In the old days–good or otherwise–interpersonal connections were via letter or phone or face-to-face. Now there are any number of interactions that can take place online and can lead to connections with real people. For example, Facebook, where you can use your trigger finger to like what you see. You may get a momentary buzz of …
This is a phrase I have said, myself, as I rolled my eyes. We have all read stories and watched sitcoms where adult children are saying this to their friends, clearly intimating that the upcoming visit will be difficult. And it always was, when my mother came to visit. But now the shoe is …
It is quite rare for physical conflict to be the first manifestation of violence. Generally speaking, violence develops gradually.
There’s only one place you’ll find the best Yukon woman, and that’s at the dump, looking for parts. If she’s ripping the ball joint off an old Ford, then you’ve got it made.
Fishing for youngsters may be their first glimpse of ethics and responsible behaviour in relation to nature.
I need a little help here, folks. Valentine’s Day has already come and gone, but it’s left me in a bit of a quandary.
Once again I was about to die. Like every other literary artist before me I was about to die forgotten in a ditch at the side of the Trans-Canada Highway, beneath a blackened train trestle and a faded “dew worms for sale” sign, with a bullet in my brain. At least I didn’t have to …
“Come as you are, bring a friend or a parent or a daughter or a nephew, and be prepared to be blown away by NYO Canada’s talented and passionate young musicians,” says Blanche Israël, external relations manager at the National Youth Orchestra (NYO) of Canada. The August 10th concert at the Yukon Arts Centre will …
In life there can be many instances one regrets. Such as accidentally sending a text to the wrong person, or throwing out an ill received joke. Or, uttering the thought, “Let’s get a second dog.” Before we knew it, the puppy was arriving. Aside from another dog bed and Puppy Chow, we really hadn’t thought …
Times have changed since 1933. Monopoly was invented, Joan Collins; Joan Rivers; and Willie Nelson were born. So was this columns author.
I wanted to make people communicate better – with me and with each other. I didn’t see myself as the problem here.
Breasts, boobs, tits, tatas. Mind the title, because, yes, this really is a story about tits, but it’s also, oh! so much more than that. Because, what are breasts to women? I won’t overstep boundaries and assume to know everyone’s relationship with their own; however, whether we have them or we don’t, and no matter …
Growing up is hard. And the microcosm of high school — with its changing expectations and responsibilities and the push-pull of social dynamics, while, at the same time, you’re trying to establish emotional coping mechanisms and, above all, dealing with the omnipresent questions about the rest of life…? Phew. It’s exhausting just reading that, nevermind …
A graduate of the Porter Creek Secondary School in the Class of 2009, Nicole Grove, 26, has always been physically strong. Back in 2003, in the days of Hidden Valley Elementary School, Nicole was a gold medalist in the Annual Yukon Wrestling Tournament. In training, she competed with the boys and in a game of …
When Hélène met François, she’d been dreaming of a long-distance bicycle trip for years. I think the fact that François was an experienced cyclist just maybe added to the attraction. Within 18 months, they had sold almost everything they owned, and loaded what they couldn’t or didn’t want to sell into their car, parked it …
Let Me Get to Know You. How About a Little Bicycle Trip? Read More »
“Stories are not only words, you know. Words are just the clothes that people drape on stories.” – Brian Doyle, author of Mink River I was drawn to Mink River without knowing the author or the story. But at that time, and since then, it’s reminded me of the lyricism of life and the love of home …
Jess and Brady are happily married. Their love story began like many others – they got to know each other while working shifts together at the local movie theatre and feelings blossomed as they started spending more and more time together. It wasn’t long – four months to be exact – before Brady asked Jess’ …
The New Girlfriend (Une Nouvelle Amie), a French drama from acclaimed director and screenwriter François Ozon, had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2014. It has received several international award nominations and won best picture at Spain’s San Sebastián film festival. The New Girlfriend is loosely based on the 15-page crime …
The New Girlfriend is French filmmaking at its best Read More »
Montreal filmmaker Maxime Grioux’s 2014 film, called Félix et Meria, is a forbidden love story – and it has been earning wide acclaim. It has been nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Foreign Language Film category, and it has already won Best Canadian Feature Film at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival. It …
Claude Turcotte was the father of my two younger kids, Josh and Sophie Turcotte, also Dad to then-toddlers Geordie MacInnis and Lee Robitaille. He was my partner, lover and frenemy from 1979 to 1988, when his shenanigans became too much for me. Claude came to Yukon in 1973 to work in Clinton Creek, and stayed …
A brilliantly layered and sensitive look at the contrasting stages of life, the 2014 film The Clouds of Sils Maria stars Juliette Binoche as Maria Enders, an accomplished stage actress who becomes painfully aware of the relationships between herself and the characters she portrays when she is asked to perform in the play that kick-started …
BUT I KNOW HOW TO TRAP BUT I KNOW HOW TO HUNT BUT I KNOW HOW TO FISH BUT I KNOW HOW TO PADDLE BUT I KNOW HOW TO SNOWSHOE BUT I KNOW HOW TO CUT WOOD BUT I KNOW HOW TO PLAY FIDDLE BUT I KNOW HOW TO MAKE A RAFT BUT I KNOW …
I ALWAYS SEEM TO FIND MRS. WRONG AND OUR LOVE DON’T LAST TOO LONG. THEY ALWAYS GIVE ME A SHOVE AND I CAN’T FIND TRUE LOVE. I’M STILL LOOKIN’ FOR A MRS. RIGHT AN’ I DON’T CARE ABOUT HER HEIGHT. I’M SEARCHIN’ FOR A HONEY WHO DOESN’T CARE ABOUT MONEY. I DON’T WANT HER TO …
I got my MacBook Pro computer in the spring of 2010 and it has served me well for five years. It has been with me through various drafts and productions of my play, Syphilis: A Love Story, and through my 30-month tenure with What’s Up Yukon. But in the last half-year or so, various behavioral …
When I was with didoo she made me happy. When I was with didoo she made me wise. When I was with didoo she made me strong. When I was with didoo she made me brave. When I was with didoo she made me humble. When I was with didoo she made me honest. When …
Olinka Vistica and Drazen Grubisic broke up in 2003 in Zagreb, Croatia. Like most post- relationship humans, they had ordinary objects kicking around their houses that sparked emotions, relating to the relationship, or the demise of it. The two artists joked about starting a museum. They asked their friends for their relationship remnants. They got …
Dear Juniper and Johnny, Three months ago I decided to swear off casual sex because I am looking for something more than just a fling. The first month was tough, but I powered through and now I am feeling pretty good about it. The problem is I am really lost on how I can actually …
Juniper and Johnny – I have been with my girlfriend for three years now and I am noticing that our intimacy level has started to decline. I haven’t been able help her hit the “mother lode” in a while, if you know what I mean. I want her to feel satisfied in our relationship or …
Hi Juniper & Johnny, My roommate’s boyfriend of three years claims to be in the process of separating from his wife, however I believe it’s a big lie. My roommate has never been to his house, he has never spent the night, they never see each other for more than an hour at a time, …
Dear Readers, Charley Sprucetip and I have parted ways. Fortunately, I have found an absolutely delightful and charming writing partner, Johnny Snowshoe, who has years of experience and valuable insight on love and lust in the North. Juniper Frost Dear Juniper and Johnny, I am originally from a large city in southern Canada and moved …
Simonne Chalifoux is well on her way to becoming an expert on the single scene in Whitehorse. As the founder/organizer/host/everything else of the Whitehorse Singles Group, she has seen what works, what doesn’t work, the failures and the successes in the single world. Well, being older and single, to be more precise: “People in their …
Vanessa takes me to the Millennium Trail on a sunny afternoon. We smell the heavy aroma of flowers, somewhere, and find the top of a tree covered in buzzing insects and butterflies. A small yellow bird darts through the branches. It’s her favourite place to walk now. “I try to come here daily, and when …
Walks into her life, tips hat, sweeps her off to the Yukon Read More »
Q: There is this woman I have known for a few years now and I know she is single. I asked her out for coffee about a year ago and she said no. Lately I have been running into her again and I have been striking up conversation. I still really want to get to …
I’m back at Lil’s, slurping on another old-fashioned chocolate milkshake. There’s a family in the next booth talking to a young woman at a table. Her back is to me. I’m busy trying to think of a place to rent The Man Who Knew Too Much. It’s my turn to pick a film for movie …
I released the cold brass doorknob and walked up a half-step into an invisible wall of ammonia, iodine, freezer-burned meat and brown-sauce stench so thick and acrid that my nose burned. The floor was shiny – impeccable – the kind that looks like tiny chips of coloured pebbles with flecks of dichroic gold. The clacking …
A Northerner’s Spring Horoscope: The days are getting longer, the sun is shining and spring is in the air. If you are in a relationship — you might be reflecting on the winter and how your partner will look in the bright light of summer when northern nature turns on its 24-hour ugly lights. Use …
The hue and cry was heard across the world. It was the proposal that reached into the foundations of many a childhood and gave it a good shaking; indeed, you might have heard: Archie proposed to Veronica. For over 50 years and 600 issues, the backbone of the Archie-verse had always been the constant love …
