Gurdeep Pandher was one of the first people I met when I moved to the Yukon. I walked into a Scottish country barn dance at the Old Fire Hall, in Whitehorse, and here was a guy in the remote North in his pagri, at an event, sitting and absorbing the dances and people.
What is one to expect when one decides to go to a 2018 Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous event in November?The Ultimate Lip Sync Battle!
Genevieve Fleming is counting on Whitehorse audiences to take in the upcoming Guild Theatre production, even if just to indulge in some cold-weather Schadenfreude. In one sense, the Vancouver-based director suggested in an interview, staging French existentialist Jean-Paul Sartre’s 1944 play, No Exit, is like holding a mirror up to our own society. “We, the …
Ulrike Levins (left) and others celebrate completing the Yukon Anti-Poverty Coalition’s Voices Influencing Change program PHOTO: Courtesy of Yukon Anti-Poverty Coalition Life isn’t always kind and rosy. Each of us experiences things we would rather not and, as a result, have a story to tell. These challenges sometimes leave deep hurts, wounds and scars that …
Landing in Whitehorse for the first time, Henry Navarro Delgado arrived in the Yukon knowing nothing about the place. Delgado wanted to remain as open-minded as possible when he settled into the coveted Junction Artist in Residence (JAR) Program in Haines Junction.
Upper Tanana artist Teresa Vander Meer-Chassé has teamed up with Whitehorse-based artist Nicole Bauberger to create a scavenger hunt of installations and events this fall. The artists began collaborating a year ago around the idea that the shattered tire fragments you find by the side of the road resemble ravens. They began exploring the material’s …
I’ve already mentioned how easy it was to provoke calls on my radio open-line show in Charlottetown in the 1970s, by inviting listeners to share either recipes or gardening tips. One desperate morning, I stumbled across a topic that lit up the switchboard for three days before I had to call a halt. I started …
Open Pit Theatre is excited to be taking their play, Busted Up: A Yukon Story, on the road. They’ll be coming to Dawson City on September 29, Carcross on October 2 and will be back in Whitehorse for a show on October 3. The play already premiered in 2017, as part of Canada 150, playing …
The Yukon portion of Culture Days will happen at numerous locations around Whitehorse on the last weekend in September as part of a national effort to increase participation in arts and culture. The event was created in response to the success of Québec’s Journées de la culture weekend that first took place in 2007. Michelle …
The 2018 Moosehide Gathering in Dawson City was, once again, a smashing success. The local Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in relocated to Moosehide, two miles north of Dawson City on the Yukon River, during the gold rush of 1898, to escape the insanity of thirty-thousand lousy, drunken gold-hungry stampeders. It is a refuge for Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in, and the …
An expert panel on how Canadians cope with the day-to-day realities of climate change was released last week, and the Yukon has a place at the table.
Our long time “Didee and Didoo” cartoonist and poet Allan Benjamin from Old Crow is excited to introduce his new Shoo’ii and Sheek’aii cartoons and poems. These new characters will appear in Gwich’in and English.
First Nations artists and performers, from across the North, will gather with artists from around the world for the Great Northern Arts Festival on July 13–22.
The Land and Light Gallery, part of MacBride’s new expansion, will open July 5 and will feature 11 of Ted Harrison’s paintings.
The 2018 Adäka Cultural Festival is just around the corner! The annual multi-disciplinary arts and culture festival will be held this summer from June 29 to July 5 at its idyllic location, the Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre located on Whitehorse’s beautiful waterfront.
Tamika Knutson is a Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in citizen who began her art training at the Yukon School of Visual Arts, in Dawson City.
On June 7, the Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous (YSR) will host their first spring auction, a must-add for everyone’s calendar.
For 22 years and going strong, LePage Park has become a hub for arts and culture during the summer months. The new season of Arts in the Park launches on May 22 with a free barbecue.
On May 18, the Indigenous Music Awards will return to Winnipeg with awards in 19 categories that honour music that has been created by First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples of Turtle Island.
In Swakopmund, Germany and Namibia come together like the Namib Desert and the ocean just outside the town. If you didn’t know that this is an African country, you would think that it’s a town somewhere in Germany.
There’s a furry addition to Team Yukon’s uniforms as they march into the opening ceremony of the Arctic Winter Games in the Northwest Territories on March 18. Athletes will sport fur pom-poms made from wolf pelts harvested in the Haines Junction area and sewn onto their hats by members of the community.
The Yukon’s inaugural 2018 Fur Ball is from the creative minds behind the UnFURled project, and will give Yukon fur-fans a chance to show off their styles.
The Strength and Style competition is a popular event and whether you’re new or old to the Yukon, it brings people together.
The Chinese New Year is the celebration of the Lunar New Year and considered the beginning of spring. Due to the Chinese calendar’s reliance on the lunisolar cycle, which is based on the exact astronomical observations of the sun’s longitude and the Moon’s phases, the new year is a floating date and usually occurs between …
The Rendezvous event called Her Majesty’s Royal Feast is an elegant evening with a 5-course meal on Feb. 13 at the KDCC In its second year, Her Majesty’s Royal Feast was created to give the Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous Queen candidates a high class venue to deliver one of the most important components of the competition: …
Christmas is in the air and for many Yukoners that means either a chance to reconnect with family and friends, deepen their faith in Christianity or a combination of the two. For people from all denominations and belief systems it’s a civic holiday that can mean an extra day or two off work or the …
With over 280,000 visitors and 1,000 authors, the Frankfurt Book Fair is the largest book fair in the world and an important event for international trade deals, with over 7 000 exhibitors from 100 nations, according to the fair website.
Katherine McCallum performs The Syringa Tree, Nov 8 to 26 at the Courts Theatre
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 relatively short. Entrepreneurial minds knew of more efficient and less-labour intensive ways of getting gold from the ground, and it wasn’t long before the arrival of the dredges in the …
Ross River musician Dennis Shorty grew up in a musical family that spoke Kaska and performed at social events. Now he is sharing his love of the language through the musical duo he formed with his wife, Jennifer Froehling, is called Dena Zagi, meaning “people’s voice”. In August, they toured in Germany with their first …
Carnival is a massive street party that falls the week before Ash Wednesday, which is in late February/early March, and is observed annually in many countries around the world. It is celebrated with especially great vigor in Trinidad and Tobago. It’s basically a culturally-rich party parade, filled with beautifully diverse people in elaborate costumes dancing …
As someone who has always been very interested in Yukon history the Fort Selkirk Historic Site was definitely on the list of places we wanted the visit during the year we lived in the Yukon. But how to get there since there is no road access? Located near the confluence of the Yukon and the …
If you’re a Yukon resident, you’ve no doubt walked, biked or skied the trodden path of the Miles Canyon trail. Perhaps you’ve observed the gradient of the canyon’s rocky columns, watched canoeists paddling from atop the suspension bridge, or glanced down at the emerald waters pulsing below. But have you ever had the firsthand experience …
The biannual Haa Ḵusteeyí Celebration and community gathering in Teslin this month presents a unique opportunity for Yukoners of all backgrounds to connect with the Tlingit community. “Everyone is welcome. We want everybody here. We want to share and showcase our culture to the world,” says Melaina Sheldon, community arts and events coordinator at the …
Celebrate National Tlingit Day with a Fun Packed Weekend in Teslin Read More »
When Telek Rogan decided to run for Rendezvous Queen in the 2017 Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous competition, she did so as a celebration of who she had become. Talking with me about it, Rogan has no problem articulating the changes that have shaped her. “I’ve done a lot of transitioning in my life. I became a …
When Leonard Linklater was growing up in Inuvik, NWT, there was one radio station on the dial. The CBC. Through the airwaves, Indigenous voices carried messages and music. “Louis Goose, Les Carpentier, they were all on the air! I was used to hearing Indigenous voices. Not a lot of them – the main broadcasters were …
Take some time off work – that’s the only way you’ll be able to enjoy all the programming offered by the Adäka Cultural Festival this month. That’s the suggestion from Lynn Feasey, director of arts for Yukon First Nations Culture and Tourism Association, which hosts the festival each year. Feasey is joking, but, looking at …
The cancan that began as an 1830s dance craze in Paris was a direct revolt against the rules imposed by men, society, press, clergy and narrow-minded citizens. From the beginning the cancan was a statement, and it became a symbolic statement through the various revolutions and movements from that point forward. As the great cancan …
Multifaceted, multicultural and full of ingenuity – the arts and music community of the Yukon is widely appreciated, well-funded and extensively advertised. At least, some parts of it. At the colder, less hospitable edges of the creative community, less radio-friendly fringe groups vie for funding, airplay and stage-time. Among these groups is the raucously passionate …
A mural festival in the Yukon will draw artists, youth, and the general public together to decorate some buildings in Whitehorse with a colourful palette. The 2-month long Yukon Heritage Mural Art Festival is kicking off on Saturday, and organizers are inviting anyone and everyone to pop by, check out what’s going on, pick up …
As I was trying on new glasses a few weeks ago at Northern Lights Optometry, fashion specialist Katie Pope helped me. I liked her instantly and I complimented her on her extraordinary sense of style. On my next visit (according to Katie many people take choosing a new pair of glasses very seriously, and come …
Reclaiming Male Role Models is a podcast created by Bob Schwenkler. I discovered it in 2014 when I became dissatisfied with my options for men modeling healthy masculinity in our culture and began actively seeking men I could look up to and even follow their example. Schwenkler himself was in a similar place. Embarking on …
… et des célébrations Pour la 11ème édition, l’AFY et ses organismes partenaires, bien rôdés dans l’organisation de l’événement, ont voulu apporter de la nouveauté. Finis les longs discours de remerciements, ces derniers, raccourcis au maximum, laissent dorénavant place aux festivités : vendredi 12 mai, dès 16h15, une réelle chasse aux trésors, destinée aux familles, …
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 Vanishing Alaska Highway Lodge Community (published last month, Lost Moose, 240 pages, $24.95). They’ve taken an idea that I turned into a measly two or three columns in the Whitehorse …
Chronicling the Vanishing Alaska Highway Lodge Community Read More »
Take the Gwich’in language challenge. It’s a challenge from Norman Snowshoe, the former Gwich’in Tribal Council vice president. He said, “If you learn one Gwich’in word a day, at the end of the year you’ve learned 365 Gwich’in words.” Jacey Firth-Hagen, 23, jumped to the challenge. She started a social media based movement, called Speak …
Allow me to take you back in time to when the words of today had a great difference in meaning… Close your eyes… and go back in time… before the internet, Mac, Dreamcast, Playstation or Nintendo 64… away back, I’m talking hide and seek at dusk… hopscotch, Double Dutch, jacks, kickball, mother may I, Red …
On some days, the wind blows from the north. A Whitehorse legend that drifts down the road is this: music and art are taught with passion and respected for their true value. Are there really open mic nights happening all over town? Was it true that graffiti doesn’t get covered up after two days? After …
Stories are invaluable teachers, says B.C. author Caroline Woodward, they have the ability to “give us whole worlds.” Old stories, too, are relevant artefacts that help us gain perspective on how much, or how little, progress we have made. Fictional stories, the writer continues, are able to relate emotive experiences in a way that nonfiction …
“Artists show the world unseen,” says Tahltan First Nation artist Rhoda Merkel. “Teachers show students a better form of themselves.” Merkel, who was raised in Whitehorse but lives in Atlin, combines both talents in her newest project, the Sam Johnston Storytelling Festival, which takes place Tuesday, March 7 in Teslin. The festival is a collaboration, …
The event’s honoured figure, Sam Johnston, is a venerated elder within the Teslin Community. He has been a politician, athlete and former chief of the Teslin Tlingit Council, as well as a celebrated community figure. “The goal of this day is to share some stories with (Johnston), make him feel special and thank him for …
Butterflies, Ravens and Tlingit Princesses – Oh My! Read More »
DOG CULTURE: Submitted by Carl Maguire “I’m not bump starting your damn motorcycle. Its winter you idiot!” Or Seemed Like A Good Idea… Maybe Not. Norton, circa 1995. What’s Up Yukon is pleased to partner with the Yukon Transportation Museum’s Dog Culture Display, “Yukon’s Best Friend: Doggedness in Love and Labour”. Your photos will be on display at …
He would leave home at 6:30 a.m. and return at 10 or 11 p.m. When Japan’s economy faltered, he wanted a change. He came to Canada, trained as a mountain guide, and moved to the Yukon to set up its Yamnuska branch in 2007. Today, he still works in an office, marketing and organizing. “But …
Like the Beauty of the Yukon? You’ll Love Hiking Japan Read More »
Now he is upgrading his education and learning English at the Yukon College in preparation to study pharmacy. He concentrates to force his hand write left to right, which is opposite to Arabic, as he writes out the names of his family. At school, it’s impossible to overlook Hasan’s notoriety. “We’re famous now.” He shifts …
I remember well while hunting with Gary Sam he suddenly jumped off his horse and ran into the bush. “I got it,. We ate well that night!
The Pivot Theatre Festival – Nakai Theatre’s annual performance showcase – begins a seven-night run this weekend in multiple Whitehorse venues. In addition to smaller-scale offerings such as a theatrical pub walk, an evening of spoken word material and a “speed-friending” event called Stranger Connections, the festival will feature the three major pieces, including: A …
The Yukon First Nation Culture and Tourism Association is looking for artists, artisans, musicians and performers from the Yukon and abroad to be part of the seventh annual Adäka Cultural Festival, which takes place at the Kwanlin Dun Cultural Centre from June 30th to July 6th. “We generally reach out to the well-established group …
“While a part of me was glad I wasn’t like my brother, no part of me wished to be more fortunate than my mother. To be luckier than her was to be different from her, it was to be apart from her, it was to have a life that would take me away from her. …
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 Yukon Government, the Klondike Placer Miners Association and citizen reps from both Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in and the Dawson community. There is also a project management team, and much of the actual …
The Klondike Continues to Prepare for World Heritage Status Read More »
It’s a long time before a fashion designer will stage a runway down a catwalk of the snow-laden Millennium Trail, yet the Yukon does uphold a clothing culture. Our style parallels our environment. This leads Yukoners to a distinctive style. If there were fashion police upholding the laws of Yukon style, any Yukoner without an …
My African friends think that Yukoners are cannibals. When I told them the story about the Sourtoe Cocktail I expected the usual reaction: laughter and amusement. But instead I got wide-open eyes and mouths asking me: “You did this?” they asked me. “You drank this human-cocktail?” I did my best to explain the history behind …
DOG CULTURE: Submitted by Natalya Keller I read that you are looking for dog pictures for your Dog Culture exhibition. I had a recreational dog team for the past 12 years. My dogs are not racing dogs or Quest dogs but touring/ trekking dogs. Here is a picture of the team tired after a sledding tour. What’s Up Yukon is pleased to partner with the …
Yukon’s Best Friend: DOG CULTURE, Natalya Keller Read More »
The Yukon is recognized for its rich cultural diversity, and you are invited to experience it during the seventh national Culture Days and Doors Open celebration, from Friday, September 30 through to Sunday, October 2. “The best place to start your Culture Days experience is at The Old Fire Hall,” says Michele Emslie, co-ordinator and …
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. Between 1909 and 1927, he produced some genre material: adventure, mystery, science fiction and horror. The first of these was The Trail of 98: a Northland Romance, written in his …
The Trail of 98 Shows Another Side of Robert W. Service Read More »
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 oldtimer might be forgiven for assuming it’s some new bedtime potion to …
DOG CULTURE: Submitted by Barabra Phillips Thembi, my Bernedoodle on a hike near Tutshi Lake What’s Up Yukon is pleased to partner with the Yukon Transportation Museum’s Dog Culture Display, “Yukon’s Best Friend: Doggedness in Love and Labour”. Your photos will be on display at the dog culture exhibit so be sure to stop in Sundays & Mondays 12-5. Selected submissions …
Yukon’s Best Friend: DOG CULTURE, Barabra Phillips Read More »
Harlan Pruden and Marney Paradis are PhD program at UBC. Pruden gave a talk to a group of peers – including Marney – after class once. As Pruden describe it, upon hearing the presentation, Paradis’s mind was blown. Two-Spirit People, Then and Now: Sex, Gender and Sexuality in Historical and Contemporary Native America is the …
From July 28 to 31 the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in First Nation will welcome everyone to their traditional territory. The First Nation is hosting the 13th biennial Moosehide Gathering, taking place at Moosehide Village, which is located 3 km downriver from Dawson City by boat, or 4.5 km by forest trail. Entry and camping is free. During …
Director Daniel Cross visits the southern United States with his latest documentary I am The Blues (2016), highlighting living blues legends in the heart of American music origins. As it became more ingrained into the South’s economy during the antebellum years in the early to late 1800s, the cultivation of cotton brought a heavy concentration …
This year the Yukon Film Society (YFS) returns to the Adäka Cultural Festival with more First Nations programming. The collaboration between Adäka and YFS allows all the screenings to be free. Screenings run July 3 and 4 at the Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre during the festival, which takes place July 1 to 7. Screenings begin …
2016 Adӓka Cultural Festival: Kaska drummer Dennis Shorty , Gwich’in fiddler Boyd Benjamin, & Inuit throat-singer Kathleen Merritt
I would like to revoke the claim I made in my introduction about being a seasoned traveller, because I have made an embarrassingly rookie mistake. Today I write you from a vibrant cultural hotbed, as per the plan. Unfortunately, it is not Reykjavik – my expired passport has necessitated that my three-day layover in Montreal …
Back for a third year, the annual Whitehorse Nuit Blanche all-night arts festival brings together national and local artists for an unforgettable solstice weekend. Fancy yourself a night owl? Get ready for 12 hours of engaging and artsy fun as you wander downtown to see exhibits take over Whitehorse. You’d rather go to bed early …
DOG CULTURE: Submitted by Shirley Dawson Remington Our dog’s name is Remington and we believe he is a Chesapeake Bay Retriever mix- we got him through the animal Shelter here in Whitehorse when he was just a pup. Remington just turned 7 years old in January 2016. Since we got Remington he has been with us …
Yukon’s Best Friend: DOG CULTURE, Shirley Dawson Read More »
Ever wanted to toss a log or throw a 20-pound rock? Top of the World Highland Games and Celtic Festival in Dawson City is for you.
Hvernig segir maður, “I’m completely lost” á íslensku? What’s that, you say? Icelandic is one of the most difficult languages to learn? On second thought, perhaps I’ll just fall back on the old standard; hand gestures and a confused, perpetually apologetic expression. Hi, I’m Willow, a fairly well-travelled Yukoner who will be guest-writing this column …
The Folk Society of Whitehorse has been hosting the famous Yukon-Alaska Coffee House for more than 25 years. This event features two coffee house evenings, back-to-back, in Skagway and Whitehorse. The Yukon evening of talent, which takes place on Saturday, will also serve as the finale to a series of Whitehorse coffee houses that happen …
Gwaandak Theatre is known for producing high quality, thought provoking and original productions. A large portion of its mandate is to help cultivate Aboriginal and Northern artists gain professional experience and exposure on stages close and far from home. Now celebrating their 15th year, Gwaandak continues to cultivate new theatre and artists with Its Exploring …
Japan is a country that is rich in history and has made quite the presence within popular Western culture. Think ninjas, samurai warriors, cherry blossoms, sushi, anime – the list goes on. On April 2 you can experience many of the wonderful things Japan has to offer at the festival hosted by the Japanese Canadian …
Having reached a certain age, I’m grateful for the younger, hipper people in my life who update me up on popular culture. My friend Katie is such a person. She told me about Groupons, longboards, and Snapchat. Long before the last federal election, she explained to me what cage fighting was. She expands my slang …
Often mistaken for the French version of the Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous Festival, Les Rendez-vous de la Francophonie (RVF), from March 3rd to 23rd, is a national initiative lead by the Canadian Foundation for Cross-Cultural Dialogue. The RVF is an event surrounding the Journée Internationale de la Francophonie (March 20), which is organized every year around …
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 organized by the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in’s Heritage Department and focusing on the performing arts. It’s not too late to take in some of the culture. The week’s performance workshops continue on …
Myth and Medium Focuses on Stories and Performance Read More »
When the detection of gravitational waves was announced earlier this month, the space community rejoiced. They cried out, “Einstein was right!” and “This changes everything we know about space.” For me, this announcement had the resonance of a hockey score between two teams I didn’t know existed. Space isn’t my thing. It doesn’t excite me. …
photos from Old Crow, Yukon Territory, and Inuvik, Northwest Territories from youth workshops held by BYTE
Blair Douglas and Carly Woolner are hoping you’ll join them outside to have some fun this weekend. They are organizing the second annual edition of The (s)hiver Winter Arts Festival, taking place in Dawson City on Jan. 30 and 31. “We want to get people out to celebrate when everything is shut down and quiet,” …
Arts Underground celebrated 10 years with the launch of a show called ten. ten features art by the Yukon Arts Society Members.
In his most recent show, Jesse Devost investigates how we gather and hold images in our mind. Optic Nerve, showing at Arts Underground until Nov. 28, explores how the optic nerve continuously captures images and transmits them to the brain, regardless of whether the brain can handle them. His art employs a variety of mediums, …
Yukon First Nations are planning ways to offer authentic cultural experiences for visitors. The plan to bolster cultural tourism among the Yukon First Nations has been in the works for a while, but this week people from across the Yukon Territory are getting together for a conference in Whitehorse to discuss ways to strengthen this …
During the late 1600s, over 2,000 coffee houses existed in London, England. For a country whose popular culture is associated with tea, it is remarkable to discover that London had such a earnest affair with coffee. Aside from the warm beverage, the coffee houses were places where people of intellect would discuss ideas. If you …
Between September 25th and 27th the Whitehorse arts and cultural community will present a diverse array of activities to celebrate Culture Days. Launched in 2009, Culture Days is an annual call out to arts and culture organizations across Canada to open their doors, curate an exhibition, develop workshops, or otherwise showcase their contributions to Canadian …
Whitehorse is about to get a dose of Japanese culture from the upcoming Festival of Taiko Drumming. June 11 to 13 will see the Japanese Canadian Association of Yukon host the world-renowned drumming group, Uzume Taiko, for a series of workshops and concerts. Canada’s first professional taiko drumming group, Uzume Taiko has released four CDs, …
It’s her first day on the job and Chantal Rondeau is starting with a list of the Yukon’s 14 First Nations. “I cross them off when I get a piece of their clothing on the runway,” she says. The producer of the Adäka Fashion Show, the splashy finale of the upcoming Adäka Cultural Festival, June …
While many artists who find their way to Whitehorse are from nearby communities, Hemant Puri is making a special trip from the far reaches of the globe. The Indian artist will take flights, stopovers, connections, and jet lag in stride to make it in time for a 12-hour non-stop performance, “Bollywood Night,” for Whitehorse Nuit …
Krista Reid has worked since last June to ensure the memorial exhibition known as Walking With Our Sisters would be “a space to create a personal journey” of awareness and healing. “It’s an opportunity for those who have been in violent situations, or have lost loved ones to violence, to provide a place of honouring, …
Anthropologists need not travel to New Guinea to research the subtleties of human societies; plenty of culture can be witnessed at the local saloon. Among the chivalrous traditions, the bar-set prides itself on is its refusal to let a compatriot drink alone. “Want another one, Hank?” the bartender says. Hank, casts a glance at Stu …
Editor’s Note: When Jason Westover visited Elizabeth Kaye recently, he suggested he would love to know more about her life besides her passion for moccasin-making. This inspired her to write the following article at the family camp down-river of Old Crow. As a Gwich’in child I lived a nomadic lifestyle in the Northwest Territories since …
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 Hostel and attend Dawson Public School — the only public school in the territory they were allowed to attend between 1920 and 1952. While the stories from the hostel don’t …
When I first travelled to Canada and the United States I was impressed with the service I got — from the smallest breakfast restaurant, to a fancy steakhouse. Among other things, I enjoyed being called “sweetie” and “honey,” by servers, and I found North Americans have higher standards than Germans. Back in Germany I told …
CULTURE CAMP IF YOU GO TO THE CULTURE CAMP YOU WILL FEEL LIKE A CHAMP. IT IS IN AN OUTDOOR SCHOOL BUT IT IS REALLY COOL. YOUR CLASS WILL BE OUTSIDE AND YOU WILL LEARN WITH PRIDE. IT’S THE STUDENTS WISH TO CAMP OUT IN THE BUSH. YOU WILL SLEEP IN A TENT AND YOU’LL …
If you need a break from winter’s dominating shades of grey, a collection of paintings at the Yukon Arts Centre will remind you how colourful the Northern landscape is during the rest of the year. The centre is hosting two solo shows featuring the work of icksYellowknife artist Jennifer Walden and Yukon artist Jane Isakson. …
A long time ago, Deb Jutra was at the T&M Hotel when a visitor said to her, “This is amazing, I see seven different cultures here and they are all getting along.” “Oh, yeah,” said Jutra, not in a surprised way but, rather, in an “of course” kind of way. “In the Yukon, we are …
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 roaming the creeks since 1898 and show no signs of stopping, but the short life of Viceroy’s Brewery Creek Mine and the short lived Clinton Creek asbestos mine tend to …
I am a geek. I’ve travelled the length and breadth of the geeky spectrum. In my teens I was cooping myself up in darkened basements, surrounded by junk food and simulated adventuring detritus. My equally dorky pals would pour through ludicrously detailed rule books, while we argued over endless arcane vagaries. From comic books and …
Philippe’s Bicycle Repair occupies a modest little house on Wood Street. The front yard is filled with many bike parts, but they are not strewn about as one might expect; rather, they are arranged – designed to catch the eye and imaginations of those who pass by. Inside, Philippe Leblond, the owner, builds and repairs …
It had to happen. After all, it was only a matter of time. This is the sad lament of someone’s subculture becoming even more dorky than its original conception. Yes, I’m talking about gamers. And by “gamers”, I’m encompassing the entire spectrum of geekery – from rolling mitt-fulls of dice, in darkened basements, to making …
What do you do if your family is “the most apologized-to family in Canada?” If you’re Mitch Miyagawa, local writer and filmmaker, you create a documentary about it. Miyagawa’s documentary, A Sorry State, chronicles his family’s experience of receiving three official government apologies for historical injustices: one issued to his First Nations stepmother for the …
As nine-year-old Alexis Crystal Jim focuses on picking up a brilliant blue bead with her sewing needle and fastening it to a piece of hide, the women several decades older than her chat and laugh and sew. And as the time flies by, the little girl soaks up traditional knowledge and the Southern Tutchone language …
Local photographer Lisa Marino believes in the power of her medium. According to her, photographs are a “universal language” in which people from a variety of backgrounds can experience commonality. “Eight different people from eight different cultures can all look at the same picture and understand it,” says Marino. As such, photographers can be, among …
There is a world when people close their eyes and open their hearts, to see – Raistlen Jones, artist’s statement. That land is Tir’Nan’Og. Whitehorse painter and sculptor Raistlen Jones has seen it, felt it, and is now sharing it with a wider world. Jones, 30, has been inspired by visions of the mystical Celtic …
What do pictures of people’s houses, art workshops, guest speakers and sandwiches have in common with each other and the concept of multiculturalism? Yukon College hopes to answer this question—and spark many more—with its Yukon Cultures Connect Project. The project aims to build bridges among different cultural groups, foster public discussion about diversity and help …
You’ve just stepped off the plane in Whitehorse from your home in the Circumpolar North. You’re excited and proud to represent your region at the Arctic Winter Games (maybe a bit nervous as well), and you’re looking forward to everything the week has to offer. Once you’ve had a chance to strut your stuff at …
If you’ve ever been to a Belgian beer bar you know that those Belgians have a different glass for every type of beer, bless their souls. It seems gimmicky, but they take their beer seriously. I was in Brussels during the Brussels Beer Weekend in the balmy month of September a few years ago. The …
