Orion nebula, or the glittering pocket of jewels of the Pleiades open star... Read more
Jan. 30, 2019
Issue: 2019-01-23, PHOTO: Deborah McNevin
Bridge too far
It began innocently enough. At a gathering shortly after I stopped working, I overheard a friend mentioning that another friend had said she was going to learn bridge in order to have something to do in the nursing home... Read more
Jan. 23, 2019
Issue: 2018-12-19, PHOTO: freestarcharts.com
In the realm of the globulars – Ancient companions of the Milky Way
Messier 13 (M13), the best and brightest globular cluster gracing our northern sky, resides in the Hercules constellation and is a most-intriguing class of star cluster, so very different from all the open star clusters of our Milky Way galaxy... Read more
Dec. 19, 2018
Issue: 2018-11-14, PHOTO: courtesy of the Yukon Comic Culture Society
Geek the Halls, a craft fair for the geeks-of-us
The second annual Geek the Halls craft fair is a different affair than the larger, more established craft fairs. But the vendors participating are a different sort of crafters and artists than the traditional Yukon crafters... Read more
Nov. 14, 2018
Issue: 2018-11-14, PHOTO: freestarcharts.com
The Double Cluster – Stellar beauties from a distant spiral arm
One of my favourite star clusters resides high overhead in our winter sky. In fact, it is always in our sky, for our viewing pleasure, as it is circumpolar. It is close enough to the North Star (Polaris) that it never sets... Read more
Nov. 14, 2018
Issue: 2018-11-07, PHOTO: Allison Button
Drinking with Scissors
Do you like crafting, socializing with friends—perhaps with a beverage or two—in a casual, relaxed yet well-lit atmosphere, complete with pinball machines to take a break and try your game expertise? Then Drinking with Scissors is for you... Read more
Nov. 07, 2018
Issue: 2018-10-03, PHOTO: Pixabay
A Vast and awesome Universe – Understanding cosmic distance through analogy
When a budding interest in astronomy is pursued with even a cursory investigation into the nature of our cosmos, one quickly comes to the realization that the human mind cannot fully embrace the awesome extent of it all—the unfathomable distances... Read more
Oct. 03, 2018
Embrace your inner geek!
On August 25, all ages will be given the opportunity to get their geek on as the Yukon Comic Culture Society hosts its Get Your Geek On! Craft fair at the Gold Rush Inn Read more
Aug. 22, 2018
Joie Quarton
Finding great finds
The Whitehorse Community Thrift Store Society will be looking to open a local community-minded thrift store to repurpose your stuff! Read more
Aug. 22, 2018
Photo: Erik Pinkerton
Dancing with the stars
After testing the waters in 2017 with the first-ever Yukon Star Party, the Yukon branch of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC) is bringing back the event, with promises of education, fun and most of all, community engagement. Read more
Aug. 15, 2018
Issue: 2018-07-11, PHOTO: BagoGames on Foter.com
Fortnite drops at Titan Gaming and Collectibles
Titan Gaming and Collectibles is adding Fortnite to its menu of gaming options, and they’re marking the occasion with a kickoff tournament on July 14. Fortnite launched as a paid-for game on July 25, 2017, that encouraged cooperative play between... Read more
Jul. 11, 2018
