Let me begin by saying happy holidays to each and every one of you. 

I know that gets said a lot this time of year but I wholeheartedly mean it.

Not in the way that “jelly of the month club” voucher from the boss you’ve never seen does, but truly from the very bottom of my heart.

You see, when it comes to Christmas, Yukoners have it tough.

Not the day itself, naturally for most that is full of cheer and merriment.

What I’m referencing is the lead up.

Let us begin with the actual gift buying itself.

In Whitehorse, the so-called” Mecca of the Yukon when it comes to shopping, there are not a lot of options when it comes to the places to make purchases.

That is unless you have a furniture lover or someone that can’t get enough of those fast food restaurant gift certificates on your list.

I mean, take our mall for example, nothing against Staples or Coffee Tea & Spice, but I don’t think there are too many teenagers looking for loose leaf 3-hole or stainless steel percolators this Christmas.

Maybe I’m wrong.

And, is it just me or does it seem odd that a city our size has not one but two adult sex shops yet no Ikea or GAP … makes it tough when you’re shopping for Mom and Dad.

Sure, I can get away with the touristy “stuff” from the many shops in Whitehorse, but what about the “B&Rs” (born and raised).

Yes, Christmas shopping is arduous in the North.

And what about once you’ve selected the shop of your choice? Well now there’s the task of having to get there and that, my friends, is easier said than done.

Navigating our roads is a work of art.

You have either the task of commuting laneless along our bumpy roads or, worse yet, dealing with what feels like a bobsled course whenever the city is doing snow removal.

If you drive a big F-350, not a big deal, but try operating a little white Toyota Celica when you’ve got four-foot-high snow banks lining both sides of you.

OK, so you’ve purchased your gifts; tea pots, staplers, lacy underwear, whatever it may be and now you are ready to send them off.

Wee!!! Post office line-ups.

There is nothing I love more than post office line-ups, except maybe root canals and Saturday morning shifts … those are fun.

So you finally get to the front of the line and realize the mailing costs have exceeded the actual costs of your gifts … oops!

So I salute you, Yukoner, and raise a rum and eggnog in your honour, for I know what you have gone through this holiday season.

And to a friend of a Yukoner or someone receiving a gift from the North this year, all I can say is, please appreciate that KFC gift card … it came from the heart.

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