Klondike Gold Rush
Primary Source: Hougen's History, a CKRW Yukon nugget by Les McLaughlin
The Yukon's greatest love story
It's a story many times told but never gets old, this tale of Kate and Otto Partridge of Ben-My-Chree, which is Manx for "Girl of my Heart" and is the greatest love story in the history of the Yukon. more
Issue: 2018-08-01, PHOTO: Danny Macdonald
Art meets nature and history
Historic Miles Canyon holds a special place in the story of Whitehorse. Today’s picturesque hiking trails, pedestrian suspension bridge and impressive rock cliffs are a popular destination for tourists and locals alike. And the historical... more
Issue: 2018-07-04, PHOTO: Greg Runyan
Inspired by Place
Kristin Link is a visual artist based in McCarthy, Alaska, who works in natural history and science art. She creates interpretive signs and educational material about nature. She has a background in Environmental Studies and graduated from... more
Issue: 2018-06-20, PHOTO: courtesy of Josh Winkler
From the California gold rush to the history of the Yukon
Josh Winkler´s work is no stranger to the Yukon. In 2016 his work was exhibited with two other artists at the Yukon Arts Centre; Cut Climb Conquer was the title of his exhibition. He used watercolour and printmaking to show the history of American... more
Issue: 2018-06-13, PHOTO: Danny Macdonald
The Follies ‘Reborn’!
The Frantic Follies Vaudeville Show was a staple for Yukoners and visitors alike for 47 years, bringing gold-rush themed vaudeville performances to the stage. Last year, owner Grant Simpson lowered the curtain on the show and it appeared that it... more
Issue: 2018-05-16, PHOTO: Kylie Campbell
Enjoying a ‘Skagway Quickie’
Skagway holds its quirky charms with its Klondike-themed buildings and summer staff dressed similar to the time period. It’s no different as you step inside the Red Onion Saloon. The blood-red walls, wooden furniture and old-time music gives the... more
Issue: 2018-02-21, PHOTO: courtesy of Rolf Hougen
The Yukon Balladeer
Our Yukon heritage is a mix of different traditions and different eras, including First Nations history, gold rush stories, the construction of the Alaska Highway and the evolution to the current day. The Yukon’s magic has captured the imagination... more
Issue: 2018-01-24, PHOTO: Vanessa Ratjen
A new narrative on gold rush history
On the surface of national history, the Yukon is primarily known for events that happened more than a hundred years ago: the Klondike Gold Rush. Residents of the Territory today know, intimately, how much more there is to the region than its... more
Issue: 2017-12-20, PHOTO: courtesy of Government of Yukon
The Yukon’s Magnificent 11- Part 2 of 6
From a comfortable, 21st century perch, the casual Yukon visitor might mistakenly assume The Klondike Highway (Highway 2) was planned to be a Skagway to Dawson tourist route, roughly following the journey made by the stampeders in 1898, but... more
Issue: 2017-12-20, PHOTO: Hoefs’ family collection
Human migrations changed hunting
Gold-mining in the Yukon River watershed took place well before the Klondike discovery. It started in the Forty-Mile River in 1886 with 600 miners participating, and Lieutenant Frederick Schwatka (1892) described 100 to 200 miners working the... more
Issue: 2017-11-01, PHOTO: Erik Pinkerton
Stonecliff brings together a remarkable team of artists (Part 2 of 2)
The new musical drama Stonecliff, which opens at the Yukon Arts Centre stage on Friday, November 17 (for four performances only!) tells the story of Michael J. Heney, the son of poor Irish immigrants in the Ottawa Valley who went on to build one... more
Issue: 2017-08-16, PHOTO: Jenny Trapnell
Hiking Miles Canyon to Canyon City: A Landscape with a Past
One of the most visited attractions in Whitehorse, the Miles Canyon Suspension Bridge, is a great launching point for interesting half-day hikes. Located about 10 minutes from downtown by road, the historic 95-year-old suspension bridge (which has... more
Issue: 2017-06-28, PHOTO: Andrea McGee
Canadian Red
Ever since I was a child I would see the Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers and think, “Wow! Our national police force is beyond cool!” Today, I still think that. The Mounties definitely know how put on a good horse show and parade. more
Issue: 2017-06-14, ILLUSTRATION: Shauna Jones
The Legacy of the Klondike Cancan
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... more
Issue: 2017-05-10, PHOTO: Association franco-yukonnaise
Célébration de la francophonie yukonnaise
Voilà maintenant dix ans que le gouvernement du Yukon a proclamé le 15 mai, la journée de la francophonie yukonnaise, un geste fort mettant en avant l’histoire des franco-canadiens du territoire. En effet, les premières personnes parlant français... more
Issue: 2017-05-10, PHOTO: Sarah Conners
A Stitch in Time
Anna Taylor spent this winter stitching the stories of Dawson City women. In March, the Halifax-based textile artist completed a month-long residency at the Klondike Institute of Art and Culture. There, her embroidery practice focused on Dawson’s... more
Illustration: Shauna Jones
The Cancan Arrives at the Klondike Gold Rush
On November 28, 1891, the New York Sun dedicated a full page to the cancan. Titled "Eccentric Paris Dance," the article highlights Paris cancan stars of the day who describe intricate cancan dance moves. After the two decades of being attacked in... more
Issue: 2017-05-03, PHOTO: courtesy of Conrad Boyce
Stonecliff: White Pass and Beyond (Part 1/2)
When Michael Heney was just 14, he ran away from the family farm in the Ottawa Valley to work for an uncle who was building a portion of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) near Georgian Bay. His father quickly dragged him home to finish his... more
Issue: 2017-04-05, Illustration: Shauna Jones
Can You Do the Cancan, Kate?
During the 1890s, the United States was a melting pot of entertainment - and vaudeville became the perfect vehicle to showcase this wealth of diversity. From New York to Victoria, B.C., vaudeville reigned supreme as the most popular entertainment in more
Issue: 2017-02-15, PHOTO: Jozien Keijzer
High on Life
Between the years of 1991 and 2011 my husband and I used to pack up our son and drive to a mountain summit a few times every winter. They were once our favourite places to be: those white wide-open expanses. An active community of winter lovers... more