Keeping ‘The Percy’ Alive!
There won’t be a Percy DeWolfe Memorial Mail Race this year, but to keep the idea alive, the smaller-than-usual new board…
Keeping ‘The Percy’ Alive! Read More »
There won’t be a Percy DeWolfe Memorial Mail Race this year, but to keep the idea alive, the smaller-than-usual new board…
Keeping ‘The Percy’ Alive! Read More »
Dawson ushers in the secular pre-Christmas season just before the ecclesiastical season of Advent, with several weekends of craft bazaars…
It’s Bazaar Season In Dawson Read More »
Twenty-six years after it was first proposed by Pierre Berton, in 1997, and 19 years after it was officially submitted by Canada…
Tr’ondëk-Klondike Achieves World Heritage Status Read More »
A summer’s worth of free noon-hour concerts at the Front Street Gazebo has come to an end for the third year in a row.
Another Successful Season Of Summer Music Outdoors Read More »
The extreme focus on the drama of the Klondike Gold Rush tends to obscure the stories about the gold seekers…
Tales From Before And After The Gold Rush Read More »
Once again, this year, the annual Klondike Visitors Association (KVA) Authors on Eighth writing contest has two entry levels…
The Two Levels Of Authors On Eighth Read More »
I don’t know about other languages, but English tends to have names for groups of creatures. These are called collective nouns…
Having Fun With Animal Names Read More »
I’m not just sure when David Thompson started writing his tales of an alternative Klondike, but he began submitting entries…
Tales Of ‘An Alternative Klondike’ Read More »
This book tests my understanding of the word calamity, which is usually defined as “a state of deep distress or misery.”
There Is Much to Savour In This Memoir Read More »
Eleanor Millard’s story is a familiar one. She came to the Yukon in 1965 and got captured. She has mostly been here since…
Aside from just being a darn good read, this book covers a period about which very little has been written.
A Peek At The Yukon During ‘The Quiet Years’ Read More »
Christopher Ross writes about his journalism experiences at the Dawson City Insider from 1997-1999 and what happened after.
Looking Inside the Insider Read More »
The Dawson Challengers had a dream to contest for the Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup (better known as the Stanley Cup.
The Bookshelf: When Dawson Made Hockey History Read More »
Fridays are live music days in Dawson, this summer, with concerts at Riverside Park Gazebo and at the KIAC (Dënäkär Zho) Ballroom.
Dawson’s Fridays Are A Time For Music! Read More »
In a previous edition of the KK, I commented on the amount of snow we received here this winter, how it narrowed and raised the
Spring Reflections in Dawson City Read More »
Peter Steele begins by defining his terms: “’Meander’ reads ’To wander at random’” This is very definitely what happens in this book,
Meanderings: The Steeles wandered at random around the world Read More »
The opening of the recent exhibit at the KIAC ODD Gallery was unique with a mixed live & virtual talk for the Gathering/Tethering exhibit.
Exploring fading memories at the ODD Gallery Read More »
Sometimes art imitates life. Sometimes life imitates art. There are two really clear illustrations of this idea in Dawson City at the moment.
A Klondike Korner: Sometimes life imitates art Read More »
Journey of 1000 Miles chronicles Hank DeBruin and Tanya McCready-DeBruin’s attempts at the Iditarod and the Yukon Quest.
The Bookshelf: Seeking Redemption on the Yukon Quest Trail Read More »
Robert Service’s great-granddaughter honours her ancestor. Charlotte Service-Longépé wrote Robert W. Service La Piste de l’Imaginaire.
Robert Service’s great-granddaughter honours her ancestor Read More »
September 10 to 12. DCMF is a bite sized three day event spending days in the Waterfront Park Gazebo and nights in the Palace Grand Theatre.
Klondike Korner: DCMF 2021 is reborn in a smaller, later version this COVID year Read More »
Poetry with a bit of a difference, it has a strong ecological bias. Goodbye, Ice: Arctic Poems by Lawrence Millman
The Bookshelf: A poetic memoir of northern travels Read More »
Dan Starling’s exhibit “Unsettled histories: the transformation of a print” imagines the landscape of a Rembrandt evolving over centuries
Timelapse scenery at the ODD Gallery Read More »
Most Fridays this summer, whether there is rain or shine, it will be concert time at noon at the Front Street Gazebo, in Dawson City.
Friday is Concert time at the Gazebo Read More »
By the time you’re reading this column, the paperback version of Eva Holland’s fascinating study of fear will be out from Penguin Canada.
Learning how to cope with fear in overdrive Read More »
In some ways, our streets are better in the winter. Spring makes it harder to get from the street to the boardwalks. Dawson is not a friendly town for people with mobility issues.
Spring clearances in Dawson Read More »
COVID-19 pretty much shut down live music in Dawson in 2020. This year the Klondike Institute of Art and Culture (Dënäkär Zho), in partnership with the Dawson City Music Festival, has been trying hard to bring some of it back over the last few months.
Live music returns to Dënäkär Zho Read More »
The Ice Pool Lottery, officially known these days as the Dawson IODE Ice Guessing Contest, has been around in various forms since 1896. The Dawson Chapter of the IODE officially took over running the event in 1940 and has managed to keep it going in spite of pandemics and other natural disasters.
The Ice pool Contest is a go for 2021 Read More »
Teiakwanahstahsontéhrha’ (We Extend the Rafters) is the latest exhibition at Dawson City’s ODD Gallery. The machina animation style movie is projected on the east wall at the far end of a metal frame structure which mimics the look of an Iroquois (Haudenosaunee) style longhouse.
An indigenous fable for all ages Read More »
The present book, one of several projects Michael Gates has had on the go since he retired, is one he was commissioned to write by Victoria Gold, the owners of the Eagle Gold Mine.
Book Review: Bury Your Horses by Dan Dowhal
Why did it have to be snakes? Read More »
We are in the third season of a mammoth upgrade project to deal with the deficiencies in the town’s sewer and water infrastructure. That has meant that getting around town has been interesting enough for those of us who live here. For visitors, it’s probably been a mite of a mystery.
Navigating Dawson’s streets last summer Read More »
What’s of particular interest to readers in this year of the COVID-19 pandemic, is that London managed to predict the spread of a virulent disease three years before the so-called Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918.
Jack London imagined a virus Read More »
In these days of highways and 1000-year level flood dikes, it’s easy to forget that the best way to get to Dawson used to be by sternwheelers. While most of the stampeders made their way here in small boats and rafts in 1898, a sizeable number cruised to the fledgling town from St. Michael’s, Alaska, in riverboats and steamers and, once the White Pass chugged into Whitehorse, still more hopped on boats from there.
The Klondike Gold Rush Steamers Read More »
After a few months of working at home, Dan Sokolowski is finally back in his southeast corner space at the KIAC (or Dënäkär Zho) Building.
A delayed Short Film Festival will happen in October Read More »
Each year there is a writing contest called Authors on Eighth connected to an annual walk along the Writers’ Block along Eighth Avenue in Dawson City.
Authors on Eighth overcome COVID-19 Read More »
Summer is generally the time for two major parades in Dawson: Canada Day in July and Discovery Day in August. The latter is the larger of the two events, but neither one takes any longer than 15 or 20 minutes to pass any given vantage point.
Pandemic Parades Take to the Streets Read More »
There are all sorts of ABC books out there, but they are seldom as focussed on a particular subject as this one, which manages to do the job of introducing all the letters while remaining firmly in the air.
An ABC Aviation Adventure Read More »
Let’s begin at the end. “On 9 September 2014, at a press conference in Ottawa, Prime Minister Harper announced to the world that one of
From South to North with the Erebus Read More »
The most annoying thing about being fully dressed to walk outside at -45 degrees Celsius is that I can’t see my feet.
Dawson in the deep freeze Read More »
In its present form, the Percy DeWolfe Memorial Mail Race is a 210 mile (338 km) run from Dawson to Eagle, Alaska, and back. If you can do that, then you can try your hand at the Yukon Quest or the Iditarod.
The Percy DeWolfe committee is ready for its last race, but the event will carry on Read More »
Peter Steele’s book arrived on my desk at just about the time in my cataract affliction when I was unable to read it, the white
Seventy tales from the Yukon, Atlin and Tibet Read More »
Dawson celebrates almost spring, sort of end of winter, with a local event called Thaw di Gras. An obvious play on New Orleans’ Mardi Gras.
Dawson’s Thaw di Gras Read More »
Lawrence Millman has written 16 books, including Hiking to Siberia. The latter is the subject of this column and the source of most of the stories Millman read to an attentive audience at the Alchemy Café when he visited Dawson City.
It’s Coffee House/Open Mic time at the KIAC Ballroom once again. This is a monthly event that usually takes place on the first Saturday of
Dawson entertains itself at monthly coffee houses Read More »
The next 40 years of the Dawson Invitational Volleyball Tournament (DIVT) kicks off on Oct. 25 in Dawson City. The DIVT celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2018 with a special mass assembly to honour the years of success and the two teachers who started the whole thing.
Looking west – that hill cuts an hour off an hour of direct sunlight every fall There’s a significant date that is fast approaching. No,
Time marches on, but backwards sometimes Read More »
For 20 years, from 1994 to 2014, Al Pope produced a regular column for the Yukon News. It was called Nordicity. He said it started because
Missives from One Bucket Creek Read More »
Sometime before the beginning of winter, the old CIBC building on Front Street will turn grey and I’m quite certain that some people will be
Changes are not always welcome, even if they are historically accurate Read More »
Dawson City would not be nearly as well-known as it is without the writings of three men who lived here for parts of their lives.
A stroll along the Writers’ Block Read More »
A scene from the 2018 production of the Cabin of Curiosities. Canoers meet The Collector at his cabin – Faith (Joey O’Neil) and Keeton (Sam
Friends of the Palace Grand plan 21 shows this summer Read More »
The winners of the contest are announced annually at the final stop of the Authors on Eighth Walking Tour, which always concludes at Berton House
Want to win gold for your writing? Read More »
In the course of his Massey Lecture series in 2013 (published as Blood: The Stuff of Life, from House of Anansi Press), Lawrence Hill used a
How real life can inform fiction Read More »
Joanna Lilley has always loved reading. She’s one of those people that you’ll find in the theatre reading a book before the movie begins. It fits
Joanna Lilley feels most herself when she’s writing Read More »
Heather O’Neill is pleased to be returning to the Yukon this year for another engagement during the Yukon Writers’ Festival and Young Author’s Conference. She
The melting season is upon us with a vengeance, spoiling all the plans I had for a series of columns about street clearances in Dawson.
The saga of Dawson’s street clearances Read More »
With over 100 titles and four million books in print, Sigmund Brouwer is a bestselling author of books for children, young adults and adults. He
Sigmund Brouwer says put your character in a problem situation Read More »
David Geary is no stranger to the Yukon. He was here to work with Gwaandak Theatre a year ago last February. Now he’s looking forward
David Geary says to “be hungry for other people’s stories” Read More »
Members of the Yukon Order of Pioneers (YOOP) have placed the Ice Pool Tripod on the ice of the Yukon River and the tickets for
Watching the River Thaw Read More »
Jan Redford describes herself as a compulsive journal writer who always knew that she would like to be an author. “I remember filling pages with
Fear should never be a deterrent Read More »
In 1990, a number of organizations joined together to merge the Young Authors’ Conference (YAC) and the National Book Festival into the more far-reaching Yukon
What is the Yukon Writers’ Festival? Read More »
Dan Sokolowski is about three weeks away from launching the 20th edition of the Dawson City International Short Film Festival (DCISFF) when we sit down
Dawson City International Short Film Festival celebrates two decades of short films Read More »
This slender volume contains brief biographies and photographs of the men from the Yukon who fought and died for Canada between 1914 and 1918. Seven
A Commemoration of the Yukon’s WWI Fallen Soldiers Read More »
The second half of the Aurora Trail lineup of the Home Routes program began in February, with three house concerts planned between Feb. 1 and
The Aurora Trail offers a second set of house concerts Read More »
[two_third] It’s perhaps still a bit wintery by March 15, but that is the annual date when Dawson City celebrates what is nearly the end
Thaw di Gras is Coming Soon Read More »
Somewhere in the Boreal Forest, there is a small community called Rockton. It’s sometimes called the City of the Lost because it’s inhabited by people who, for
A Trip to the City of the Lost – Returning to Rockton Read More »
The cast including shepherds, angels, wise persons and citizens. PHOTO: Dan Davidson What would Christmas Eve be without carols and a pageant. All are
Ready for Christmas Eve Read More »
One of the most annoying things about the fall and spring seasons is the need to scrape the frost off your vehicle’s windows before you
Nature’s little automatic defroster Read More »
With over 225 novels to her credit, Nora Roberts is a bestseller by any definition. Wikipedia says the books are all romance novels, so I’m
Murder and romance in small-town Alaska Read More »
We’re past the halfway mark in October as I write this. The sun rose today at 9:16 and will set at 18:49 (6:49 for most
Autumn sunlight and shadows Read More »
Pre-Christmas in the Klondike, It’s a season of bazaars and open houses that lead up to the actual holidays.
It’s beginning to look a lot like … (you know) Read More »
When he arrived in Yellowknife, back in 2004, with his wife, Serena, and baby daughter, Janessa, it didn’t occur to John Henderson that he might
John Henderson: Celebrating the Great White North Read More »
The 2018–19 season of Home Routes Concerts kicked off in September with a tour by country singer Tim Hus, accompanied by his sideman of 15
Home Routes provides a cozy evening of music Read More »
“I’m a fifty-pager,” says Whitehorse writer Pat Ellis, commenting on her preference for producing short history booklets. Her latest, Financial Sourdough Starter Stories—“The Trump Family,
Where the Trump family fortune got started Read More »
Now that the Moccasin Telegraph has run its course after 15 years of providing an opportunity for folks to share history and reconnect, we have stopped preparing more editions.
How an email exchange became a 15-year blog project Read More »
When “Arizona” Charlie Meadows built his Palace Grand Theatre, in 1899, it probably never occurred to him that some version of the place would still exist in 2018.
The Palace Grand Theatre is back in business Read More »
Of the five writers who have attracted folks to come and visit buildings and gravesites in the Klondike, that are attached to their names, Jack London was the first.
An Old-fashioned public reading at Jack London Square Read More »
The Wolves of Winter is Tyrell Johnson’s first published novel. It’s set in the Yukon, but he hadn’t actually been here until he came to Whitehorse for last month’s Yukon Writers’ Festival.
A dystopian life near the Blackstone River Read More »
Each summer the Klondike Visitors Association (KVA), honours the memory of four writers who have meant a great deal to Dawson City and the Klondike: Jack London, Robert W. Service, Pierre Berton and Dick North.
Authors on Eighth celebrates Klondike literature Read More »
The biggest change in the Canada Day Parade in Dawson City, this year, is where it will end.
A team of facilitators from the Stream of Dreams program was in Dawson this week to promote environmental stewardship and facilitate a community art project.
Tamika Knutson is a Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in citizen who began her art training at the Yukon School of Visual Arts, in Dawson City.
The ODD Gallery showcases Tamika Knutson’s Skin Read More »
The Northern Review, which is published by the School of Liberal Arts at the Yukon College, describes itself as “a multidisciplinary journal exploring human experience in the Circumpolar North.
The Northern Review looks at literature Read More »
Zsuzsi Gartner built her early career as a writer in journalism, working as a newspaper reporter, then a TV current affairs producer and then a magazine writer and editor, but has been interested in creative writing from an early age.
Zsuzsi Gartner: Aspiring to the darkly tragi-comic Read More »
CBC/Radio-Canada got involved in the Canada 150 sesquicentennial celebrations in a big way, starting about a year earlier with an open call for submissions to be put in a 2017 yearbook.
Putting Canada 150 between two covers Read More »
Owen Laukkanen is unabashedly a writer of commercial fiction, also known as “genre” fiction, having produced a novel every year since The Professionals came out (and was nominated for four major genre awards) in 2012.
Owen Laukkanen: “Keep writing and edit your own work ruthlessly” Read More »
Lots of writers can point to a specific event or person that sent them in the direction of a career in writing; Tyrell Johnson isn’t one of those people.
Tyrell Johnson: ‘Write the story you would want to read’ Read More »
Newfoundland and Labrador writer Michael Winter will be a mentor at the 2018 Yukon Young Authors’ Conference at F.H. Collins Secondary School May 3, 4
Michael Winter: Keeping track of things in the world Read More »
The local writer selected to be a mentor at this year’s Young Authors Conference is Jamella Hagen, who teaches creative writing at Yukon College.
Jamella Hagen: Part of Writing is Being Ready to Write Read More »
PHOTO: Dan Davidson The Yukon Writers’ Festival takes place May 2 through 5, with events throughout the Yukon In 1990, a number of organizations
Gearing up to explore ideas and the written word Read More »
The ice pool tripod is in the river, anchored by a cable to the boxed clock on the Dänojà Zho Cultural Centre, ready for when
It’s ice pool time Read More »
Screenings for the Dawson City International Short Film Festival began in October, with five or six people meeting twice a week to view what would eventually add up to between 400 and 500 submissions for the Easter weekend festival.
Dawson City International Short Film Festival is downloaded for its 18th Year Read More »
The Percy deWolfe race is a 210 mile (338 km) run from Dawson to Eagle, Alaska, and back, and is a qualifying race for those hoping to run the Yukon Quest or the Iditarod.
Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays the Percy deWolfe race Read More »
When we look back on Canada’s sesquicentennial year (and yes, I did look it up to make sure I spelled it correctly), what will we think of it?
Looking back at Canada’s Centennial Year Read More »
The annual Youth Art Enrichment program, now entering its 17th year, is an annual four-day intensive art program for Yukon youth, hosted by the Klondike
Thaw-di-Gras, Dawson’s spring-or-late-winter carnival, is adding a day this year, with events beginning on Friday, March 16 and running through Sunday, March 18.
Keeping the weekend weird Read More »
With I Am Canada – A Celebration (North Winds Press) Heather Patterson has come up with a novel way of assembling an overview of special things about our country.
13 Ways to look at Canada Read More »
The 25th annual Trek Over the Top snowmobile race will arrive in Dawson City on March 8 and return to its starting point in Tok,
Trek Over the Top Turns 25 this Year Read More »
February 19 to 22 will see the latest edition of the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in Heritage Department’s bi-annual Myth and Medium week.
We are what we used to eat Read More »
In keeping with this column’s focus on Yukon related material, I’m returning this week to a successful thriller that is set in a version of
Strange things won from the midnight sun Read More »
The Dawson City Music Festival (DCMF) will be holding its annual general meeting on Thursday, January 18, at Yukon College. The meeting was to have
Dawson City Music Festival aims for sustainability Read More »
Yukon author Eva Holland has taken advantage of Amazon’s Kindle Singles format to produce what might have been a 45-page volume about the early history of Arctic exploration.
A tale of Arctic exploration Read More »
After all the bazaars and seasonal open houses are done, and folks are just about ready to settle down at home waiting for Christmas Morning
Getting Ready for Christmas Eve Read More »
Summer, 1972 Pierre Berton recreated a trip he had taken back in the 1930s rafting from Bennett Lake to Dawson City.
Drifting Home covers 3 generations of Bertons Read More »
The approaching Advent Season means that it will soon be what I sometimes refer to as Bazaar Season in Dawson City.
Advent season is Bazaar season in Dawson Read More »
Volume 44 of The Northern Review contains the complete list of the papers from The North and the First World War Conference that was held in Whitehorse, and in Dawson City, May 9-12 2016.
The Northern Review remembers World War I Read More »
Dawson City’s Old Court House on Front Street will be the site for this year’s Haunted House event, a yearly offering to the community sponsored
A spooky pre-Halloween evening Read More »
Every two years the Yukon Historical & Museums Association holds a meeting for the entire Yukon heritage community. It moves around the territory, but executive
Symposium to discuss activating history Read More »
Continuing this series of reviews of books that deal with the Canadian identity and, to an extent, with the idea of Canada at 150, we
People who crafted the promise of Canada Read More »
Despite the romantic image of the grizzled miner panning by the creek side in search of gold, that phase of the Klondike’s mineral saga was
A Tale of the Klondike Tailings Read More »
When talking about the location of the Yukon School of Visual Arts (Yukon SOVA) in Dawson City, two issues are often raised: What does the
Any discussion of the Yukon School of Visual Arts begins with a couple of questions: What is it? Why is it in Dawson? The first
Congratulations SOVA! Read More »
Every few years the Tourism Industry Association of the Yukon brings either its spring or fall conference to Dawson City. TIA Yukon Executive Director Blake
TIAY Picks Dawson to Showcase Sustainable Tourism Read More »
The editor set us the challenge of making a pitch for our community that says it is more special than any other in the territory,
Celebrating the Klondike as a Special Place Read More »
During a year when there have been a lot of serious books written about our national identity, it stands to reason that a nation that
Poking Fun at Some National Icons on Our Birthday Read More »
Summer, with its long daylight hours, is a great time to travel around the Yukon. We started our travels the summer after we arrived, trading
The Yukon is Great for Summer Travelling Read More »
The Yukon’s Discovery Day Holiday is kind of hard to pin down. Likely the Monday closest to the day gold was discovered on Bonanza Creek.
Discovery Days: Yukon’s Moveable Holiday Read More »
During the week that leads to the Discovery Days weekend, the Klondike Visitors Association, Parks Canada and the Writers’ Trust of Canada celebrate the writers
Celebrating the Klondike’s Literary Legends Read More »
“We’re dedicated to keeping the Yukon weird,” Robitaille likens the Great Klondike International Outhouse Race to Jim Robb’s Colourful 5%
Race ’til You’re Pooped! Read More »
Dan Carruthers’ more recent thriller, Anya Unbound (2017), introduces us to Sean Carson, a recovering widower, who stumbles across a 17-year-old Polish girl on the
Yukon’s Fictional Geography Read More »
Finding the entrance to Orchid Acres can be a little confusing for newcomers to West Dawson and Sunnydale. Someone will tell you it’s on the
Finding Orchids in an Unusual Setting Read More »
I was in Grade 10 in 1967. For some reason my school provided high school students with tree saplings to take home and plant. Why
Remembering Canada’s Centennial Year Read More »
The Story of Canada in 150 Objects Canadian Geographic & The Walrus Magazine format 130 pages plus pullouts $15 On an older note, there are
Books to Celebrate 150 years of Canada Read More »
Canada Day will be exceptionally busy in Dawson this year. Combining our nation’s birthday with a roster of events that normally occur on the first
There’s Gold in Those Buckets of Dirt Read More »
June 10 will be a double-barreled day of action in Dawson City, as it always is during what could be called Commissioner’s Day. The two
Double-barreled day of action in Dawson City Read More »
“Exploring the Frontiers of Language” will be the theme of this year’s edition of the North Words Writers Symposium, which will be held in Skagway
Early in May, with the deadlines for the 2017 edition of the Dawson City International Gold Show approaching, Coralee Rudachyk was busy, but calm. As
Gold Show: The Rush is On Read More »
Jamie Bastedo is not new to the Yukon. He first came to the territory 35 years ago as a biology graduate student. “Think Never Cry
Sheri-D Wilson, who calls herself The Mama of Dada, is an award-winning spoken word poet, educator, speaker and activist, who has performed in literary, film
I’m very jealous of what Whitehorse based Lily Gontard and Mark Kelly have managed to pull off with their delightful book, Beyond Mile Zero: The
Chronicling the Vanishing Alaska Highway Lodge Community Read More »
James Bernard MacKinnon, commonly bylined as J.B. MacKinnon, will be coming to the Yukon from Vancouver to be the Yukon Public Libraries’ choice as a
Writing as a Full Time Profession Read More »
This is the second of a five part series by Dan Davidson about the professional authors participating in the Yukon Writers’ Festival and the Young Authors
Using Stories to Make People Think Read More »
Born in England, but transplanted to Newfoundland when she was very young, Kathleen Winter credits libraries with kick starting her interest in writing. “We moved
A Mentor for Yukon Young Writers Read More »
The cupboard behind Dan Sokolowski’s head is still covered with the multi-coloured Post-it notes he’s been using to assign the 86 short films in this
Celebrate the Art of Filmmaking this Weekend Read More »
Given the odd behavior of the Yukon River this year, it’s not at all certain just how and when spring breakup will occur, but however
The Tripod Stands to Mark the River’s Breakup Read More »
At 10 a.m. on Thursday, March 23, the spirit of Percy DeWolfe, Dawson’s Iron Man Mail Carrier, will head off from the starting line between
Racing to Honour an Honourable Man Read More »
By 2001, however, that big detached deck on the front of the house was deteriorating and we decided that a verandah running across the entire
The Evolution of a Home Read More »
Dawson’s impishly named Thaw di Gras carnival is still thought of as a spring carnival, even though a good March weekend will still be in
Thaw di Gras appeals to Locals and Visitors Read More »
The Trekkers are coming again, and this year’s Trek Over the Top from Tok Alaska to Dawson City, will have a substantial increase in numbers
The Trekkers Will Soon be Here Read More »
Regardless of what else may be happening, on 1st Saturday of the month during a school year, these open mic events are a regular occurrence.
Making Music and Money for Good Causes Read More »
It’s been a truly odd winter here in the Klondike. On the one hand it’s been colder, and colder for longer stretches than it has
Flowing Water and the Daily Light Show Read More »
They consulted with Dr. Brendan Hanley, the Yukon’s Chief Medical Health Officer, and he thought it was a worthwhile experiment. The next question was where
Shedding a Little Light on a SAD Season Read More »
The original purpose of the Clinton Creek Oral History Project was to gather information about how the area around the former asbestos mine and company
Gathering Memories of Clinton Creek Proves Difficult Read More »
Organizers for the Christmas Eve Pageant Photo Shoot were on edge as October 2 dawned. Would there be a lot of snow on the Bonanza
Christmas Eve Preparations in October Read More »
The nomination package has been prepared under the watchful eye of a local advisory committee, including representation from Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in, the City of Dawson, the
The Klondike Continues to Prepare for World Heritage Status Read More »
About the same time as I was reading Elle Wild’s very entertaining mystery novel, Strange Things Done, I happened to watch a discussion between best
Dawson in a Fictional Sense Read More »
Just a week or so ago the newly published Atlas Obscura, subtitled, “An Explorer’s Guide to the World’s Hidden Wonders,” arrived on my desk sporting an
The Sourtoe celebrated as a “Hidden Wonder” of the World Read More »
The folk/roots duo Twin Peaks, comprised of Naomi Shore and Lindsay Pratt, opened Dawson’s Home Routes season on Sept. 26. The show in Dawson City
What is the Aurora Trail? Read More »
Basia Bulat is returning to the Yukon. Bulat is a multi-instrumentalist – she plays guitar, autoharp, banjo, ukulele, charango, hammered dulcimer, saxophone and flute –
Need Some Good Advice? Read More »
Though best known for his 15 collections of verse (a term he preferred to poetry in reference to his own work) Robert Service also wrote novels.
The Trail of 98 Shows Another Side of Robert W. Service Read More »
Steve Pitt came to the Yukon in 1982 to attend his sister’s wedding. She was marrying Dal Fry, son of Art and Margie Fry. That’s
How Two Pierres had an Adventure in the Yukon Read More »
Seeds of Change invites locals and visitors to consider the implications of the concept of reconciliation. It’s the summer exhibit in the Gathering Room in
Seeds of Change Lead to Reconciliation Read More »
When Kyley Henderson was in elementary school her mother, Elaine, encouraged her to draw, and one year a drawing of hers was used in the Robert
A Colouring Book for Adults Read More »
Priska Wettstein’s love affair with photography began in 2008 when husband Paul presented her with a camera.
Priska Wettstein: A Love Affair with Photography Read More »
Not quite a year ago, Jesse Cooke was in Ottawa to receive the Parks Canada Youth Tourism Entrepreneur Award. He was being recognized for his
Promoting the Klondike Experience Read More »
Once upon a time there were quite a few Jews in the Klondike. They arrived with the other gold rush stampeders. There were enough of
The History of Jews During the Gold Rush Read More »
KVA works with the Writers’ Trust of Canada, Parks Canada, and the Dawson Community Library to put on the Authors on Eighth Walking Tour.
Saturday in Dawson’s Waterfront Park means it’s time for a couple of markets to open for business. The Farmers’ Market has been running for many
Saturday is Market Time in the Klondike Read More »
Dawson City blooms in the summer. It’s a process that begins in some local commercial greenhouses and explodes after the horticultural booths at the Gold
The Strange Story of Mary Hanulik Garden Read More »
Jack London’s The Call of the Wild is not a particularly long book. A mere 70 pages, perhaps a few more in a version with
The Joys of Reading Aloud Read More »
My shakedown cruise for our trailer has come to be my annual pilgrimage to the town of Skagway to attend the North Words Writers’ Symposium,
Chasing Stories in Skagway Read More »
Dawson City runners have been pleased to participate in the Mayo Marathon. This year there is a Dempster to Dawson (or D2DC) Solstice Race.
A Little or a Lot, Get Ready to Run Read More »
Mark Zuehlke grew up in the Okanagan, hearing tales of Remittance Men – those eccentric British immigrants sent here in the late 19th century by
Mark Zuehlke and the Remittance Men Read More »
One of the stops along Dawson’s 8th Avenue Writers’ Block is Jack London Square, home of a part of Jack London’s Klondike cabin and the
Celebrating Jack London’s Legacy Read More »
There are three major changes that can be seen in the organization of the 30th edition of the Dawson City International Gold Show, which will
Gearing up for the 30th Gold Show Read More »
“Ten years we’ve been doing this and we never quite know what’s going to happen each time.” Nijen Holland (usually just known as Nijen) was
Music for Fun and a Good Cause Read More »
In the view of Dr. Ken Coates, the North’s response to the challenge presented by World War I was to do the opposite of what
The Yukon and the First World War Read More »
Twenty years ago the late Madeleine Gould’s lengthy quest (1987-1996) to join the Yukon Order of Pioneers ended with a Supreme Court of Canada decision.
Twenty Years of Pioneer Women Celebrated at the Hospital Read More »
The KVA spends money marketing Dawson City as a tourism destination, an effort that benefits the entire Yukon.
The role of the KVA in the Klondike Read More »
The streets of Dawson vary in size, height, width and smoothness with the seasons. In spite of snowfall and the need to plough them, they
Taking it to the Streets Read More »
Unlike many a published author, Saskatoon writer Sandy Bonny didn’t study to become one. It just happened. “I haven’t got an English degree,” she says,
Nurturing Good Writing Read More »
Dianne Whelan is an award winning filmmaker, photographer and author who lived, until fairly recently, in Vancouver. At the time of this interview she was
Converting Adventure into Books and Film Read More »
I’ve been enjoying a couple of relatively new books about the work of the latecTed Harrison. They are Ted Harrison Collected (Douglas & McIntyre) and
Dawson and the Harrison Effect Read More »
For 20 years, Robert (Bob) Hayes was the Yukon’s wolf biologist. During those years, he studied hundreds of radio-collared wolves and conducted several long-term wolf-prey
Sharing His Knowledge of Wolves Read More »
Why is Robert Service so much better known here than Jack London? This question comes from Wolfgang Robert Greiner, one of five German journalists I
Germans love Jack London Read More »
Anna Claxton and the rest of the Percy DeWolfe Race Committee were hugely relieved to be able to announce that the “really hard working, amazing,
It’s 40 years of mushing on the Percy DeWolfe Trail Read More »
On Easter weekend the ballroom of the Oddfellows Hall will be filled with hundreds of short film fans celebrating the 17th edition of the Dawson
Year 17 sees an abundance of Yukon Films at the Festival Read More »
With late February temperatures maxing out at +4 in Dawson, it’s hard to say just what this year’s Thaw di Gras, Spring Carnival will be
Announcing Yukon’s Unofficial Other March Long Weekend Read More »
This week shaped up to be a culturally ambitious one in Dawson City. The centerpiece of the week has been the Myth and Medium conference
Myth and Medium Focuses on Stories and Performance Read More »
The most recent exhibition at Dawson’s ODD Gallery is nothing if not seasonal for its subject is the northern lights, also called aurora borealis, the
Examining the Quest to Understand the Aurora Borealis Read More »
It’s not that there haven’t been warm winter spells at various times in Dawson, but this winter seems to be one for the books.
Of Heater Plugs and Roof Clearances Read More »
There are six bookcases in my study, and two of those are arranged so that I can shelve paperbacks on both sides of them. On
The (Book) Case for Real Books Read More »
Dawson is switching to LED (Light Emitting Diode) streetlights, swapping out the older HPS (high pressure sodium) for the newer, more eco-friendly, longer lasting lights.
Where will the ravens warm their toes? Read More »
I was very pleased to read recently that the L.A. Times reported 571 million print books were sold in 2015, 17 million more than in
So much for the death of the printed book Read More »
Last month Jesse Cooke was the recipient of the Parks Canada Youth Tourism Entrepreneur Award, at a ceremony held in Ottawa on Dec. 2. Cooke
Winning Awards with Husky Bus Read More »
We have reached that point in the season where we don’t get a lot of direct sunlight in Dawson City’s historic townsite. Those who live
Dawson Lights up for Christmas Read More »
The Dawson Food Bank and the Dawson Women’s Shelter are busy organizing their annual Holiday Hamper Program and Food Drive. It’s designed to assist individuals
Feeding the Hungry is a Vital Community Service Read More »
I’m happy to record that, except for the arrival of the Sears Wish Book at North 60 Petro Express, everything else related to Christmas here
Brightening Up Even the Darkest Nights Read More »
November 7 turned out to be an incredibly busy evening for anyone involved in community events in Dawson. There was the closing banquet for the
Good Music for Good Causes Read More »
The ice is coming down in a rush this year. While there was not a sign of the stuff in the river on the day
Jewels on the Water Read More »
Mark Zuehlke was a writer-in-residence at Berton House in 2003. At the time he had just finished several books on the history of the Canadian
Marching in remembrance of things past Read More »
At a recent municipal candidates’ forum it was suggested that one of the solutions to Dawson’s perennial winter housing problem would be to arrange to
Winter: We Shutter to Feel it Coming Read More »
Those who think that the Klondike is just a sleepy little place in winter between the tourists and the Yukon Quest would be mistaken.
What to Do in Dawson in the Winter Read More »
Students in rural schools can miss out on a number of things in terms of course offerings and opportunities. There are specialty programs in the
Bringing Variety to the Rural School Experience Read More »
I promised to tell a little bit of the story of the Klondike Sun’s near death experience if the editors here said it was okay.
Trying to keep the Sun Shining Read More »
As the crew who came here to film an episode of the Canadian television series Murdoch Mysteries a few years ago told me, Dawson is
Fun fiction from the Klondike Read More »
I have written a number of columns about Dawson’s habit of recycling building for other purposes. The Old Territorial Courthouse, which has to be passed
Bringing New Life into Old Buildings Read More »
Each year during the Riverside Arts Festival, the ODD Gallery sponsors a paired set of exhibitions called The Natural and the Manufactured, each dealing with
Revisiting the Klondike Big Inch Read More »
Dawson City has a new park. Located between the Dawson Plaza (where the CIBC is) and the Husky Bus HQ (the former Hair We Are
A new park says Thanks to Klondike volunteers Read More »
In 1976 I was a young teacher just starting out in Beaver Creek, fresh from Nova Scotia and learning about the North. Regular stories about
When local voices made a difference Read More »
Front Street is lined with vehicles and shoppers from late morning to midafternoon each Saturday during the summer, even on days when there’s a smoky
Saturday at the Front Street Markets Read More »
The Slocan Ramblers often get asked how it happens that four lads who live in Toronto came to be interested in bluegrass music. Bass player
Rambling North for the Dawson City Music Festival Read More »
“Someone should make a list of all the houses that have been moved around in Dawson, showing where they used to be and where they
Moving Day on Eighth Avenue Read More »
It’s 5:00 and I’m sitting at the table in my summer office which, whenever possible, is our veranda. Seven blocks west and about two north
Twice A Day the Whistle Blows Read More »
On any Wednesday evening, at any time during the year, most residents in the core historic zone of Dawson City can hear the sound of
The Fire Siren is Good News Read More »
On the whole, there are two positive things about this year’s edition of NorthwesTel’s Northern British Columbia and Yukon Directory. The first is that the
When your Fingers Stumble Through the Pages Read More »
June 17 – 21 2015: Dawson City Midnight Sun Camera Obscura Festival. This is the follow up to last year’s Dawson City Solstice Symposium
When the Darkness Bleeds Daylight Read More »
By the time you read this I’ll be “Exploring the Frontiers of Language” in Skagway, attending this year’s edition of the North Words Writers Symposium.
Off to Skagway to Explore Language Read More »
Klondikers pride ourselves on not needing to lock our doors every time we leave our houses. But sometimes we should, as events this week proved.
Facebook Posse Finds Stolen Trailer Read More »
The Yukon Government (YG) finally decided to sign on in a substantive way to the push for UNESCO World Heritage Status for the site designated
World Heritage Planning Gets a Big Boost Read More »
Dawson has entered that phase of spring I call Puddletime. City workers have been trying to keep up by opening storm drains. The rapidly accumulating
Dawson Moves Into Puddletime Read More »
In the April 8 edition of the Klondike Sun I put a little note inside the Sun graphic, in the banner. We always do this,
The Ice Bridge Decay is a Sure Sign of Spring Read More »
Diamond Tooth Gerties is an iconic Dawson building. It’s the cash cow that finances most of the operations of the Klondike Visitors Association. As of
Gerties is now a Municipal Heritage Site Read More »
A television mini-series is being shot in Dawson between April 7 and 17. The two episodes of Her Next Plan are being produced by the
Her Next Plan is Coming to a Television Near You Read More »
Dawson City has a fondness for parades. Canada Day and Discovery Day are the annual events with the longest history, but there have been Pride
Dragon in the New Year, Chinese Style Read More »
I recently listened to a court debate concerning the streets connected to 2nd Avenue in the north end of town, and which turn you would
Getting Around in Dawson Read More »
The Yukon Supreme Court returned to the Old Territorial Administration Building (OTAB in local slang) late in January. It will continue to occupy space there
Court Comes to the OTAB Read More »
At 40 below, Fahrenheit and Celsius are the same; not that our dog, Shadow, cares about that. She may need to go outside to relieve
The Cold Weather Doggie Blues Read More »
November and most of December were mild in the Klondike this winter. Wondrously, it only took two-and-a-half days to warm up St. Paul’s Anglican Church enough
St. Paul’s Tries To Get Warmer Read More »
At the request of some Facebook friends I spent about a week in late December taking a series of pictures showing the retreating daylight hours.
Here Comes the Sun Read More »
I’ve been the opening act at the last two monthly coffee houses. We meet on the first Saturday of every month in the Odd Fellows
Music for the community Read More »
Despite claims of memoirists galore, who say they walked the Chilkoot Pass with Robert Service, the man now known as the bard of the Yukon
How The Double Bob Bash Came To Be Read More »
Clancy the Cat didn’t show a lot of interest when I dropped in to the Humane Society Dawson (HSD) shelter to visit him a couple
When the cat came back Read More »
As a former English teacher, long time library patron, book reviewer, informal Berton House liaison, and editor of The Klondike Sun, it often falls to
Turning Her Life Into Stories Read More »
I understand him getting nostalgic about the slides and equipment. He still has the cast after he broke his arm there in elementary school.
Change is Always Challenging Read More »
I had to do my first major snow clearance of the season on Hallowe’en. It wasn’t bad — took about half an hour. The snow
A Tale of Two Boxes Read More »
I’ve been listening to a lot of cassette tapes lately. You remember those things; they appeared between vinyl records (making a comeback) and CDs (fading
Listening to the Music Read More »
Our house got turned upside down last Saturday. All the furniture in the living room was shifted , and a big table for sorting costumes
Christmas Eve Preparations Before Halloween? Read More »
On the day I am writing this, Whitehorse and Haines Junction are inches deep in their first winter snow and Dawson, while chilly and damp,
Where Have All The Colours Gone? Read More »
Last evening our current writer-in-residence, Anik See, presented two of her essays to 15 people at the Dawson Community Library. See focuses particularly on landscape
Keeping Busy On The Berton House Beat Read More »
The facetious title of this article, which dates back to the 1950s and 1960s, is a metaphor for trying out an idea to see who
Let’s Run It Up The Flagpole And See Whom Salutes Read More »
The Klondike Outhouse Race was inspired by chatter in a bar. “the barnstorming biffies charge through Dawson like a dose of castor oil.”
The Glory Days of Outhouse Races Past Read More »
We had fireworks just the other night. No one I’ve spoken with seems to know exactly who set them off down by the river. There
Things that Go Bang in the Night Read More »
Some people are just not content to watch the river flow.They have to get in it and, as Ratty said to Mole in The Wind
Not Content with Watching the River Flow Read More »
The Klondike is known for permafrost-distorted buildings. The twisted shapes of older structures inspired the artistic career of Jim Robb — as a young artist he
An Odd Taste in Lawn Decorations Read More »
Robert Service School (RSS) celebrated its 25th year in its present building last May. There were no special celebrations, and I suspect that not too
Reflections on Rural Yukon Education Read More »
Dawson has a long history of dressing up with flowers and plants. When Martha Louise Black was the chatelaine at the Commissioner’s Residence on Front
Dawson’s Public Gardens Are A Treat Read More »
Ask tourists what they like about Dawson City and you get a variety of responses. They like the old buildings and the sense of history
Along the Boardwalks in Dawson City Read More »
Nadia White, great-granddaughter of Elmer (Stroller) and Alice Josephine (Josie) Keys White is on a quest to find out all she can about the life
Tracking down grandmother by land and water Read More »
The Yukon Gold Panning Championships were held on the well-used greensward between Front Street and the dike. The greensward wouldn’t be here if the dike
Why does Dawson Need a Dike? Read More »
The second full revival season has been launched at the Palace Grand theatre. Marveling at the theatre is past due; It’s time to celebrate that
Grand Times at the Palace Read More »
The Commissioner’s Residence sits on Front Street, just past St. Paul’s Anglican Church, in Dawson City. It is one of six buildings in town designed
Front Street’s Elegant Showcase Read More »
In windy Skagway, the boat people make their way from the cruise ships into town several times a day, clogging the streets and shops. I
Winnowing Word in the Windy City Read More »
The Klondike Visitors’ Association (originally the Klondike Travel Bureau) pre-dates the formation of the Yukon’s Department of Tourism (originally the Yukon Tourist Bureau) by over
The KVA promotes the Klondike to the world Read More »
The George Black Ferry splashed into the Yukon River shortly after 2:00 p.m. on May 15, bringing to life the summer time link between the
The George Black Ferry Links the Two Dawsons Read More »
I was in Calgary in the middle of a snowstorm when the ice went out in the Yukon River this year. Two days earlier, it
The tripod met an unusual fate this year Read More »
There’s all sorts of misinformation about the Klondike Gold Rush out there. One of the most obvious is that a lot of Americans, other than
Talking Points about “Klondike” for our summer visitors Read More »
There are lots of places where people tend to drive a little too fast. Some of these places have had various ingenious traffic control systems
Dawson’s reverse speed bumps slow people down Read More »
Sometime between now and May 29 (the absolute latest date in the records that have been kept since 1896), the ice in the Yukon River
Now Comes the Season of the Tripod Read More »
I’ve been attending a number of annual general meetings lately, and the experience has simply served to reinforce something that I already knew: without the
Dawson City Runs on Volunteers Read More »
On March 31, the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in (TH) held a feast to remember the mixed-heritage children who came to Dawson City to live at St. Paul’s
Cross-Cultural Advances in Klondike Education Read More »
Dawson‘s streets will be wider and lower by the time you read this column. There will be the odd large puddle around town, especially at
Dawson’s Streets Get Ready for Spring Read More »
If the buzz around this year’s Percy de Wolfe Memorial Mail Race is any indication, this years’s event may be one to watch. Just how
The Percy de Wolfe Race is Ready To Go Read More »
In Dawson we are of two minds regarding the Discovery Channel’s Klondike mini-series — that six hour reimagining of history, geography and culture that aired
The Hollywood Treatment Read More »
From the very beginning there’s been some confusion connected with the word “Klondike.” It started with new arrivals — the gold rush stampeders — who
What Does Klondike Mean to the World? Read More »
Thaw Di Gras, Dawson’s annual spring carnival weekend, kicks off on March 14. The mostly family oriented weekend event is a lot of fun for
Dawson Gets Ready for Spring with Thaw di Gras Read More »
The 21st running of the Trek Over the Top snowmobile run from Tok, Alaska, to Dawson City and back will take place from March 6
The Trek Will Be Coming Soon Read More »
The bi-annual Myth and Medium symposium runs from February 24 to 28 this year, the week after the territorial Heritage Day holiday. Heritage Day originally
Myth and Medium are Coming Again Read More »
Rebekah Miller is fascinated with zippers, with how they both conceal and reveal, how they open and close. She’s also fascinated with coverings – whether
Getting into the Skins of Things Read More »
Barnacle Bob Hilliard is ubiquitous on the Dawson City music scene. Since arriving in the early 1990s he’s been a fixture in the bars around
Barnacle Bob Headlines at the Odd Fellows Hall Read More »
2014: Frostbite and the Kluane Bluegrass, are taking the year off, Dawson City Music Festival (DCMF) soldiers on.
The Dawson City Music Festival Focuses on Quality over Quantity Read More »
Volunteer radio has a long history in Dawson City, with the current organization – CFYT-FM (106.9) – reaching back to 1984. At that time, the
Freeze-up on the Yukon River is not proceeding according to custom this year. Despite the lack of ice at the regular crossing down by the
A Season in the Mist Read More »
Christmas Eve is a busy night in Dawson City, with all four of the churches holding their own late evening services in honour of the
Staging the Nativity in the Museum Read More »
The Dawson pre-Christmas season launched on Nov. 10 as the gym in the Robert Service School filled up for the Dawson Daycare’s Bazaar. This was
It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like… You Know Read More »
As winter approaches and the Yukon River finally begins to fill up with ice, it’s pretty clear that there’s a lot of music on tap
Dawson Hosts a Medley of Concerts to Check Out Read More »
In two previous columns I have given some background behind Dawson City’s interest in UNESCO’s World Heritage Status designation. The Klondike region was placed on
What is the Tr’ondëk-Klondike Project? Read More »
The date may have changed this year, but the timing is the same. Contestants in the Yukon 48 Challenge still have just 48 hours to
Gearing up for 48 Hours of Filming Madness Read More »
While Martha Wainwright began her current tour a year ago to promote her latest CD, Come Home to Mama, she says the North American portion
A Subversive Singer-Songwriter Comes to the Yukon Read More »
The late Dick North used to quip that with a surname like his it was no mystery that he worked as a journalist in
The Legacy of Dick North will Endure Read More »
The headline on the front page of the July 24, 1997 edition of the Klondike Sun proclaimed, “Berton Proposes Dawson for World Heritage Site Status.”
Proposing World Heritage Status for the Klondike Read More »
The Sourtoe Cocktail gets a mixed reception in the world abroad. Thousands of people have touched their lips to Captain Dick Stevenson’s inventive libation and
The Sourtoe Cocktail: A Popular Gag Read More »
From May to September you can find Riley Brennan all around Dawson, digging in the dirt as she skillfully helps to make the town a
Created from Shattered Glass Read More »
Bear Creek Compound is owned by Parks Canada now, but it was once the thriving centre of operations for the Yukon Consolidated Gold Corporation (YCGC),
Delving into the History of Bear Creek Read More »
There was a time when the Great Klondike International Outhouse race featured 12 to 17 teams and was quite a bit more of an extreme
Despite iconic images of a solitary miner with a pan or a group of men drifting into a hillside, the dredges of the corporate-mining-era are the main reason that Dawson outlasted the usual boom-and-bust cycle common to gold rush towns.
Dredges Kept the Klondike Alive Read More »
Saturday, August 17, is coming right up. That’s Discovery Day, the day that Skookum Jim (Keish), Dawson Charlie (Káa Goox) and George Carmack stumbled across
Klondike Korner: Klondyke Korner: Discover a New Interpretive Walk Read More »
Taking a stroll along the Writers’ Block — from the corner of 8th Avenue and Hanson Street to the corner of 8th and Firth —
The striking Dänojà Zho Cultural Centre was controversial when it was first being built in Dawson City — it’s not exactly a gold rush themed
Exploring Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in Culture Read More »
When “Arizona” Charlie Meadows built his Palace Grand Theatre in 1899 in Dawson City, it probably never occurred to him that some version of the
Klondike Korner: Life Returns to the Palace Grand Theatre Read More »
On an increasingly slender budget Parks Canada attempts to preserve quite a bit of real estate in Dawson City. A lot of it is still
Klondike Korner: Parks Open Some Dawson Doors for the Summer Read More »
The most common question from visitors is the one I was asked by a lady from Alabama this afternoon. I was on my way home
Coping with the Summer’s Heat Read More »
BY DAN DAVIDSON Luminous ice-fogged sunshine haze sits upon the earth; mocks our avenues and days with signs of nature’s mirth. Sunshine should bring warmer
The Klondike has been the inspiration for a great deal of fiction since the Gold Rush, beginning with Jack London, who came with the Stampeders
The Klondike Echoes Down through the Literary Years Read More »
Back when Dawson City was at the end of the road, some of the consumer goods that arrived here stayed here because it wasn’t worth
Old Films Provide New Attractions in Dawson Read More »
One of the many projects under the umbrella of the Dawson City Arts Society is the ODD Galley, which is housed on a corner of
Klondike Korner: Lovely Artworks Carry Disturbing Message Read More »
The event that led to the formation of the Yukon occurred on August 16, 1896: it was the discovery of gold on what was then
Celebrating the Yukon’s Birthday Read More »
Bombay Peggy’s was crowded with a revolving group of about 50 people on the evening of May 11, when Whitehorse’s Annie Avery and Dawson City’s
Vancouver visual artist Michael Markowsky would someday like to make a landscape painting while standing on the surface of the moon. On Earth, Markowsky has
Klondike Korner: Visiting Artist Finds Inspiration in Faces and Stories Read More »
On hillsides around us the trees are all blooming; While yards are responding to home owner’s grooming; And out on the highway the RV’s are
Come to the Klondike Read More »
This year’s monthly open mic/coffee house gatherings in the Odd Fellows Hall ballroom in Dawson City have featured an increasing number of young performers, who
Young Performers Are Stepping up to the Microphone Read More »
The ice bridge across the Yukon River in Dawson was closed by April 11 last year and it looked “iffy” for a week before that.
Klondike Korner: Waiting for the Ice to Flow Read More »
Supporting the Economy Through the Arts You could expect a 10-years lifespan from mining projects, and Hakonson is well aware that placer miners have been
Supporting the Economy Through the Arts Read More »
BY DAN DAVIDSON Two months trapped in the cold, ironically chained to this post, snow-ploughed up to the axles, rimed with forty-below hoar frost, two
Bi-‘Sicles Built for Two Read More »
Chatting with Dawson International Short Film Festival producer Dan Sokolowski at the end of a busy weekend, he made the point that there were approximately
Klondike Korner: How Dawson Does All that it Does Read More »
Don’t you think they could do all this later in the day when people weren’t using the streets? This was the substance of a short
Snow Clearances Create Roadblocks and Opportunities Read More »
BY DAN DAVIDSON The highway passes it by now, elevated, two metres above where the entrance used to be. The pumps are long gone, leaving
Klondike Korner: Livesey’s General Store Read More »
The snow comes off the roofs in waves this year, each layer distinct in its reaction to the waves of cold, warmth, ice fog and
Klondike Korner: Wave Forms Read More »
Movie season has ended at the Dawson City Museum for another year. The last show was Lincoln, which played to reasonably sized audiences in late
Enjoying Frankenweenie, Together Read More »
BY DAN DAVIDSON We’ve been dodging round these puddles now for just about a week, and it’s hard to find the streets these days for
Reflections on the Changing Season Read More »
Before there was ever a Yukon Department of Tourism and Culture (including whatever earlier names it may have had) there was the Klondike Visitors Association
Klondike Korner: We Struck Gold with the KVA Read More »
The recent purchase of the Old CIBC Building on Front Street by The City of Dawson has raised interest across the nation. The price tag
Klondike Korner: What’s So Important About the Old CIBC Building? Read More »
March 15 will see the beginning of our annual “spring” carnival, an event we call Thaw Di Gras. One of the traditional events during this celebration
Klondike Korner: Snow-Carving Contest Read More »
Food banks often start with the churches, which are acting out their faith’s instructions to look after the poor. In Dawson, the Transients’ Dinners that
Dawson Looks After Those in Need Read More »
No matter how many words I log here to the contrary, it seems impossible to shake the impression that Dawson City goes to sleep when
Klondike Korner: Handling the Quest is a Fine Tuned Operation Read More »
There’s been something like a metre (or more) since Christmas and it’s been coming in big deposits that run over a period of two days.
Klondike Korner: Let it Snow, Let it Snow Read More »
The half hour went by quickly and the children at the Tr’inke Zho Daycare were still involved with the lesson when Tiss Clark, their Orff
Klondike Korner: Making Music Instruction Fun Read More »
John Tyrrell, a former Dawsonite now living in Cyprus, where he is Dean of St. Paul’s Cathedral in Nicosia, writes to say that the anglophiles
The Double Bob is a Dawson Tradition Read More »
In my other writing life I produce a weekly column called Bookends. As a result I see a lot of books, an increasing number of
Klondike Korner: Going the Indie Route with New Book Read More »
Peter Menzies likes to think of all the music going on in Dawson City these days as pieces of a puzzle. Menzies acts as emcee
Building the Klondike Music Puzzle Read More »
In this haze the Yukon skyline, normally full of distince edges, has become a Tony Onley canvas, vistas folding into each other, fading with the
Driving North in July Read More »
BY DAN DAVIDSON The whirlwind materialized from nowhere, as if from another dimension. A small eddy of dust in the dirt parking lot swiftly gathering
Klondike Korner: Whirlwind Read More »
BY DAN DAVIDSON There are signs of seasons changing that we all can recognize: falling leaves and boarded windows, filled with plywood cut to size.??Hotels
The Icing on the Season Read More »
Where will the ravens all gather now that the tree tops are gone? Where will they hatch their nefarious schemes and plot from midnight to
Where Will the Ravens All Gather? Read More »
??BY DAN DAVIDSON The snowplough went by at noon today; I think it’ll go by again. The reason I think this is plain to the
The Snowplough Went By at Noon Today Read More »
Mid-morning … and there’s a fairy tale moon in the sky; a sliver of silver fit for cows to jump over, curved enough to hold
Crescent Moon in December Read More »
One of the things Nathan Tinkham likes about working in Dawson City is the way things just seem to fall into place. When he arrived
Klondike Korner: Laying Down Tracks in Dawson City Read More »
While “flooding” and “Dawson City” are two phrases you might not want to hear together, at this time of year it’s actually a good thing.
Flooding Our Way to a River Crossing Read More »
Dawson City itself becomes the art gallery for the year-end exhibition of work by the students at the KIAC School of Visual Arts (SOVA). KIAC
Klondike Korner: Making the Town an Art Gallery Read More »
Giving directions in Dawson can be a very confusing exercise, both for those of us who live here and those who are visiting. The legal
Klondike Korner: Giving Directions in Dawson Can Be Confusing Read More »
I lost a good neighbour a few weeks ago. I’m writing this just a week after the death of Madeleine Gould, but it will be
Klondike Korner: On Losing a Good Neighbour Read More »
There’s a coyote on the airstrip at Braeburn today, trotting north on the cleared runway with his nose in the air and his tail like
Dawson City itself becomes the art gallery for the year-end exhibition of work by the students at the KIAC School of Visual Arts (SOVA). KIAC
Klondike Korner: Making the Town an Art Gallery Read More »
The community that sings together … My personal songbook is getting bigger every month. That’s thanks to the energy of a departed Dawsonite educator, named
The Community That Sings Together Read More »
Next week (March 25 to 27), we’re going to have the second instalment of last year’s popular Doors Open Dawson event, in which locals and
Signs, Signs, Everywhere Signs Read More »
The fox emerges tentatively from under the Waterfront Building, making a quick, furtive survey of his surroundings, and padding to the top of the dyke.
Yonder, a Flash of Red Read More »
Dawson’s council got to talking about bylaws and boardwalks the other day and one councillor made the comment that there didn’t seem to be any
Boardwalk Users Take the High Road Read More »
In spite of numerous attempts by the Chamber of Commerce and promises from the current Yukon government, the only bridge Dawson City has across the
Klondike Korner: What’s this about a bridge? Read More »
Frustration is a winter drive in the twilight when a 16 wheel mobile snowstorm slows everything to a crawl and you peep to spy the
Klondike Korner: Ill Met by Twilight Read More »
The Klondike Sun, to which Berton was referring in his guest editorial in that first issue, has made it through its 21st year. Last issue,
About the Rising of the Sun Read More »
It won’t be immediately obvious to anyone not involved in either history or journalism that this column’s title is a homage to a 35-year tradition
Klondike Korner: What about the “Nutty Club”? Read More »
Dogs really need to get out and check their messages on a daily basis, in the same way that we humans need to go to
Canine Communication and the P-Mail Network Read More »
On the day we met to discuss the 11th Dawson City International Short Film Festival, producer Dan Sokolowski was just finishing getting the 40-page program
Film Festival Goers will be Reeling On Easter Weekend Read More »
There are strange things done on the Percy run when the mushers hit the trail. There are tales that are told of the ice and
The Marvelous Tale of Musher McHugh Read More »
There are strange things found on the Internet when you’re surfing just for fun. There’s misinformation galore and yet, there’s no way to get it
That Little Old Log Cabin on the Hill Read More »
Today, we are advertising cloudy blue skies, gravel and shrubs. Yesterday, we were someone’s dream of success, prosperity on a billboard. Some called us progress;
Klondike Korner: Poetry Corner: Framework Read More »
Plaque is the subject of this week’s visit to A Klondike Korner. I’ve visited this subject before, but another one of our buildings is due
When Plaque is a Good Thing Read More »
For all that Dawson City is celebrated in lore and in history for the Klondike Gold Rush, I venture to say that the place would
Golden Words Helped the Klondike Survive Read More »
(June 1) Rumble of thunder in the sky Perhaps some rain will fall by and by Perhaps there will be lightning And that thought is
Klondike Korner: Poetry Corner Read More »
There are times when life influences art, and times when art influences life. At the Jack London Interpretive Museum in Dawson you can experience both
Klondike Korner: When Life Influences Art and Vice-Versa Read More »
Producer/artistic director Tim Jones is feeling satisfied with this year’s Dawson City Music Festival. 2010
“Accessible” is the Word for this Year’s DCMF Read More »
So the Outhouse Race is over and the last ball tournament of the season has played its final innings. Later today the Goldrush Campground, whose
Dawson Buttons Up for the Coming Winter Read More »
Pierre Berton was, for many years, Dawson’s best-known export and Canada’s best-known media face, better known even than Don Cherry. Having majored in the university
Klondike Korner: Pierre Berton’s Dawson Legacy Read More »
Iremember the steamboats, the old man said. I remember them coming in spring. I remember the paddlewheels churning the water and bringing us many good
The land has its own agenda. Plants find purchase in the disturbed earth and overcome humanity’s intrusions. We are a hiccup in the breath of
When Our Signs Come Down Read More »
My experience in Dawson says we first snow before Thanksgiving. But there are exceptions. One memorable year we had snow early in September
Winter Snow Dropped Early this Year Read More »
Caili Steel is full of good news when we meet at Klondike Kate’s for coffee and a chat during that restaurant’s opening afternoon. “I just
Dawson Poised for a Dramatic Comeback Read More »
It’s Monday afternoon and Evelyn Pollock answers the telephone at the office of the Dawson City Chamber of Commerce. This catches me off stride as
The Gold Show Blooms this Weekend Read More »
Write about things that are going to happen about 10 days after you write them, the editor says. Oh, to be a Nostradamus at such
When will the Ferry Be In? Read More »
Picture this: a journey through time marked in artifacts, some past, some present. On the wormtrail of the tailings, rusted machinery; a memory of dredges
Klondike Korner: Picture This Read More »
There are many gravesites marked on the downhill side of Mary McLeod Road, but the only one with a beaten path to it belongs to
A Teller of Tall Tales Ended his Journey in Dawson City Read More »
Dawson City was founded on the glitter of gold and, so, it is no surprise that the yellow metal gets mentioned a great deal here.
All That Glitters in the Klondike Read More »
As you read these words we have just exited the Bush-designated season for Daylight Saving Time. We are now 20 days away from the start
Klondike Korner: It’s the Bazaar Season in Dawson Read More »
After a career that began when he crawled on stage at the age of 18 months and has hardly slowed at all in the 88
Klondike Korner: The Rooneys Want to Put on a Show Read More »
Poetry à la Commode If you’re looking for good weekend sport then Dawson’s still holding the fort. Be real spiffy and bring your own biffy
When the Outhouses Get Running Read More »
While it’s rare to find a weekend in the Dawson summer when there’s not a major event, things do tend to slow down a bit
The New Faces of Dawson Read More »
Though usually solitary sentinels, except in gift shops, where they line the shelves in mute plastic mimicry, these grey figures cluster in groups on stone
Klondike Korner: Poetry Corner: Inukshuks Read More »
Dawson City has long been known for unique answers to its housing shortage, especially in the summer, when the place is flooded with summer people
The Odd Places Some People Live Read More »
November is always a bazaar month in Dawson. Strangely enough, the word does seem to share the same 16th century Italian root – bazarro –
Klondike Korner: ‘Tis the Season of Bizaarness Read More »
Bug time: The sun is flirting with the edge of the mountain and the heat is leeching out of the day. Insects, paralyzed by the
About a decade ago, the Yukon’s Department of Tourism had a slogan that was supposed to entice people to extend their stay in the territory
Klondike Korner: What is Dawson Time, Anyway? Read More »
The first time you read this might be on Remembrance Day, November 11, a day which has a lot more significance now than it did
This frame once served as a sales pitch to the world. Now, stripped of its painted enticements and weathered to a natural grey, it offers
Klondike Korner: Poetry Corner Read More »
Conservation Klondike has been trying to assist folks in this region to recycle more and throw away less for a number of years now. It
Klondike Korner: It’s a Recycling Depot, Not a Garbage Dump Read More »
Christmas Eve is an ecumenical operation in Dawson City, and St. Paul’s Anglican gets the honour of hosting the 7 pm Carol Service because it
Getting in Tune for Christmas Eve Read More »
BC Radio One has been running a survey to find out when people think it would be okay to play Christmas music, and a lot
Developing a Painless Pageant Read More »
Back in Column #2 of this series, I promised you a couple of moving stories about Dawson buildings. My last column should certainly have made
When the Fire Hall Got Hauled Read More »
It’s that season when Dawsonites don’t quite know what to use to get around. As a case in point, I came out of the General
Dog Teams and River Walkers Make the Crossing Read More »
Darkness is closing in at 4:30 and it’s finally started to get cold here on the week I’m writing this. The cold is a good
It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas Read More »
There are lots of people in Dawson who couldn’t give you street directions to save their lives. Part of the confusion is the problem with
Where Did You Say That Was Read More »
I’m sitting in my trailer in Whitehorse as I type these words, but I can almost hear Buckwheat Donahue hoowwlliingg with delight all the way
A Celebration of Northern Words Read More »
At the last of the Transients’ Weekly Suppers this year, one of the special speakers at the event made reference to the Commissioner’s Residence and
Afternoon and Evening Delight on Commissioner’s Day Read More »
The leaves have exploded this week. Two weeks back they were small brown buds huddling against the nighttime frost, waiting for sunlight. Then the buds
Klondike Korner: Dancing in the Summer Breeze Read More »
When you think about historic photos of the Klondike, most of what comes to mind is from the Gold Rush years or not long after.
Klondike Korner: Visions of Dawson’s Past at the Museum Read More »
Silly question from summer visitor: “What do you do with your ice bridge in the summer?” Snappy reply from Dawsonite: “We cut it into little
Klondike Korner: Ice Bridge Jitters Read More »
When Klondike Visitors Association (KVA) executive director Gary Parker accepted the Tourism Industry Association of Yukon’s (TIAY) Innovator of the Year award on behalf of
Klondike Korner: Tourism Promotion Goes Digital Read More »
Percy deWolfe, known as the Iron Man Mail Carrier, faced many unpredictable moments during his 38 years (1910-1949) on the trail between Dawson and Eagle.
Remembering the Iron Man Read More »
A few weeks before the 2011 Dawson Fur Show, coordinator Miranda Meade isn’t quite sure how many people she can expect to show up for
Showcasing the ‘fur’ North Read More »
Is this what they mean by ‘break-up’?” asked the man. It was March of that particular year, so I was slightly nonplussed. He gestured at
A Different Kind of “Break Up” Read More »
Down in Peterborough Chris Culgin (guitar, fiddle & vocals) of the band called the Avenues is wondering about the daylight situation when we connect on
Klondike Korner: Looking for the Midnight Sun Read More »
As I write these words there is one more day of registration for the 18th annual Trek Over the Top from Tok, Alaska, to Dawson
Klondike Korner: Trekking Over the Top Read More »
It seems only fair to warn strangers to the fair metropolis of Dawson City that there are certain hours of the day when it would
When the Whistle Blows Read More »
Larry Graves and I spoke just after the band’s van had rolled into Sault Ste Marie on its way to Thunder Bay, a nine-hour drive
Something Different Comes to Town Read More »
Once upon a time there was a movie theatre in Dawson City. The Orpheum was located just across Front Street from the Waterfront Building where
Klondike Korner: Movie Nights at the Museum Read More »
The departure of yet another Berton House writer, Jeanne Randolph, brought to my mind the number of writers in residence who have come and gone
They Keep Coming Back Read More »
Jeanne Randolph may have a different working title for the book project she’s writing during her residency at Berton House by the time she reads
Klondike Korner: Jeanne Randolph Analyzes Everything Read More »
The only disappointing thing about the second annual North Words Writers’ Symposium was that it didn’t take place in Dawson City. It was intended that
Klondike Korner: Frontiers of Literature Read More »
Watching visitors to town wander about taking pictures of things that seem quite ordinary to those of us who live here is a reminder that
Early Adventures in Yukon Tourism Read More »
When I began teaching Social Studies 10 while living in Faro, the main text for the geography portion of the course featured a big section
Klondike Korner: Memories of Clinton Creek Read More »
“But this ol’ river keeps on rollin’, though No matter what gets in the way and which way the wind does blow, And as long
Klondike Korner: Just Watchin’ the River Flow Read More »
It is spring in Dawson. People are in shorts and vehicles are turning brown from the middle of the side panels to the tires. New
Klondike Korner: Reflections on a Dawson Spring Read More »
They’ve been sprucing up the front façade of the Palace Grand Theatre recently, sanding off the old stain and lathering on the new. The contractor
Klondike Korner: Getting Ready For the Ball Read More »
Now that the snow is completely gone, it’s a little bit depressing to see how much garbage it was hiding. We had begun to notice
Cleaning up in the Klondike Read More »
Gold Show Ready to Go” (Whitehorse Star, May 26, 1986). My headline had to be in the Star, because the Klondike Sun would not exist
Klondike Korner: Gold Show Turns 25 Read More »
As we get closer to the time when Dawson sees an influx of summer workers, I thought I would take this week to reflect on
Remembering Tent City Read More »
On February 10, about a week after you’ll be reading this, one of the longest rivalries in hockey legend will see another act its 106-year
Klondike Korner: Introducing the Klondike Cup Read More »
“You’re in one of the slides in this presentation,” they told me. This came as a surprise, since it is generally my lot in life
The Mystery of the Four Coffins Explained Read More »
In the afternoon glare of October elongated shadows stretch north across the town,reaching for winter.
In Dawson we usually get 24-hours notice before the George Black ferry gets pulled for the winter. That’s time enough for one last big haul
The Artful Orchestration of Ferry Extraction Read More »
The first Youth Art Enrichment (YAC) week in Dawson City was inspired in the early years of the Klondike Institute of Art and Culture (KIAC)
Art Enrichment Time Read More »
I’m baaack. I hadn’t been in town a day before someone asked me if I’d given up this column. The answer is no. It’s just
Klondike Korner: We Shutter to Think of Winter Read More »
I discovered Google Earth a few years ago. Our son was spending the winter in Fort Nelson and we figured out that Google Earth would
A Dawson Virtual Tour Read More »
This is the time of year when you find people looking at the river and wondering – when? There are different “whens”, of course. I
While doing what I call my Berton House exit interview with Sara Tilley, the latest writer-in-residence, she remarked that one of the things that made
Dawson and the Ted Harrison Effect Read More »
Tis the season to be careful where you walk and where you park here in Dawson. Look up. Look waaay up (with apologies to The
Klondike Korner: Look Out Below! Read More »
The dogs at the Percy DeWolfe starting line must have started getting antsy around 9:15 am on March 24. That’s when our dog, whose mother
Klondike Korner: How the Dogs Love to Run Read More »
I’m writing this column on Robert Service’s birthday, January 16, which is appropriate since the event I wish to describe is the Dawson Community Library’s
Klondike Korner: Preparing for the Double Bob Bash Read More »
Things generally slow down at the Dänojà Zho (Hän for Long Ago House) Cultural Centre once the summer season is over and the tourists are
Dawson’s Got Culture Read More »
One of the last big weekends of this Dawson City summer will be built around an RCMP Regimental Ball, to be held here on August
Remembering the Lost Patrol Read More »
Publishing timelines sometimes just don’t mesh with reality. Ten days ago I could have written three of these advance-notice style columns about the crowded schedule
Memories of Life in Dawson Read More »
Dawson City is famous for the Dawson City Music Festival, which covers a long weekend in July. However, if that’s all we had happening here,
Musical Months in Dawson Read More »
As the summer winds down here in Dawson, and with no special occasion on the horizon, this week seemed a good time to sum up
Ribbons and Scissors Read More »
On August 29 the Klondike School House, called Tr’odek Hatr’unohtan Zho in the Han language, finally got a home. I’m talking about the Dawson campus
Klondike’s Wandering School House Read More »
Our mayor, Peter Jenkins, likes to say that moving the capital city to Whitehorse did Dawson a favour. We lost the politicians but got to
Painting the Public Face of Dawson Read More »
While we are on the cusp of a new gold rush in the Klondike, an era of exploration that is seeing a gradual shift from
A Close Look at the Klondike’s Frozen Gold Read More »
It will have been obvious from my last column that I was truly expecting breakup to have occurred before I got around to writing the
A Look at Dawson’s Dike Read More »
Just had a call from the folks at the Community Gospel Hall to tell us that there were 90 people at this week’s edition of
Feeding Bodies, Hearts and Minds Read More »
The last of the monthly winter coffee house and open mic nights at the Odd Fellows Hall ballroom occurred on May 5. They are a
Making Music in the Ballroom Read More »
You might not expect to have to worry too much about falling snow in the Klondike in April. After all, this is not Alberta, where
Each year, about 8,500 people visit the Discovery Claim on Bonanza Creek, 15 kilometres from where it meets the Klondike River. That’s not bad for
Klondike Korner: Rediscovering the Discovery Claim Read More »
The former Hän fish camp, known today as Tr’ochëk, was designated as a National Historic Site on July 19, 2002, joining the long list of
A Klondike Korner: Honouring Tr’ochëk Read More »
There were about two dozen people at Dawson’s recycling centre over a recent weekend. They were trying to do something about the mess that the
Getting Down with the Trash Read More »
There’s an area of town in Dawson that I like to refer to as the Writers’ Block. I do this because of an inherent weakness
Dawson’s Writers’ Block Read More »
“Gee, but it’s great to be back home” – Paul Simon Waiting for my wife’s plane to land at the airport this afternoon I was
Be It Ever So Wintry, There’s No Place Like Home Read More »
Get myself ready for the October edition of the monthly Coffee House/Open Mic evening in the Oddfellows Hall ballroom.
Music Fills the Klondike this Fall Read More »
It’s the 19th year for Trek Over the Top, and the second year the Klondike Visitors Association (KVA) has the Yukon side of the operation
The Trek Celebrates Year 19 Read More »
The Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in (TH) Heritage department is reviving its Myth and Medium program during the week of February 21 to 23. The program ran for
Myth and Medium Returns to Dawson Read More »
Our dog, Shadow, is outside this afternoon and has been for about half an hour. The sun has reached the point where it actually shines
Sunshine and Shadow in the Winter Read More »
Today was one of those overcast days when the sun didn’t break through and all we got was indirect lighting. When this happens I can’t
A Fortnight in the Freezer Read More »
The 2012 running of the Yukon Quest will launch in Fairbanks on Saturday, February 4. There’s a countdown clock on the Quest website (http://yukonquest.com) indicating
Klondike Korner: Preparing for the Quest Read More »
welcome to a new year of news and musing from the Klondike, where the most descriptive word for the several weeks seems to be “snow”.
Lots of Snow in the Klondike Read More »
There are two types of starting line for the annual Percy DeWolfe Memorial Mail Race events. The first one is a timed individual start on
Mass Confusion at the Percy Junior Race Read More »
“Like all famous sons, Pierre Berton sometimes gets a mixed reception in his home town, but you’d never have known it to hear the spontaneous
The Origins of Berton House: Part 1 Read More »
As we close in on Easter Weekend, otherwise known locally as the Dawson City International Short Film Festival (DCISFF), I have to wonder if Dawson’s
It’s hard to think of an icy road as being anything but dangerous, but that’s not always the case. In Dawson City it can go
Driving Depends on Icy Conditions Read More »
Thaw di Gras (sometimes misspelled Thaw di Graw, especially in Manitoba) is the peculiar name Dawson City gives its spring carnival. The event will be
What is Thaw di Gras, Anyway? Read More »
When I left off with this history of the Berton House, Pierre Berton had bought back his childhood home for $50,000 in 1989 and donated
The Origins of Berton House: Pt. 2 Read More »
“We had a vision in the fall, last year, of building an outdoor classroom at Robert Service School,” Hän Language teacher Melissa Hawkins explained to
A Vision Becomes a Reality at the Gathering Place Read More »
Doris Roberts hates to fly, but when it came time to go to Tanacross, Alaska, to retrieve the songs and stories that Chief Isaac had
Saving a Language and a Culture Read More »
There’s a lot more than gold in them thar hills and creeks in the Klondike. Aside from all kinds of other minerals that just don’t
Miners Have a Bone to Pick with Pre-History Read More »
Sewing Our Traditions: Dolls of Canada’s North will be on display at Dawson’s Dänojà Zho Cultural Centre until September 21, held over from the centre’s
It has, unfortunately, been a number of years since a really top-notch piece of stagecraft graced the boards at the Palace Grand Theatre on a
Picking the Greatest Klondiker Read More »
A combination of literary, historic, sports, and arts related activities have created a five-day visitor attraction filled with annual events.
Gallery Hopping as a Discovery Event Read More »
Dawson survives as it does because it had prominent champions among the wordsmiths of the 20th century. Without the stories of Jack London, the poetry
Taking a Walk Along Writers’ Block Read More »
“I was born under a tree (on September 6, 1920), way up the MacMillan River, at Russell Creek,” J.J. Van Bibber told the Klondike Sun
The Storyteller’s Story Read More »
The Dawson Daily News building shut down as an operating business in 1954, a casualty of Dawson losing its Yukon capital status to Whitehorse. The
Celebrating Print and Publishing at the Daily News Read More »
Welcome to another peek at my corner of the Klondike. Apparently this little column is getting a bit of notice, since my absence last issue
An Art Invasion is Coming to Dawson Read More »
Around this time of year I usually devote a few columns to some of the literary lions that have helped to make Dawson City famous
How Scrooge Made his Fortune Read More »
In its 10th year, the Yukon Riverside Arts Festival, has made a few changes intended to give people more to do, as opposed to just
ArtsFest Aims to Carve Itself a New Emphasis Read More »
I managed to mow our lawn before the rain began to sprinkle this morning and was pleased to find that several of the dog damaged
Dawson Blooms in the Summer Read More »
I was enjoying an hour’s quiet reading on our front deck last week when a familiar French-Canadian voice hailed me from the street. I wasn’t
The Berton House Boomerang Effect Read More »
It’s a slow Sunday afternoon and Michael Mason is a little discouraged at the low turnout for his one-man art show at the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in
Michael Mason’s Single Line Read More »
At the turn of the 19th century the federal government was anxious to establish that the Yukon was a valued part of the nation. Even
Dawson Museum Celebrates 50 Years Read More »
As the calendar moves inexorably towards Canada Day, with all the busyness of the holiday combined with the Yukon Goldpanning Championships, which fill up much
A Klondike Korner: When Dawson Celebrated Independence Day Read More »
There are, as Robert Service noted, strange things done ‘neath the Midnight Sun. There have also been some strange things written, not the least of
The “True” Tale of Diamond Lil Read More »
If you want to get a really good look at Dredge #4 on the Bonanza Road, this summer is the time to do it. This
See the Dredge, While You Can Read More »
Having spent a bit of time in Scotland, I can attest that the scenery in the Highlands bears more than a passing resemblance to the
Breakup is usually followed by a week of damp chilliness as the cool air moving off the exposed river hits the town, but this year
Here in the Klondike we are currently forging through Advent and into the Christmas season. The month of the Christmas bazaars – otherwise known as
It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like “You Know What” Read More »
Last night I attended the delightful Dawson City showing of the David Mamet play, Boston Marriage. Two days earlier the KIAC Christmas Art and Craft
A Gift from the Odd Fellows Read More »
I finally managed to spot the place where they are crossing the Yukon River yesterday (November 19). I’ve been hearing stories of people making the
The Ice Bridge Begins Read More »
First, and most obviously, it is now attached to its sister institution, the new campus for Yukon College (or Tr’odek Hatr’unohtan Zho), as noted here
Another Housing Crunch Read More »
Hardly anyone knows more about Dawson’s cemeteries than Ed and Star Jones. These days the Joneses live in Santa Fe, New Mexico. They don’t commute
Remarkable Dedication in the Dead Centre of Town Read More »
It figures. Leave town for a week and they change things. In this case, it’s the boardwalks they’re changing, and I can’t complain about that
Boardwalks and Visitors Read More »
In early February the sun begins to kiss the streets in Dawson City. It’s been lurking along the tops of the hills for some time,
Dawson Goes to the Dogs Read More »
Here in Dawson we’re into the second year of working with the Home Routes organization to stage a series of House Concerts. These help to
The Joys of a Good House Concert Read More »
It’s always interesting to learn how other people see us. Three creative spirits passed our way a couple of weeks ago and left us with
How Others See Us PDF Read More »
The 10th Moosehide Gathering will take place at Moosehide (where else?) from July 29 to Aug. 1. Moosehide is located five kilometres downstream from Dawson
Tr’ondek Hwich’in Celebrate at Moosehide Read More »
BY DAN DAVIDSON Who visits the neighbours at five a.m., exciting the watchers in the lane? They pass the word from house to house, so
Klondike Korner: Wake-up Call Read More »
There is service at the battlefront, a Calling to be sure, though not for God and Glory, that old lie from days of yore. Those
The Best Remembrance Read More »