Stolen Loot Or Hard-Earned Savings?
As a professional trail builder, Bill McLane spends a lot of time digging earth, moving rocks and finding treasure.
Communities
Never Show Up An Elder
There’s only one way in the North to deal with an arrogant prick (Lord knows we’ve had our share) and that’s a damned-good practical joke.
Looking Inside the Insider
Christopher Ross writes about his journalism experiences at the Dawson City Insider from 1997-1999 and what happened after.
ADHD & The Great Outdoors
The move a southeastern Ontario city to small & isolated Old Crow, Yukon had an unexpected positive change on my ADHD and mental health.
Celebrating Yukon’s Unique Holiday
Celebrating Discovery Days in the Yukon goes back over 100 years. After the Klondike Gold Rush, the Yukon Order of Pioneers convinced the Yukon Territorial Council to celebrate Discovery Day, as a public holiday, in 1911.
The Bookshelf: When Dawson Made Hockey History
The Dawson Challengers had a dream to contest for the Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup (better known as the Stanley Cup.
Augusto! Children’s Festival: A Fun-filled Family Weekend
Augusto! Children’s Festival will offer three days of dance, parties, crafts, music and more from August 12–14 in Haines Junction.
Premier Puts His ‘Best Foot Forward’ and Makes a Little Yukon History
Who drank the 100,000th Sourtoe Cocktail? Well, now we know. The famous drink (also known as The Toe), was created by the equally famous Captain Dick, in 1973, in the even more famous locale known as Dawson City, and has been a major “Yukon To Do” for visitors and locals alike. Since 1973, the number …
Premier Puts His ‘Best Foot Forward’ and Makes a Little Yukon History Read More »
New Adventures, Old Heirlooms
About eight or nine years ago, my dad’s cousin’s widow called out of the blue to berate me (in her high-toned British accent) because I didn’t let her know about my mom’s passing. I didn’t want to explain that I didn’t even know this relative was still alive or that she was still in touch …
Dawson’s Fridays Are A Time For Music!
Fridays are live music days in Dawson, this summer, with concerts at Riverside Park Gazebo and at the KIAC (Dënäkär Zho) Ballroom.
Exploring the Yukon’s ‘Paris of the North’
Back in the late 1800s, Dawson City was the most-populated northern town, the “Paris of the North.” The famous Klondike Gold Rush started in 1896, when gold was found at Bonanza Creek. Within a few years, about 100,000 prospectors, miners, prostitutes, wives, children and others travelled the world, passing frozen rivers and mountains, to settle …
Spring Reflections in Dawson City
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 street levels. This column is about the flip side of the equation, when the white stuff becomes wet stuff. Except for Front Street, which is part of the Klondike Highway, …
Diamond Tooth Gerties built in 1901
History of Diamond Tooth Gerties? It was for the Arctic Brotherhood 1901 – 1925, opened in ’71 as a casino by Klondike Visitors Association.
Bringing Joy, One Cup of Coffee at A Time
On a beautiful Sunday in early May, my partner and I headed down to Carcross and noted the signs of spring: the rapidly evaporating snow, the first crocuses and the two Holland America buses coming up the South Klondike Highway. Those tour buses have come and gone over the last few years, but for the …
The Force Is Strong With This One
Johnson puts cultural history and the ways of The Force together. “we are Jedis!” he says, “look at an Elder and that’s a Jedi council member”
Dawson City is getting ready to host its annual Thaw di Gras Spring Carnival
Dawson City is getting ready to host its annual Thaw di Gras Spring Carnival. Get Ready for Some Outrageous Winter Fun!
KDFN Citizen Kiri Geen builds a career in Hollywood North
From background extra to the big screen. KDFN Citizen Kiri Geen builds a career. Kwanlin Dün First Nation Citizen success stories.
The road trip begins: Tuktoyaktuk on The Dempster Highway
When the Tuktoyaktuk (Tuk) highway officially opened Nov. 15, 2017, I wanted to drive it to the Arctic Ocean.
Haines, Alaska: Food scene still vibrant even during a pandemic
A trip to Haines reveals things have been far from quiet in the small town of 2,500. The food and beverage scene is thriving.
Meet Marliese: Postmaster of Haines Junction
When you enter the Canada Post office in Haines Junction, rest assured Marliese Whelan will greet you with a smile
A Klondike Korner: Sometimes life imitates art
Sometimes art imitates life. Sometimes life imitates art. There are two really clear illustrations of this idea in Dawson City at the moment.
New kid in the park: Hello, bonjour! Welcome to Kluane National Park and Reserve
I’d moved 2,000 kilometres north, alone, for a 4-year term in a little place called Haines Junction. At Kluane National Park and Reserve
Sam McGee Hike from Conrad
If you’re looking for an adventure day hike with rewarding views at top, look no further than the Sam McGee trail near Conrad Campground.
A momentous community event
Yaxkasei’s Hoo Haa commemorative totem pole unveiling. Stories, exhibit opening and performances by the The Dakhká Khwáan Dancers.
Klondike Korner: DCMF 2021 is reborn in a smaller, later version this COVID year
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.
Finding History
Beaver castoreum found on an ancient throwing dart has led to new discoveries on traditional hunting technology in the North
Moose Bush: The way-posts home
In the North, we measure distance by the amount of time it takes. A way-post is an item that marks your progress along a road or trail.
Bioblitz is back & going to Dawson City
bringing experts and aspiring citizen scientists to one location for a day of counting and identifying as many species as possible.
Didee & Didoo: Global Warming
In the future we won’t need snowshoes, In the future we won’t go ice fishing. In the future we won’t need winter roads.
Friday is Concert time at the Gazebo
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.
How We See Things
Odile: Look at the beautiful trees! Allan: Where’s my chainsaw? Odile: Look at the cute fox! Allan: Where’s my trap? Odile: Look at the adorable rabbit! Allan: Where’s my snare? Odile: Look at the magnificent Caribou! Allan: Where’s my rifle? Odile: Look at the cute fish! Allan: Where’s my fishing rod? Odile: Look at the …
If you visit Old Crow
If you visit Old Crow Sadie will take you to the mall Mason will show you the traffic lights Abbie will take you on the elevator…
Old Fashioned Candy
I used to eat smarties with Stevie I used to eat jelly beans with Adeline I used to eat jawbreakers with Ernest I used to eat candy necklaces with Doris I used to eat tootsie rolls with Glenna I used to eat hard candy with David I used to eat licorice candy with Dianne I …
Modern tech meets heritage conservation in Dawson City
Dredge No. 4 was built in 1912 and operated until 1959. It was designated as a national historic site in 1997.
The pandemic creates the space to share stories in a new way
As the Ice Melts is a project that takes the form of two videos which present stories and poetry on the theme of our changing environment. The work has been put together by Bielawski, Lilley and Champagne and Aishihik First Nations storyteller, Ron Chambers.
Spring clearances in Dawson
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.
Didee & Didoo – My Family Tree
If Goldilocks is my mother Charlie Brown is my father Jack Frost is my grandpa Gingerbread Man is my brother Jack and Jill are my twins Winnie The Pooh is my sister Frosty The Snowman is my uncle Curious George is my cousin Little Red Riding Hood is my aunt Santa Claus is my grandpa …
Live music returns to Dënäkär Zho
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.
The Ice pool Contest is a go for 2021
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.
Didoo survived without these things
Didoo survived without an electric knife. Didoo survived without an electric kettle. Didoo survived without a microwave. Didoo survived without a toaster. Didoo survived without a dryer. Didoo survived without a washer. Didoo survived without a vacuum cleaner. Didoo survived without an electric toothbrush. Didoo survived without an electric egg beater. Didoo survived without an …
Ice road woes (and whoas)
I was driving back to Red Deer from Calgary the other day and got a speeding ticket in a blinding snowstorm. The cop told me there is a law in Alberta that states that speed limits are reduced to 80 km/h when winds exceed 70 km/h. I told him, in no uncertain terms, that I’d …
A house you can finally afford
Artists Jared Klok and Bennie Allain collaborated on their sculpture “A House You Can Finally Afford.” It was displayed as part of the Riverside Arts Festival.
Yukon athletes honoured by Sport Yukon
For 44 years Sport Yukon has been handing out awards to the Yukon’s top athletes, coaches and sport administrators. The 2019 crop of honourees continues this trend, despite COVID-19 necessitating the distribution of the awards to take place at a distance.
Heading out to hit the outdoor head
The Klondike Visitor Association (KVA) is hosting one of its most beloved and ridiculous events, The Great Klondike International Outhouse Race on August 1 in Dawson City.
Dawson’s Thaw di Gras
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.
Representing Kluane
Each year, the Yukon Order of Pioneers (YOOP) selects Mr. and Mrs. Yukon in recognition of two longtime Yukoners who have made lasting contributions to their communities. This year they have named Valerie Drummond (born Wakefield) and Dan Drummond of Haines Junction as the worthy representatives.
Deep roots
Her name is Wolf Mother, Ghoóch Tlâ in Tlingit, and Colleen James in English. She grew up in Cowley, about halfway between Whitehorse and Carcross. Her mother was Tlingit and her father was English.
Didee an’ Didoo were real
Didee’s name was Moses TizyaAn’ Didoo’s name was Martha Tizya.And they both used canes.Didoo Martha wore a hankerchiefAn’ Didee Moses wore Didee’s hat.Didee an’ Didoo both spoke GwichinAnd they live in a tent.Didoo Martha carried her teapotAn’ Didee Moses carried his axe.Didoo Martha wore a long skirtAn’ Didee Moses wore long boots.They don’t know their …
Dawson Invitational Volleyball Tournament begins another 40 years after celebrating the creator’s last winter
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.
Teslin students win national award
hàtìnas.àxh Community School won 2019 Canada’s Coolest School Trip. A photo essay shares Tlingit culture & promotes Tlingit language.
Celebrate Canada your way
This Canada Day, Yukoners will celebrate in communities across the territory with traditional activities. In Mayo, the day’s festivities coincide with the Mayo Arts Festival where local artists, craftspeople and musicians share their talents and creations with others. In Watson Lake, they’ll celebrate Canada Day with festivities at the Lucky Lake Park and water slide, …
Want to win gold for your writing?
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 Berton House during the 2018 walking tour. Anakana Schofield, writer-in-residence at the time, read to the assembled group. The Klondike Visitors Association (KVA) and the Writers’ Trust of Canada have …
Creating a safer community through relationship-building
Building trust between a community and police is essential to addressing the extraordinarily high numbers of sexualized assaults and violence in the Yukon. Without this relationship, women at risk and women who have experienced violence are less likely to reach out to the police for support or to report crimes. When a breakdown of trust …
Creating a safer community through relationship-building Read More »
The saga of Dawson’s street clearances
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. On March 7, I had a lovely photo of the large piles of snow along Front Street, showing the work done by the department of highways crew, which has control …
Shine those Shoes
Edmonton comedian Lars Callieou at a Comedy Monday Night gig in Calgary. Callieou will make a return appearance at the Ride For Dad Comedy Night at the Coast High Country Inn, January 17–19. PHOTO: James Moore Canadian comics Lars Callieou and Derek Seguin will share headlining duties at the annual Ride For Dad Comedy …
My first Christmas in the North: 1961
Donna found peace, happiness and calmness during her first simpler Christmas in the North.
Thank you for bringing the magic of Christmas to life in Whitehorse
What image appears in your imagination when you think about Christmas? There re amny, however, the brightest and most magnificent picture that comes to mind is of Santa Claus and the sounds of the bells.
Ready for Christmas Eve
The cast including shepherds, angels, wise persons and citizens. PHOTO: Dan Davidson What would Christmas Eve be without carols and a pageant. All are invited—shepherds, angels, wise persons, citizens, family and friends—to St. Paul’s Anglican Church A traditional Christmas Eve in Dawson City begins with an ecumenical carol and pageant service at St. Paul’s …
Didee & Didoo: Message to Allan Benjamin
When you see Allan Benjamin, If you could please mention to him, I’d like to hear him play again. Tell him to come our way again. When he came down to play folklore, I’d never heard him play before. I didn’t know what to expect, Now I wonder what he’ll do next. Chorus: He plays …
Nature’s little automatic defroster
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 can drive anywhere. In the summer, you only have to worry about a little bit of fog; and in the winter, there’s often too little moisture in the air for …
Autumn sunlight and shadows
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 of us civilians), so we’re down to less than half a day of actual sunlight. That’s in spite of the fact we can count on extended, refracted light on either …
Didee & Didoo: Allan Benjamin
I know this man from Old Crow Who’s a kind and gentle soul. He was raised by his Didoo She taught him all that she knew. This man is Allan Benjamin And he keeps his fiddle jammin’. When he’s not busy doing that, He’s doing up his snowshoe strap. He’s won many snowshoe races With …
A junction of mountain film, culture and science in Kluane country
The Haines Junction Mountain Festival is in its third year and is a celebration of the United Nations (UN) International Mountain Day (IMD).
Fairweather Skis
The small town of Haines, Alaska, lies near 72 miles of glacier terrain and 15,000 feet below the icy summit of Mount Fairweather, which is the namesake of Fairweather Ski Works. Here is where a small hobbyist’s dream has become synonymous with the ski industry in southeast Alaska. Graham Kraft, 33 (from British Columbia), was …
Didee & Didoo: Blood, Sweat and Tears
When I train, I tolerate pain. Sometimes I feel lazy And a bit crazy. When I’m sore, I feel poor. Sometimes I get hurt An’ there’s discomfort. When I have a sore muscle, It’s hard to hustle. Sometimes I ache An’ I’m not awake. When I feel ill, I want to keep still. Sometimes I’m …
It’s beginning to look a lot like … (you know)
The pre-Christmas season will soon be underway here in the Klondike, actually beginning a few days before this piece can see print. It’s a season of bazaars and open houses that lead up to the actual holidays. It begins with the oldest and largest of the bazaars, the Little Blue Daycare Christmas Bazaar. This will …
A bird’s-eye view
Whether it’s for the annual bike race or a fishing holiday, Yukoners love Haines. The small southeast-Alaska port is a special destination for many. Come fall, the arrival of thousands of American Bald Eagles, in the nearby Chilkat River Valley, offers another reason to visit. From October to January, between two- and four-thousand bald eagles …
Keeping the trains on track
The famous White Pass & Yukon Route (WP&YR) Railway is a busy and beautiful journey through the White Pass of Alaska and the Yukon. Every year, as Alaska and the Yukon emerge from winter, so does the work to make sure these trains can carry tourists safely through avalanche paths and safely along the railway. …
Home Routes provides a cozy evening of music
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 years, Spider Bishop. Hus, on vocals and guitar, is reminiscent of a younger incarnation of Stompin’ Tom Connors, with whom he did tour at one time. In a live performance, …
Didee & Didoo: When It’s 100 Below
I won’t saw wood. I won’t go snowshoeing. I won’t go skiing. I won’t go running. I won’t go walking. I won’t pack water. I won’t go biking. I won’t go hunting. I won’t go fishing. I won’t set snares. I won’t go camping. I won’t go sliding. I won’t go dog mushing. I won’t …
Turn up the amp …
For a two-night gig this past July in Beaver Creek, Larry Berrio and his band shut the town down! Berrio, from Sudbury, Ontario, travelled 5,000 kilometres with his bandmates to the most westerly community in Canada. With open arms, the town of Beaver Creek welcomed the band.
The Junction and JAR (Junction Artist in Residence)
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.
Didee & Didoo: Good to be a Musician
‘Cause I can use my bass fiddle for a canoe. ‘Cause I can use my fiddle for a paddle. ‘Cause I can use my fiddle strings for snares. ‘Cause I can use my fiddle bow for a cane. ‘Cause I can use my guitar case for a suitcase. ‘Cause I can use my fiddle case …
To ‘Looks Like a Caribou’ and back – Part 6 of 6
Driving the Dempster Highway to Tuktoyaktuk, N.W.T. (located on Kugmallit Bay of the Beaufort Sea of the Arctic Ocean), is no big deal..
Let’s learn Gwich’in: Dagoo Gwich’in Ginjik
Jesus Christ shat’in iindhan—Jesus loves me. Nichih gwanat’in—looking forward Nohjuu Ts’an—looking back Ohtsii Kwaa—Don’t waste. Ch’iitsii gwadal—hardware Taih kak zheh gwichoo—mansion on the hill Diiti’ Drin—Father’s Day Diihanh Drin—Mother’s Day Nagaadadal—patrol Aadrii K’anahtil—electrical Nijin gwitr’it t’agwaa’in—office Van Tat Gwich’in Teechik—Rat Indian Creek K’eech’igilik—dance caller K’oonitail Ch’adzaa—Hankerchief Dance Nihk’iidoo—eight couples Varandii—brandy Tr’igwaanduu vich’ilik—devil’s dream Geh Ch’adzaa—Rabbit …
Skagway: A ‘bluebird day’ with blue skies…
It’s May long weekend and we’re driving to Skagway, and it seems as though most of Whitehorse has decided to do the same with a queue of 20 vehicles at the U.S. border … It was a warm evening, and we went to Starfire, in Skagway, to enjoy some Thai food before camping for the …
Didee & Didoo: They Won’t Survive in the Bush
‘Cause I’ll save the psychiatrist. ‘Cause I’ll save the psychologist. ‘Cause I’ll save the professor. ‘Cause I’ll save the counselor. ‘Cause I’ll save the scientist. ‘Cause I’ll save the anthropologist. ‘Cause I’ll save the scholar. ‘Cause I’ll save the psychic. ‘Cause I’ll save the economist. ‘Cause I’ll save the mathematician. ‘Cause I’ll save the astronaut. …
How an email exchange became a 15-year blog project
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.
Time for Thai!
The longer I have lived in Whitehorse, the more I have grown to understand that Yukoners crave Thai food and many will drive to Skagway just to taste the delicacies it offers.
The Palace Grand Theatre is back in business
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.
Shoo’ii and Sheek’aii – Dinjii Zhūh Dinētl’eh — ChiH Ahaa
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.
South to Alberta (a.k.a. Sid’s trip down memory lane)
Fun fact: Elvis Presley drove a 1958 red MGA, just like this one, in Blue Hawaii.
’Cause Writer’s block
Sometimes I can’t think And I can’t write in ink. When my mind is not bright I have nothing to write.
Authors on Eighth celebrates Klondike literature
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.
Magic in Tombstone
“Art Magic in Tombstone” is a series of workshops hosted by the Friends of Dempster Country society, and Yukon Parks, and will take place in Tombstone Territorial Park/ Ddhäl Ch’èl Cha Nän, throughout the summer.
Pride in Dawson City!
Pride is back in Dawson City! Pride Week is happening from July 9–15 and, as part of the celebrations, a parade will be taking place on July 14 at 5 p.m.
It’s a cultured Canada Day in Mayo
The Mayo Arts Festival and Canada Day celebrations are highlights. Everybody is looking forward to the celebrations. 2018
Dawson is gearing up to celebrate Canada Day with both new and old traditions. Here’s the scoop!
The biggest change in the Canada Day Parade in Dawson City, this year, is where it will end.
South to Alberta – Part I
Exploration, adventure and community are among the most important aspects of living in the North. For many Yukoners, it was the “want” to explore a fantasized part of the world and to seek adventure in discovering Canada’s North, but it was the sense of community that made people want to stay.
Stream of Dreams
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.
The ODD Gallery showcases Tamika Knutson’s Skin
Tamika Knutson is a Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in citizen who began her art training at the Yukon School of Visual Arts, in Dawson City.
Rangin’ off to Ontario
Members of the Haines Junction Junior Canadian Rangers (JCR) attended the annual JCR National Marksmanship Championship in St. Catharines, Ontario, in early May.
Enjoying a ‘Skagway Quickie’
Enjoy one of the brothel tours with the lovely and knowledgeable Madam Toler 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 feeling of stepping …
Learning from Roy
“When we first came to Canada in 1953 [from Friesland, Netherlands], we couldn’t read or write. I went down to the local bookstore and found this book.”
The green bags of spring
It’s the nature of short Yukon summers for Yukoners to seize every moment and they perhaps forget about things like contributions to the food bank.
It’s ice pool time
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 the ice moves during breakup some time in late April or early May. The tripod is on the ice between the river bank and the unofficial ice road. It may …
Dawson City International Short Film Festival is downloaded for its 18th Year
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.
Didee & Didoo: Times are Changing
We don’t pack water anymore. We don’t vote with our hands anymore. They don’t sign their names with an “X” anymore. We don’t buy from the Trading Post anymore. We don’t use dog packs anymore. We don’t need an interpreter anymore. We don’t start school in July anymore. Planes don’t land on sandbars anymore. We …
Didee & Didoo: At the Trading Post
We buy tea and coffee. We buy flour and sugar. We buy rice and oats. We buy beans and bacon. We buy dry fruit and candy. We buy pipe and tobacco. We buy nets and traps. We buy needles and scissors. We buy axe and saw. We buy candle and soap. We buy fiddle and …
Try this!
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 Institute of Art and Culture in Dawson City. It has changed its dates this year and will be held from March 19 to 22 instead of its traditional November schedule. KIAC’s …
Keeping the weekend weird
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.
Thaw di Gras is going to the dogs…
Dawson City is gearing up for it’s annual Thaw di Gras spring carnival. One of the most popular events for families is the annual dog show, held at Diamond Tooth Gertie’s.
Trek Over the Top Turns 25 this Year
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, Alaska, on March 11. The event has been organized on the Dawson end by the Klondike Visitors Association (KVA) for the last seven years, and this is the second year …
We are what we used to eat
February 19 to 22 will see the latest edition of the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in Heritage Department’s bi-annual Myth and Medium week.
When I Go Camping
I always bring my piano. I always bring my TV. I always bring my computer. I always bring my microwave. I always bring my fridge. I always bring my couch. I always bring my vacuum cleaner. I always bring my toaster. I always bring my waterbed. I always bring my snow blower. I always bring …
Dawson City Music Festival aims for sustainability
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 been before Christmas, but analysis of the topics raised at a well-attended membership meeting in mid-October caused the board to decide to refine its thoughts a bit more before presenting …
Dawson City Music Festival aims for sustainability Read More »
Didee & Didoo: Community Adoptions
Aklavik adopted Albert Frost Inuvik adopted Winston Moses Ross River adopted Henry Nukon Fort Yukon adopted Diane Jonas Chalkyitsik adopted Simon Francis Dawson adopted Sharon Keaton Old Crow adopted James Itsi Carmacks adopted John Tizya Watson Lake adopted Brandy Tizya Haines Junction adopted Jeffrey Peter Arctic Village adopted Tabitha Peter Dease Lake adopted Louise Greyke …
Picture in a Frame (Auntie Betty)
I finally found the words to say How long did you intend to stay. I know I’ve wondered now and then How close your love was to the end. I think it’s only fair that I should know That one day you’ll have to go. But I’ll always cherish our precious memories ‘Cause you gave …
Getting Ready for Christmas Eve
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 to arrive, there is one more thing that happens for quite a few folks in Dawson. The various churches will have their own late evening services on December 24, but …
‘Canadian Ice Man’ tells his story
Eighteen years ago three sheep hunters discovered the oldest natural mummified body unearthed to date in North America. he story of this mysterious “Canadian ice man” comes full-circle this year with a new book, Kwädąy Dän Ts’ìnchį: Teachings from Long Ago Person Found.
The Yukon’s Magnificent 11 – Part 1 of 6
The Canol Road is easily the nastiest numbered road in the Yukon and why we opened with it. The worst shall be first and the fast shall be last.
Strategic Race
I don’t know the word “slow” I only know the word “go” The runners were top notch An’ we raced against the watch. I just pretend that I’m a rabbit Cause running is my habit. It was a blistering pace But I like to give chase. I run like an Arctic hare And I train …
Advent season is Bazaar season in Dawson
The approaching Advent Season means that it will soon be what I sometimes refer to as Bazaar Season in Dawson City.
Didee & Didoo: At my camp
I’m the doctor I’m the minister I’m the police I’m the carpenter I’m the cook I’m the gunsmith I’m the blacksmith I’m the butcher I’m the musician I’m the tailor I’m the dentist I’m the biologist I’m the landlord I’m the janitor I’m the chief I’m the surveyor I’m the psychologist I’m the photographer I’m …
’50s Diner!
The first snow has settled in the border town of Beaver Creek, Yukon. Sid is preparing his house and museum for a long cold winter.
A spooky pre-Halloween evening
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 by Parks Canada. For many years the RCMP took the lead in providing this Halloween celebration, but four years ago they needed to step down. Janice Cliff, with Klondike National …
Symposium to discuss activating history
Every two years the Yukon Historical & Museums Association holds a meeting for the entire Yukon heritage community. It moves around the territory, but executive director Lianne Maitland says that one of the places they like to come back to is Dawson City. The 2017 Heritage Symposium, called Activating Our Communities, will take place on …
Didee & Didoo: She came, she saw, we conquered
She came, she saw, we conquered Grandma’s name is Clara Frost She came, she saw, we conquered. We’re proud to be her rangers. We’re proud to be her fiddlers. We’re proud to be her snowshoers. We’re proud to be her test skiers. We’re proud to be her dog mushers. We’re proud to be her hockey …
Didee & Didoo: Didoo’s Trunk
Didoo’s Trunk That’s where she kept her knife. That’s where she kept her awl. That’s where she kept her file. That’s where she kept her hatchet. That’s where she kept her snares. That’s where she kept her thimble. That’s where she kept her needles. That’s where she kept her pipe. That’s where she kept her …
Weaving Willow, Weaving Voices
On a hot day in Dawson City this August, I had the opportunity to speak with the four artists of Weaving Voices: Bo Yeung, Chris Clarke, Jackie Olson and Sue Parsons. We sat in the shade of their intricately woven willow structure located outside of the Dänojà Zho Cultural Centre, facing toward the Yukon River. …
The Alchemists of Dawson City
Wandering down the dirt roads of Dawson City, you may find yourself charmed by the quirky café nestled right beside a worn-and-torn building straight out of the gold rush. The Alchemy Café was constructed over a period of four years with the architectural brains of Florian Boulais, his wife Sofia Ashenhurst-Boulais, and the muscle power, …
It’s over: Dawson Winter
It’s September, and as the leaves start to turn and the streets become empty of tourists, transient workers who have lived in Dawson City for the summer are hitting the road out of town. Being a seasonal community, Dawson has seen its fair share of young people coming up for summer work. Some are old …
A Tale of the Klondike Tailings
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 …
Let’s All Learn Gwich’in
Let’s All Learn Gwich’in With Allan Benjamin from Old Crow Gwich’in Expressions: Gwich’in Ginjik Native Language Dinjii zhuh ginjik jihtth’ak I understand Native language Lée nizhigwiłts’īk? Are you hungry? Jidìi Niindhan? What do you want? Jidìi nid i’ii? What do you have? Jidìi Kàgwanah’in? What are you looking for? Ch’ivēedzyāa at’iinihthān kwaa I don’t like …
This beauty even has adjustable suspension
I was sitting comfortably amongst blankets and a beaver pelt on Sid’s living room couch, visiting with Jill. She pours us a warm cup of tea and we chat about their winter plans in Arizona. I take a moment to ask Sid what we should write about next for What’s Up Yukon. He jumps up …
An Unkindness of Ravens
It is easy to laugh at the antics of ravens. They are quirky, curious and yes, funny. A well-known title they carry among First Nations people is that of Trickster, known for their pranks and intelligence. They also carry darker histories, in literature and folklore: wise, feared, revered, portents of death. wreathed in mystery. I …
Let’s All Learn Gwich’in
Gwich’in Expressions: Gwich’in Ginjik Native Language Dinjii zhuh ginjik jihtth’ak I understand Native language DZHii. BIRDS Jidìi nah’ìn? What do you see? Jii viiʻidzèe tʼiinchʻuu. This is an Owl. Jii dachan chyāa tʼiinchʼuu. This is a Woodpecker. Jii augèh zhūu tʼiinchʼuu. This is a Snowbird. Jii chʼidzigyek tʼiinchʼuu. This is a Chickadee. Jii srūh tʼiinchʼuu. …
TIAY Picks Dawson to Showcase Sustainable Tourism
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 Rogers says that it makes even more sense than usual this year. “This year is a special year, the Year of International Sustainable Tourism for Development, as declared by the …
TIAY Picks Dawson to Showcase Sustainable Tourism Read More »
Let’s All Learn Gwich’in
Vadzaih… CARIBOU Jidìi Kàgwanah’in?… What are you looking for? Vadzaih eenjit nahālzrīi… I’m hunting for caribou Ddhah kak vadzaih Tr’anah’in… We see caribou on the mountain Dinjik daang nał’in… I see four moose Chiitaii Drijahtsai’ !… It’s storming outside! Ch’itsii khał jihtth’ak… I hear a ski-doo Jii zhehgwidhòh t’iinch’ūu!… This is a tent! Lée nizhigwiłts’īk?… …
Red Mammoth Comes to Dawson
It’s been a long time since mammoths have been in the Yukon valley, but a new one just appeared August 9, albeit in the form of a café. The Red Mammoth Bistro is Dawson City’s newest coffee and eating establishment, and they’ve hit the ground running. Owned by Emilie Aubin and Paul Wettstein, the bistro …
Let’s All Learn Gwich’in
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. Whenever you see Shoo’ii and Sheek’aii you can always be treated to a Gwich’in poem or Allan will simply have …
Celebrating the Klondike as a Special Place
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, with a wink and a nod in the direction of Whitehorse. The assignment is hardly fair to the capital city. Those who don’t live in the capital city of any …
Gertie’s Begins with a Losing Streak
If anyone ever tries to tell you the first legal casino in Canadian history – Dawson City’s fabled Diamond Tooth Gertie’s Gambling Hall – was a raging success from the moment the doors first opened in June, 1972, perhaps you should clip and save this article to correct that historical distortion of the truth. In …
Fermented, Stewed, Baked and Brewed!
While that cornbread didn’t end up in a gallery, it did inspire did inspire the food oriented event called The Ingestible Festival
Discovery Days: Yukon’s Moveable Holiday
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.
Giving That Room Props for Its Good Vibe
When the Westmark Hotel in Beaver Creek closed its doors in 2013, it brought an end to the dinner and show extravaganza called Beaver Creek Rendezvous, a tradition that had taken place every year for 22 years. The closure of the Westmark was prompted by Holland-America tours’ decision to cease travel to Beaver Creek. Westmark …
Celebrating the Klondike’s Literary Legends
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 who have made Dawson City world famous. Part of this event, called Authors on Eighth, is a writing contest that began in June and ended in July, in time for …
The 17th Annual Riverside Arts Festival
The Yukon Riverside Arts Festival takes place in the most idyllic of settings – right alongside the Yukon River in Dawson City.
Race ’til You’re Pooped!
“We’re dedicated to keeping the Yukon weird,” Robitaille likens the Great Klondike International Outhouse Race to Jim Robb’s Colourful 5%
Finding Orchids in an Unusual Setting
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 road to the Dawson City Golf Course, and that’s true, but the signs indicating that road are a little confusing. There’s a large sign with a blue arrow, indicating that …
Fishnets and Chainsaws
From antique carousel and ferris wheel rides, to wearable art and cake bake off contests, to beer and wine gardens, to beach wrestling and the Fisherman’s Rodeo, the Southeast Alaska State Fair really does have something for everyone. The longstanding annual festival, which takes over the 25-acre fairgrounds in the small town of Haines, Alaska, …
Dawson City Music Festival Amps up for its 39th Year
It may be the 39th year of Dawson City’s beloved annual music festival, but this tried-and-true summer favourite is always sure..
Celebrate National Tlingit Day with a Fun Packed Weekend in Teslin
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 »
A Little Gift Shop with a Big Heart
The DuDrop In Gift Shop offers custom license plates while you wait – a memento from the Sign Post Forest to take home…
Watson Lake Farmer’s Market Moves to the Sign Post Forest
Looking for something interesting to do on a Saturday afternoon? Look no further than the Watson Lake Farmer’s Market held at Historic Mile 635 in the famous Watson Lake Sign Post Forest.
Gertie’s First Season
Once upon a time, long ago, a young truck driver in Whitehorse found himself with five days off work to celebrate the May long weekend and decided to finally visit Dawson City for the first time. It was either 1971 or ’72, and he had been listening to his coworkers talk about it all winter. …
East Comes West for Atlin
There are so many East Coast-ers performing at this year’s Atlin Arts and Music Festival, organizers felt it only made sense to program an East Coast kitchen party during the festival, taking place in Atlin July 7 to 9. “Definitely (the kitchen party) is an acknowledgement of the volume of East Coasters on the roster,” …
A Quarter Century of Fusing Delicious Food and Great Music
It’s a summer Friday night in Haines Junction, and almost anybody who loves good food, good music and the spectacular St. Elias Mountains knows right where they’d like to be. As the dinner hour draws near, so do the patrons of the Village Bakery and Deli, tucked into a tree-lined corner just a stone’s throw …
A Quarter Century of Fusing Delicious Food and Great Music Read More »
Horses of the Yukon
Sid van der Meer, the history buff of Beaver Creek, Yukon, has a little part of the horse history displayed at Sid’s Treasures.
There’s Gold in Those Buckets of Dirt
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 Saturday after that celebration will make for a packed schedule. The Klondike Visitors Association decided a few years ago that having the Yukon Gold Panning Championships in the afternoon, following …
Mount Maichen Madness Hits Watson Lake
What do you do with a ski hill in the summer? You hold a relay race! If you’re looking for a fun, exciting and challenging event to start off the summer, the Mount Maichen Relay Race is it. Grab a few family members, friends, or co-workers and join us at the Mount Maichen Ski Hill …
The Yellow Jeep
There are thousands of antiques to ask Sid van der Meer about, however, his most recent addition has been the latest topic of discussion. The 1949 Jeep, that was once gold, has now faded to a stil de grain yellow as it basks in the dry sun. “The yellow is chipping in some areas and …
Double-barreled day of action in Dawson City
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 events on this day – the Commissioner’s Tea and the Ball – are always held on the Saturday closest to June 13, which was the date in 1898 when the …
Tee Time in the Town of Faro, Yukon
For the first Faro Golf Tournament “we drew circles on the soccer field to serve as holes,” The Faro Golf Club incorporated in 2001.
A Good Old Time in Haines Junction
Bluegrass music goes back to the Appalachians. The 2017 Kluane Mountain Bluegrass Festival headliners are The Boxcars from east Tennessee.
DIDEE & DIDOO: Avoid Problems
DON’T DRINK. DON’T DO DRUGS. DON’T SMOKE. DON’T CHEW SNUFF. DON’T EAT JUNK FOOD. DON’T GAMBLE. EXERCISE. WORK. DON’T BORROW. DON’T LEND. DON’T BRAG. DON’T SWEAR. FIND A HOBBY. BE HUMBLE. DON’T GOSSIP. FIND GOD. HAVE GOALS. WORK FOR YOUR STUFF. DON’T ARGUE. DON’T LISTEN TO RUMOURS. DON’T BREAK THE LAW. OWN A PET. LEARN …
Two Million Honey Bees Find Home in Watson Lake
Courtney and Joel Wilkinson, co-owners of Bee Whyld Yukon, are proud to show off their bee yard located just outside the town of Watson Lake, Yukon. Sixty-two of Bee Whyld’s 64 honey bee hives sit on the edge of a hay field surrounded by an electric fence. The warm spring days and budding leaves on …
Three Days of Dance
World travel has its place, but Sharon Shorty says a lot of Yukoners need to get out and take a trip into their own territory. And, she says, if you want to start with Haines Junction, The Da Kų Nän Ts’etthet Dance Festival makes it easy. The bi-annual festival, now in its second year, takes …
Yukon History Maker
Sid Van der Meer received the History Maker Award , it is presented for outstanding contributions to Yukon heritage.
Watson Lake Generosity Supports Cystic Fibrosis Month
May is Cystic Fibrosis (CF) month. A drive through Watson Lake will give you an idea of just how important this month is to our town. Numerous businesses join in “painting the town purple” by decorating windows and doors in purple, the official CF colour. You may also see purple vehicles and one distinctly purple …
Watson Lake Generosity Supports Cystic Fibrosis Month Read More »
Gold Show: The Rush is On
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 the General Manager of the Dawson City Chamber of Commerce, she has the primary responsibility of making sure everything works out according to plan. The plan is a pretty solid …
DIDEE & DIDOO: THEY’RE HIGHLY COMPETITIVE
I HAVE TO HAVE THE BEST ORGANIC DIET. I HAVE TO HAVE THE BEST AND LIGHTEST EQUIPMENT. I HAVE TO BE KNOWLEDGEABLE ON TRAINING METHODS. I HAVE TO HAVE A COACH. I HAVE TO HAVE A SPORTS PSYCHOLOGIST. I HAVE TO HAVE TIME AND BE COMMITTED. I HAVE TO HAVE THE BEST TRAINING ENVIRONMENT. I …
DIDEE & DIDOO: ALLAN BENJAMIN
HE WAKES UP AT FOUR AND HE’S OUT THE DOOR. HE’S UP BEFORE THE SUN AN’ HE GOES FOR A RUN. ALLAN DOESN’T LIKE TO SIT ‘CAUSE HE LIKES TO KEEP FIT. HE’S NOT OVER THE HILL AND HE CAN’T KEEP STILL. ALLAN IS A GWICHIN ATHLETE AND HE TRAINS TO COMPETE. HE SNOWSHOES ALL …
Celebrate the Art of Filmmaking this Weekend
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 year’s Dawson City International Short Film Festival to various categories for Friday, Saturday and Sunday screenings that will fill up this Easter Weekend. The films were selected by a group …
A Creative Way to Spend Your Vacation
Artists, musicians, songwriters, general creative types and arts lovers alike might want to think about taking a little vacation time this summer. The Keno City Music and Art Workshop For Adults is returning for its second year, with workshops running July 24th through to August 7th. The event runs for two weeks, in week long …
The Tripod Stands to Mark the River’s Breakup
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 it happens, the ladies of the IODE have it covered. What were some very wide open leads in the river prevented the formation of the usual ice bridge across at …
Racing to Honour an Honourable Man
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 the Old Post Office and the Palace Grand Theatre. Two minutes later the first of the corporeal contestants in the Memorial Mail Race named after him will let the dogs, …
DIDEE & DIDOO: BABY BOOMERS
WE ALL REMEMBERED BLOOMERS NOW THEY CALL US BABY BOOMERS. WE ALL USED TO BE NEW NOW WE’RE LIKE AN OLD SHOE. WE USED TO BREAK ALL THE RULES AND THEY CALL US FOOLS. WE USED TO BE WILD BUT NOW WE’RE MILD WE USED TO BE CRAZY NOW WE’RE ALL LAZY WE USED TO …
DIDEE & DIDOO: WIVES USED THEIR HUSBAND’S FIRST NAMES
MARTHA MOSES WAS MARRIED TO MOSES TIZYA. MARY RUFUS WAS MARRIED TO RUFUS NETRO. MARY PAUL WAS MARRIED TO PAUL BEN KASSI. MARY LAZARUS WAS MARRIED TO LAZARUS CHARLIE. ANNIE KENNETH WAS MARRIED TO KENNETH NUKON. MARTHA JOHN WAS MARRIED TO JOHN CHARLIE. ANNIE DANIEL WAS MARRIED TO DANIEL FREDSON. FANNY CHARLIE WAS MARRIED TO …
DIDEE & DIDOO: WIVES USED THEIR HUSBAND’S FIRST NAMES Read More »
The Evolution of a Home
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 front of the house would cut down on the seasonal evening sun glare and provide what amounted to a sheltered outdoor living room in the summer. This addition we were …
Thaw di Gras appeals to Locals and Visitors
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 the minus teens and a bad one may be in the minus 20s with wind chill. Whatever the weather may bring, much of this March 17th to 19th weekend will …
DIDEE & DIDOO: THOU SHALT NOT SWEAR
*EAT THIS RICE ALL MUDDY. WHY DON’T YOU THUCK OFF. THUCK YOU. DON’T THUCK AROUND. THUCKER. *FUTHER MUCKER. WELL I’LL BE THUCK ME. YOU THUCKIN RIGHTS. I’M ALL THUCKED UP. THUCK THIS. DASTARD. CRIPES SAKES. THUCK SAKES. YOU’RE A DOG THUCKER. DON’T BE AN ASK HOLE. YOU’RE TWISTING ME OFF. *GUN OF A SUN. *FOR …
The Trekkers Will Soon be Here
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 over the last two years. Paul Robitaille, marketing and events manager with the Klondike Visitors Association (KVA), reports that the Tok Chamber of Commerce has taken over the promotion and …
Making Music and Money for Good Causes
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.
Thoughtfully Thrifty
“To have local students take part in the project gives us something to be proud of,” he says. “Yukon College is always trying to meet the needs of the communities and having input from them is always helpful.” Five females and three males ranging from ages 18 to 61 participated in the project. “Having women …
Something for Everyone
However, the Koot to Kat Alpine Adventure Race has a list of requirements: a partner, beacon, shovel, probe, communication device (phone or GPS) and the ability to get yourself up and over Mount Ripinski. The Winter Fest runs from Friday, March 3rd to Sunday, 5th. The Haines “First Friday” event also takes place on March …
Flowing Water and the Daily Light Show
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 been for several years. Mostly, it hasn’t been really cold, which begins below, say, minus 35, and carries on down into the minus 50s, but we’ve had a lot of …
Butterflies, Ravens and Tlingit Princesses – Oh My!
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 »
Shedding a Little Light on a SAD Season
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 to put the devices so that they could be used by the most people and at times when people might need them the most. Libraries seemed like a good idea, …
Gathering Memories of Clinton Creek Proves Difficult
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 town had been used by locals prior to the establishment of the mine in the mid-1960s. The mine was about a decade getting off the ground from the time that …
Gathering Memories of Clinton Creek Proves Difficult Read More »
International Bonspiel Comes to Dawson City
Dawson City’s International curling bonspiel is the Yukon’s oldest continuously running event. With teams from the Yukon, Northern BC & NWT.
DIDEE & DIDOO: Embrace Winter
You can go dog mushing. You can go snow shoeing. You can go skiing. You can go skating. You can make a snowman. You can see the northern lights. You can make an igloo. You can go for a ski-doo ride. You can go sliding You can go skijoring. You can go ice fishing. You …
(S)hiver Me Timbers
“The dark and the cold are conducive to creativity,” says Carly Woolner, one of the co-founders of Dawson’s (S)Hiver Arts Festival. Blair Douglas, the other half of the team, chimes in with a smile: “They are also conducive to everyone staying home.” Together these sum up the motivations behind the festival, which has a mandate …
What’s fake is real
“I found it ironic that in Toronto, I could play hockey year round” said Dowhal, but in Dawson “hockey season runs from December to March,”
14 Months of Fun and Joy
Yukoners are adventurers of all sorts. A Dawson City non-profit organization has captured 14 babies on their exciting start into this adventure called life. Dawson City’s Healthy Families, Healthy Babies initiative has created an adorable 2017 wall calendar as a fundraiser project, called Babies of Dawson. The goal of the initiative is to support young …
Christmas Eve Preparations in October
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 Road sites where the pictures were to be taken? Would it be too cold that day? Would there be enough sunlight to get good shots? It was, after all, a …
DIDEE & DIDOO: I’VE NEVER BEEN EVERYWHERE
I HAVE NEVER BEEN TO ENGLAND BUT I’VE BEEN TO CARIBOU LOOKOUT. IHAVE NEVER BEEN TO FRANCE BUT I’VE BEEN TO RAMPART HOUSE. I HAVE NEVER BEEN TO CHINA BUT I’VE BEEN TO CROW FLATS. I HAVE NEVER BEEN TO TIALY BUT I’VE BEEN TO KLO KUT. I HAVE NEVER BEEN TO GERMANY BUT I’VE …
The Klondike Continues to Prepare for World Heritage Status
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 »
DIDEE & DIDOO: I’M STILL INTACT
I STILL HAVE MY WINGS. I STILL HAVE MY TAIL. I STILL HAVE MY CLAWS. I STILL HAVE MY FINS. I STILL HAVE MY HORNS. I STILL HAVE MY HOOFS. I STILL HAVE MY BEAK. I STILL HAVE MY QUILLS. I STILL HAVE MY SCALES. I STILL HAVE MY FEATHERS. I STILL HAVE MY BILL. …
Yukon Magic
I only had one night in Dawson City and I was hoping for a clear, cold night. I’d been dreaming for years of what it must feel like to bask in the glow of a sky filled with northern lights. This was my chance. I’d been in Whitehorse for a couple days and the cold …
Dawson in a Fictional Sense
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 selling novelists Stephen King and Lee Child. Part of the discussion was about settings, and Child noted that he had set one of his novels in New York, a city …
As the River Slowly Freezes
Living across the Yukon River from Dawson City in the communities of West Dawson or Sunnydale has its perks. You’re near town, but not in town. A 35-minute walk or 10-minute ferry ride is all it takes to partake of the amenities of town living, while still experiencing an off-the-grid lifestyle. But twice a year …
Didee & Didoo: I’m Still Intact
I STILL HAVE MY WINGS. I STILL HAVE MY TAIL. I STILL HAVE MY CLAWS. I STILL HAVE MY FINS. I STILL HAVE MY HORNS. I STILL HAVE MY HOOFS. I STILL HAVE MY BEAK. I STILL HAVE MY QUILLS. I STILL HAVE MY SCALES. I STILL HAVE MY FEATHERS. I STILL HAVE MY BILL. …
This Is Who I Am
My name is Destiny Clennett. I am 15-years-old and am Vuntut Gwich’in. I am working hard towards saving my culture and the connections my people had to the land. Let me tell you who my people are now and who we used to be. Through our people, through our land, through our caribou we are …
Dawson Quilts
But the hottest gift for Dawson City babies is a handmade quilt. It’s been the most popular gift since 1980.
Calls to Action
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s (TRC) Calls to Action task all sectors of Canadian society to make changes that will affect “the way things are done” between First Nations people and non-First Nation Canadians. The TRC came about as a way to address the legacy of residential schools, and to help to reconcile relations between …
The Sourtoe celebrated as a “Hidden Wonder” of the World
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 enthusiastic recommendation from fantasy and comic book writer, Neil Gaiman. That’s not true any more, there have been at least half a dozen substitute toes since that time. One was …
The Sourtoe celebrated as a “Hidden Wonder” of the World Read More »
Starting Conversations through Art with A Dawson City Scrapbook
When you think of comics, you may think of superheroes or lovable scruffy dogs. But Rebecca Roher says comics are not only pulpy and light. Roher is a cartoonist, illustrator and educator. Comics, she says, can be used to start conversations about serious topics. “People are maybe more open to a comic, while other forms …
Starting Conversations through Art with A Dawson City Scrapbook Read More »
All Kinds of Bargains
It’s autumn and time for the thrift shop in Haines Junction to ramp up again for winter. Dozens and dozens of bags of used clothing and housewares have been dropped off in the last month at the back door of St. Christopher’s Church. Local women were sorting and organizing for weeks in preparation for the …
Thinking Outside the Box in Carcross
In the mid-70s, Michael Reynolds, an American architect, was working very hard in a sand dune of New Mexico. Fed up with what he saw as the typical house mortgage trap and unsustainable living, he wanted to come up with a design for homes that people could build and maintain themselves with little skills. Re-using …
Didee & Didoo: Name Your Baby
YOU CAN NAME HIM LAZARUS OR YOU CAN NAME HER SARAH. YOU CAN NAME HIM ABRAHAM OR YOU CAN NAME HER JEMIMA. YOU CAN NAME HIM NEIL OR YOU CAN NAME HER ELIZA. YOU CAN MANE HIM PERCY OR YOU CAN NAME HER MYRA. YOU CAN NAME HIM AMOS OR YOU CAN NAME HER CLARA. …
What is the Aurora Trail?
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 was their second-last stop on a tour that had seen them perform in Dease Lake, Atlin, Teslin, Crag Lake, Whitehorse, Haines Junction, Faro and Mayo, with one more concert planned …
Didee & Didoo: First Time
FIRST TIME I HAD A COACH. FIRST TIME I RAN ON A TRACK. FIRST TIME I HAD A FIRST AID SATION. FIRST TIME I HAD OFFICIALS. FIRST TIME I HAD AN ELECTRONIC TIMER. FIRST TIME I USED STARTING BLOCKS. FIRST TIME I RAN WITH A BATON. FIRST TIME I RAN IN HOT WEATHER. FIRST TIME …
Sew Lovely
From the moment that Jacquelyn van Kampen stepped off the plane in Whitehorse, she felt that she had arrived in a magical place. Growing up in southern Ontario, she thought of the Yukon as a cold and dark place that she would likely never visit. But that was before she saw an application form for …
CFYT Talent Night
Have you always wanted to get on stage and strut your stuff? If so, then CFYT Talent Night is for you. Taking place on September 30 at Diamond Tooth Gerties Gambling Hall in Dawson City, Talent Night welcomes all types of performers on stage. In partnership with the Klondike Visitors Association (KVA), this event is …
The Trail of 98 Shows Another Side of Robert W. Service
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 »
Comics are the People’s Medium
Anyone can make comics, and they are mass produced and traded for cheap. That’s the message Jonathan Rotsztain brought to Dawson City during his art residency with KIAC. Rotsztain describes himself as a “graphic designer who makes comics. “I’m a writer before a drawer, but I never found writing on its own that compelling as …
On Gertie’s Closing Night, Expect the unexpected
On Saturday, Sept. 24, patrons of Diamond Tooth Gertie’s Gambling Hall in Dawson City are in for a treat as Gertie and her gals put on the final show of the season. Throughout the summer, the casino offers three different stage shows each evening at 8:30 p.m., 10 p.m. and midnight. Each show is different …
On Gertie’s Closing Night, Expect the unexpected Read More »
Hidden Treasure in Haines Junction
Another successful year has ended for the local gallery in Haines Junction. For the last five years, the gallery has been housed in the basement of St. Christopher’s Church. It started when Lynn De Brabandere, the minister, was having coffee with local artist Marty Ritchie and the conversation turned to the need for a display …
Can We Beat Alaska This Year?
“Play ball!” These words will be ringing out in Dawson City this Labour Day weekend. From Sept. 2 to 5, teams from the Yukon, Northwest Territories and Alaska will converge on two ball diamonds to compete in the Labour Day Slo-Pitch Classic Tournament. This annual, mixed tournament has been a 30-year tradition in Dawson, says …
Eat Your Art Out
‘Tis the season where giant vegetables are being harvested from gardens and potentially prize-winning jams are being churned out for display in the hopes of gaining a ribbon. This was the case at Dawson City’s horticultural exhibition as part of Discovery Days last week, but you won’t find large or entertaining vegetables adorning the tables …
Seeds of Change Lead to Reconciliation
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 the Dänojà Zho Cultural Centre in Dawson City. It displays information about the history that has led to a need for this reflection, and it shows some of the steps …
The Great Klondike Outhouse Race
People run from using an outhouse. The KVA in Dawson City put that running to good use in the Great Klondike Outhouse Race.
A Colouring Book for Adults
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 Service School yearbook. Elaine, who is herself a landscape painter and sculptor, says that she always encouraged Kyley to develop her art as a kid. Kyley remembers her mother telling …
Priska Wettstein: A Love Affair with Photography
Priska Wettstein’s love affair with photography began in 2008 when husband Paul presented her with a camera.
Hands-On Haute Couture in the Junction
From beading to working with hide and hair, “Textile and fashion endeavours are followed by a huge number of locals,” says Heiko Hähnsen. He’s the director of the Junction Arts and Music, or JAM, an organization that “nurtures the arts”, according to its website, and is hosting Haines Junction’s first Hands-On Craft Weekend. Given that …
A portal to the world
Yukon artist Lawrie Crawford imagined a gallery, an airy space with high ceilings and big beautiful windows. She could picture Suzanne Paleczny’s sculpture of Icarus hanging there. With that vision an idea was born. Crawford and her colleagues in the Southern Lakes Artists Collective were inspired to create a gallery space filled with a wide …
Stoking the Fire
Today, Sid and I are on the hunt for an unusual piece in his collection. As we sift through antiques after antiques, we come across a bellows. A bellows pumps air, and they are commonly known to be hand-held devices used to stoke small fires. However the bellows Sid possess is approximately a metre in …
The Tagish Kwan Photo Parlour
Another new initiative has sprung up on the Carcross Commons. Near the totem pole stands an off-white canvas wall tent. Inside, it’s set up as a photography studio. There are lights and high quality cameras with multiple flashes. There is a printer, and a tickle trunk. It’s the second place in the territory to offer …
Didee & Didoo: OLD CROW ZOO
YOU’LL SEE LOTS OF CARIBOU. YOU’LL SEE LOTS OF MOOSE. YOU’LL SEE LOTS OF MARTEN. YOU’LL SEE LOTS OF SQUIRRELS. YOU’LL SEE LOTS OF WOLVES. YOU’LL SEE LOTS OF FOXES. YOU’LL SEE LOTS OF RABBITS. YOU’LL SEE LOTS OF MIKS. YOU’LL SEE LOTS OF DUCKS. YOU’LL SEE LOTS OF FISH. YOU’LL SEE LOTS OF WEASELS. …
Power and Money
The ladies rule Dawson City this weekend. First up, the Dawson City League of Lady Wrestlers presents the North End Knockout on Saturday, August 6. On Sunday, August 7, the best female pokers players in the Yukon gather to play it out for prize money. Why are there these all-women events in what are thought …
Only woodfire for this ethical bean
The best cup of coffee I’ve ever had was at the table of Philippe and Leandra Brient in the log-hewn home they built themselves. Outside the back window was a view of Atlin Mountain rising majestically from a valley of boreal forest. The Brients own and operate Atlin Mountain Coffee Roasters. They spent the morning …
Passion for Fashion
Evelyn Koh wanted a reason to stay in Haines Junction. She worked for years in Whitehorse, at the college and for the Yukon government. She also did carpentry and design work. For a while, she traveled back-and-forth between Whitehorse and Haines Junction. Finally, she settled in the community. She owns a piece of land off …
Powerful Incentives
The ATCO technician was confused. Normally reading meters is the simple part of the job, but this one seemed to be running, well, backwards. Time to call in the supervisor. Now there were two of them scratching their heads, and it wasn’t until they looked up that it all became clear. This is how I …
Didee & Didoo: INDIAN TIME
WE DON’T KEEP TRACK OF TIME AN’ WE DON’T THINK IT’S A CRIME. OUR ALARM GOES ON AT EIGHT BUT WE LIKE TO BE LATE. WE SUPPOSE TO BE THERE BY NINE BUT OUR TIME IS ALWAYS BEHIND. EVEN WHEN IT’S COFFEE BREAK WE’RE STILL BARELY AWAKE. WHEN THE CLOCK IS AT ELEVEN WE THINK …
The History of Jews During the Gold Rush
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 them that they established their own graveyard. But the Jewish presence in Dawson City nearly vanished after the end of World War I. Dr. Brent Slobodin researched and wrote the …
Especially Good Fun
There is something special about watching Special Olympics athletes compete. If you know people with an intellectual disability involved with the Special Olympics, then you know what it’s like to watch a person give everything they’ve got. It’s just like watching any athletes perform the sports they love – except there is an underlying air …
A Big Yellow Truck with a Past
“It’s a 1942 International,” Sid tells me as we are standing by a truck whose yellow paint is slowly chipping away with age. The truck’s original grey colour has been exposed underneath the bright yellow. Its large body and tires tell us it was a truck built for working in rough terrain. “It’s a six …
Stories for Gold
Each year the Klondike Visitors Association works with the Writers’ Trust of Canada, Parks Canada, and the Dawson Community Library to put on the Authors on Eighth Walking Tour during the week before Discovery Days. Connected to that event is the annual Authors on Eighth Writing Contest, which challenges would-be authors to emulate the work …
Didee & Didoo: Dome Run
I’M OVER THE HILL TO RUN UP THE HILL. I NEVER RAN IT BEFORE BUT I KNOW IT’S SORT. I’LL GIVE IT A TRY BUT DON’T ASK WHY. I’M NOT A PRO ‘CAUSE I’M SLOW. I’M A MASTER AN’ I’M NOT FASTER. THE DOME RUN IT’S JUST FOR FUN. I’LL TRY NOT TO DROP ‘TIL …
Bringing Crowds to Dodge: 38th annual Dawson City Music Festival
The Dawson City Music Festival (DCMF) is a major draw. “One of the bands getting a lot of attention is called the Wet Secrets,”
Didee & Didoo: I SNOWSHOED AT… I FIDDLED AT…
I Snowshoed at… ANCHORAGE – IDITASHOE FT YUKON – ICE KING CLASSIC DAWSON – AWG SNOWSHOE TRIALS OLD CROW – EASTER CARNIVAL FT MCPHERSON – PEEL RIVER JAMBOREE ARCTIC RED RIVER – MCKENZIE RIVER CARNIVAL INUVIK – MUSKRAT JAMBOREE AKLAVIK – MAD TRAPPER CARNIVAL YELLOWKNIFE – AWF SNOWSHOEING WHITEHORSE – MAD TRAPPER CONTEST I Fiddled …
Saturday is Market Time in the Klondike
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 years. While it began with growers selling produce, vegetables, garden plants and bushes, it has expanded in offerings to the point where the name might be better rendered as a …
A Family Tradition
When the hooligan are running, the rivers and harbour In Haines, Alaska host a fiesta of wildlife that congregate to feed on this little fish that First Nations prize for its high fat content. Sea gulls, eagles, sea lions and even whales feast on the bounty when it arrives. For generations, the local Tlingit people …
Didee & Didoo: I SHOOK THEIR HANDS
REGGIE LEACH – NHL HOCKEY PLAYER. GEORGE CHUVALO – PROFESSIONAL BOXER. CHIEF PETER MOSES – BRITISH EMPIRE MEDAL. PIERRE TRUDEAU – PRIME MINISTER. GEORGE ATTLA – WORLD CHAMP DOG MUSHER. FATHER MOUCHET – T.E.S.T. SKI FOUNDER. SHIRLEY, SHARON FIRTH – OLYMPIC SKIERS. ADRIENNE CLARKSON – GOVERNOR GENERAL. BRIAN RANDAZZO – ARCTIC SPORTS CHAMP. ROBERT RAMSEY …
The Strange Story of Mary Hanulik Garden
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 Show during Victoria Day Weekend in May. It then continues unabated as part of the Farmers’ Market during the summer, and employs several landscaping and gardening firms during the same …
Atlin Arts and Music Festival: A Feast for the Senses
The Atlin Arts and Music Festival, music, visual arts, film and food, is about building community through music and art.
Stereoscopic Views
Looking through Sid’s antiquities I spot a familiar sight: stereoscopes. I had a pair of bright orange View Masters (a trademarked format of stereoscope) when I was a child in the 1990s with photos of Bugs Bunny. Sid’s stereoscopes are truly antique and rare. “These ones are from the late 1800s up to the 1910s,” …
Didee & Didoo: AT OLD CROW
Didee & Didoo by Allen Benjamin: At Old Crow WE DON’T HAVE TRAFFIC LIGHTS. WE DON’T HAVE ELEVATORS. WE DON’T HAVE BRIDGES. WE DON’T HAVE
Gold Fever is Alive and Well
Panning for gold the old-fashioned way is an art and a science, though you don’t have to be an expert in either to take part in the annual Yukon Gold Panning Championships, held on Saturday, July 1 in Dawson City. “We’re trying to attract gold panning enthusiasts, competitive types, visitors, and first time gold panners,” …
The Joys of Reading Aloud
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 illustrations, it is often published between the same covers as its thematic opposite, White Fang, often along with some of the better known short stories to round out the page …
A Canada Day Celebration Worth Driving To
Mayo Arts Festival offers a unique way to celebrate Canada’s birthday with artists, workshops and musicians from the Stewart River Valley
Didee & Didoo: After A Race
I CAN SLEEP. I’M NOT NERVOUS. I CAN BREATHE. I CAN TALK. I DON’T CHOKE. MY HEART BEATS NORMAL. I’M NOT STIFF. I CAN KEEP STILL. I CAN CONCENTRATE. I CAN HEAR. I DON’T PEE MY PANTS. I CAN SEE. I KNOW HOW TO PRAY. I STOP CRYING. I DON’T HAVE A HEADACHE. I AM …
A Big Night in a Small Town
The Teslin Arena is going to be rocking on June 25. Canadian country acts Aaron Pritchett, Cory Marquardt and Roger Gabriel are coming to town to put on a country music show. It benefit the Teslin Minor Hockey Association and the Teslin Recreation Society. About 450 people live in Teslin. This is the biggest event …
Chasing Stories in Skagway
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, held this year from May 25-28 in the windy town. This was the seventh annual event, of which I have attended all but one since the first in 2010. The …
Banners! Banners!
“They were popular back in the 1960s,” Sid tells me as we stand in one of his many garages. Built attached to his house, his old garage holds tools, machines and different parts of Sid’s antique/vintage collection. Looking up towards the ceiling, vintage banners, t-shirts, and hats are attached to the wooden beams above us. “They’re …
Easy Riders
Next Thursday up to 300 motorcyclists will descend on Dawson City for the 29th gathering of Dust 2 Dawson Motorcycle Ride. Dick Van Nostrand, a long time Dawsonite, helps organize the gathering. He’s been involved since almost the beginning. “We had just bought the Downtown Hotel in Dawson City in 1995, when I met some …
Tlingit Treasure
On Saturday May 14th, under sunny skies, hundreds of spectators celebrated the Grand Opening of the Jilkaat Kwaan Cultural Heritage Centre and Bald Eagle Preserve Visitor Centre, amidst some of the most spectacular scenery in Alaska. The cultural heritage centre was built to house treasures of the Tlingit People, and is a treasure in and …
Didee & Didoo: BEFORE A RACE
I CAN’T SLEEP. I SHAKE. I’M NERVOUS. I CAN’T BREATHE. I CAN’T TALK. I ALMOST CHOKE. MY HEART BEATS FAST. I GET STIFF. I CAN’T KEEP STILL. I CAN’T CONCENTRATE. I CAN’T HEAR. I PEE MY PANTS. I CAN’T SEE. I FORGET HOW TO PRAY. I START TO CRY. I GET A HEADACHE. I GET …
A Little or a Lot, Get Ready to Run
Dawson City runners have been pleased to participate in the Mayo Marathon. This year there is a Dempster to Dawson (or D2DC) Solstice Race.
Looking after each other
in 1996, the Mount Lorne fire hall opened it’s doors with a 1977 Ford cabover truck with an 800-gallon tank and a 125 horsepower pump
On Top of the World at the Top of the World
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.
Didee & Didoo: WHAT ANIMALS THINK OF US
THEY WALK ON TWO FEET. THEY DON’T HAVE TAILS. THEY DON’T BARK. THEY DON’T PANT. THEY DON’T HAVE FUR. THEY DON’T HAVE HORNS. THEY DON’T HAVE HOOFS. THEY DON’T HAVE QUILLS. THEY DON’T HAVE WINGS. THEY DON’T HAVE BILLS. THEY DON’T HAVE FINS. THEY DON’T HIBERNATE. THEY DON’T HAVE PAWS. THEY DON’T RUT. THEY DON’T …
Yoga Through the Summer
Dawson City – get ready for yoga with Sabu Chaitanya. He’s on his way to instruct a full one-month intensive in the Klondike. The course begins June 6 and concludes on July 1 and it’s called an “intensive” for a reason. It’s a comprehensive, rigorous course requiring participation five days a week, in sessions held …
Oh, Beer. Maybe Next Year?
It’s a gathering where you may sip the tingly bitterness of a pale ale, sample salty snacks from the “bacon booth” and lock eyes magically with your future spouse. No wonder tickets to the Haines Beer Fest have sold out faster than ever this year. The event takes place May 27 and 28, in Haines, …
Celebrating Jack London’s Legacy
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 Jack London Museum, in a setting modeled after a painting by Jim Robb. This year marks the 100th anniversary of London’s passing and the Klondike Visitors Association is marking the …
Didee & Didoo: NOT GUILTY
THEY WORK OVERTIME TO COMMIT CRIME. THEIR MANNERS THEY DON’T USE AN’ THEY LIKE TO ABUSE. THEY LIKE TO ROB AN’ THAT’S THEIR JOB. THEY EVEN WORK AT NIGHTS AN’ THEY VIOLATE OUR RIGHTS. THEY WANT A FREE MEAL ‘CAUSE THEY LIKE TO STEAL. THEY ONLY CAUSE US GRIEF AN’ THEY ACT LIKE A THIEF. …
Propeller Invention
Sid van der Meer hustles about Beaver Creek’s Visitor Information Centre preparing his workplace for the 2016 tourism season. With new Yukon tourism commercials airing widely and with the Canadian dollar so low, Sid expects a rise in international tourists travelling through Beaver Creek this summer. I briefly interrupt his set-up routine to discuss a …
Gearing up for the 30th Gold Show
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 fill up a section of 4th Avenue between May 20 and 21. The first, as noted by Dawson Chamber Manager Courtney Holmes, is that the trade show had to expand …
Music for Fun and a Good Cause
“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 quite right when he said this at the conclusion of the latest Coffee House/Open Mic Saturday night at the KIAC Ballroom (formerly known as the Odd Fellows Hall ballroom). Lately …
Didee & Didoo: SERIOUS TRAINING
SERIOUS TRAINING I’M A VUNTUT GWICHIN ATHLETE AND I ALWAYS COMPETE. I’LL RUN WHEN IT’S SNOWING OR RAINING BECAUSE I’M IN SERIOUS TRAINING. I DON’T WANT A BAD HABIT ‘CAUSE I NEED TO RUN LIKE A RABBIT. I LIKE TO BE SERIOUSLY FIT SO I DON’T LIKE TO SIT. I WANT TO BE TOUGH AS …
Twenty Years of Pioneer Women Celebrated at the Hospital
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. Over the years a number of women in Dawson had supported this quest, notably with the humorous “No YOOPIE – No WHOOPIE” floats that were a feature of many parades …
Twenty Years of Pioneer Women Celebrated at the Hospital Read More »
Catch A Cutthroat
This is an awkward time of year for fishing. Each day, as the amount of daylight lengthens, we grow impatient to be back outside, with fishing rod in hand. As the warmth of the sun returns, and the snow begins to disappear, a growing mistrust for the strength of the ice on the once frozen, …
Sophia Flather
“It felt like home” is what Sophia Flather says of the first summer she lived in Old Crow. While working as a summer student there in the heritage department, she visited the Vuntut National Park and had the experience of seeing a group of five to 10 thousand caribou. “It was pretty powerful,” she says. …
Nothing, Nothing, Nothing… Then Honks Galore!
Sometimes it seems like maybe they might not come. Then you hear them: the faint, high-pitched croaking, growing louder and louder. Then the sky fills with hundreds of sandhill cranes, flying in huge Vs that morph and swoop as the birds soar to catch rising thermals. Everyone in Faro drops what they’re doing to look …
Art Nights in Alaska
Haines is said to have more artists per capita than any town in Southeast Alaska. On Friday April 1st, the creative spirit of Haines was clearly demonstrated as artists, artisans, craftsmen and members of the public gathered for the unveiling of an exhibit compiled by renowned scrimshaw artist Heidi Robichaud. The exhibit, which is sponsored …
The role of the KVA in the Klondike
When a group of Dawsonites dressed up in Gold Rush garb to meet a Canadian Pacific Airlines riverboat in 1962, they had no idea that this simple one-off publicity stunt would put down roots and that the fledgling Klondike Tourist Bureau would evolve into the Klondike Visitors Association (KVA) about 10 years later. Today, the …
Taking it to the Streets
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 are really at their best in the winter, when the hard-packed snow fills in all the possible places where potholes might form. In the summer, potholes are the bane of …
Dawson and the Harrison Effect
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 A Brush full of Colour (Pajama Press). The first one is a trade paperback collection of the 91 serigraph posters he created and sold. The second is a hardcover children’s …
Technology Meets Art
A new exhibition has opened at the ODD Gallery in Dawson City. Ommatida Muralis, which runs until April 16, is a new interactive installation by Winnipeg artists Chantal Dupas and Andrew John Milne. “It’s a rich experience to have a display of two, first-time collaborating artists,” says Interim Gallery Director Meg Walker. “It’s two perspectives …
Didee & Didoo: DIDOO NEVER HAD THESE THINGS
DIDOO COULDN’T WRITE OR READ SO THESE THINGS SHE DIDN’T NEED. DIDOO NEVER HAD A MEASURING CUP. DIDOO NEVER HAD MEASURING SPOONS. DIDOO NEVER HAD A RULER. DIDOO NEVER HAD A SCALE. DIDOO NEVER HAD A WATCH. DIDOO NEVER HAD A THERMOMETER. DIDOO NEVER HAD A COMBINATION LOCK. DIDOO NEVER HAD A CALCULATOR. DIDOO NEVER …
Germans love Jack London
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 was invited to meet for breakfast at the Aurora Inn in late February. Their primary literary interest is in Jack London, whose Yukon themed short stories were standard fare in …
It’s 40 years of mushing on the Percy DeWolfe Trail
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, dedicated trail crew” had managed to push a trail through a total of about five miles of jumble ice, and find ways around the various open leads in the river. …
It’s 40 years of mushing on the Percy DeWolfe Trail Read More »
Didee & Didoo: RED LANTERN
YOUR TEAM IS NEVER IN THE LEAD ‘CAUSE THEY DON’T HAVE THE SPEED. THEY’RE ALWAYS LAST ‘CAUSE THEY’RE NOT FAST. YOU’RE THE LAST TO THE FINISH LINE ‘CAUSE YOU’RE ALWAYS WAY BEHIND. YOU’RE NOT IN A HURRY AND YOU DON’T WORRY. YOU KNOW HOW TO MUSH BUT YOU DON’T LIKE TO RUSH. EVEN IF YOU …
Year 17 sees an abundance of Yukon Films at the Festival
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 City International Short Film Festival (DCISFF) and cramming in as much as they can of the 500 hours of screen time that will fill up the days. This is the …
Year 17 sees an abundance of Yukon Films at the Festival Read More »
Announcing Yukon’s Unofficial Other March Long Weekend
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 looking at for weather, but the Klondike Visitors Association (KVA) has once again encouraged a wide variety of groups to get involved in outdoor and indoor events for the weekend …
Announcing Yukon’s Unofficial Other March Long Weekend Read More »
Didee & Didoo: STUFF YOU SHOULD KNOW
DON’T SHOOT CARIBOU AND MOOSE WHEN THEY’RE RUTTING. THREE RIFLE SHOTS MEANS “DISTRESS.” CHECK ICE THICKNESS BEFORE CROSSING. WEAR SUNGLASSES IN THE SPRING TIME. STAY HOME WHEN THERE’S A STORM. STAY HOME WHEN THERE’S BIG WAVES. ALWAYS CARRY MATCHES. KEEP AWAY FROM A BEAR KILL. YOUR TENT DOOR SHOULD FACE SOUTH. NEVER EAT SNOW. USE …
Myth and Medium Focuses on Stories and Performance
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 »
Didee & Didoo: I MADE A FIDDLE
FIDDLES COST TOO MUCH THEY WOULDN’T LET ME TOUCH. SO WHEN I WAS LITTLE I MADE MY OWN FIDDLE. IT SOUNDED LIKE A LOON BUT I CAN PLAY A TUNE. I USED WOOD GUM TO MAKE IT HUM. I USED AL KINDS OF THINGS AN’ RABBIT SNARES FOR STRINGS. DIDOO GAVE ME SINEW AND I …
Examining the Quest to Understand the Aurora Borealis
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 light display named jointly after the Roman god of the dawn, Aurora, and the Greek god of the north wind, Boreas. Nicole Liao’s installation is called Against the Day, which …
Examining the Quest to Understand the Aurora Borealis Read More »
Showing Torontonians What’s Happening in Old Crow
photos from Old Crow, Yukon Territory, and Inuvik, Northwest Territories from youth workshops held by BYTE
Of Heater Plugs and Roof Clearances
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.
Never Too Young To Be An Old Timer
You don’t have to be a real old timer to play Oldtimers Hockey in Dawson City. Anyone from 35 years and up can play on one of the three teams in the league. “In professional hockey, 35 is pretty old,” says Brent MacDonald, president of the Oldtimers Association. “That’s where the name came from.” MacDonald, …
The (Book) Case for Real Books
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 those shelves I still have books that I bought and first read 50 years ago and, as new books enter the house, I periodically have to decide which ones I …
A Place to Wander… and A Place to Stay
You can’t beat the price: $35 for a bed, $80-$95 for the private couple/family room or $25 for a place to pitch your tent, including free internet and parking, access to all the facilities, kitchen, shower, piano, and guitars. The a piano and guitars are not usually part of the deal at most hostels, but …
Dawson Entrepreneur Finds her own Klondike Gold
Not just gold glitters in the Klondike. For Dawson City single-mother & entrepreneur, the pasties she makes sparkle too.
Didee & Didoo: THERE’S ALL KINDS OF FORTS
THERE’S ALL KINDS OF FORTS. THERE’S FORT YUKON, ALASKA. THERE’S FORT MCPHERSON, NWT. THERE’S FORT SELKIRK, YUKON. THERE’S FORT GOOD HOPE, NWT. THERE’S FORT PROVIDENCE, NWT. THERE’S FORT FITZGERALD, ALBERTA. THERE’S FORT RESOLUTION, NWT. THERE’S FORT SIMPSON, NWT. THERE’S FORT RELIANCE, YUKON. THERE’S FORT SMITH, NWT. THERE’S FORT CHIPEWYAN, ALBERTA. THERE’S FORT LIARD, NWT. THERE’S …
Where will the ravens warm their toes?
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. It’s a move that makes sense in a lot of ways. Yukon Energy and the City of Dawson figure that changing the 170 residential streetlights will save the town about …
Art Crawl Dawson Style
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,” …
Didee & Didoo: MY GYM
WHEN I MENTION MY GYM IT DOESN’T HAVE A BASKETBALL RIM. MY GYM IS THE GREAT OUTDOORS I SHARE IT WITH ANIMALS ON ALL FOURS. I SHARE MY GYM WITH THE BEAR WHERE THERE’S LOTS OF FRESH AIR. I SHARE MY GYM WITH THE PORCUPINE WHERE THERE’S LOTS OF SUNSHINE. I SHARE MY GYM WITH …
So much for the death of the printed book
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 2014. So much for the death of paper and print books. You might think that someone who’s been writing a book review column for nearly 40 years and lives in …
Didee & Didoo: I’M LIKE A BALL
THEY MAKE A BALL ROUND AN’ THEY THROW IT AROUND. WHEN THEY PLAY FOR THE GREY CUP THEY KICK THE BALL WAY UP. THE BALL WILL REBOUND AND GO UP AND DOWN. WHEN A BALL IS IN MOTION IT’S LIKE MY EMOTION. I CAN FALL TO THE GROUND IF I’M NOT THROWN AROUND. WHEN THEY …
Didee & Didoo: MOOSE AND RABBIT
THEY EAT WILLOW LEAVES IN THE AUTUMN AN’ ONLY RABBIT EATS AT THE BOTTOM. MOOSE AND RABBIT MADE A DEAL SO THAT THEY’LL BOTH HAVE A MEAL. RABBIT WASN’T IN CHARGE BECAUSE MOOSE WAS LARGE. MOOSE KNOWS RABBIT IS NOT BIG SO HE ONLY EATS AT THE TOP OF THE WILLOW TWIG. MOOSE KNOWS RABBIT …
Winning Awards with Husky Bus
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 arrived in the Yukon for the first time 10 years ago, studying glaciology at Kluane Lake as part of his University of Ottawa degree program. He says it was the …
Making Plans for the Midnight Sun
Rumour has it the 2015 lineup is the Kluane Bluegrass Music Festival’s best yet. No shortage of interest in headlining 2 decades in.
Christmas in Dawson
Christmas is a time of gatherings with family and friends. But what if you find yourself alone at that time of year? Well, if you’re in Dawson City, you have nothing to worry about. The community will make sure that everyone has somewhere to go. Dan Dowhal has first-hand experience with the Christmas spirit of …
Didee & Didoo: WHEN I GO HUNTING
I HAVE NEVER SEEN A HORSE. I HAVE NEVER SEEN A VULTURE. I HAVE NEVER SEEN A ZEBRA. I HAVE NEVER SEEN AN ELEPHANT. I HAVE NEVER SEEN A ROOSTER. I HAVE NEVER SEEN A GOAT. I HAVE NEVER SEEN A RACCOON. I HAVE NEVER SEEN A WHALE. I HAVE NEVER SEEN A DONKEY. I …
Dawson Lights up for Christmas
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 the Dome subdivisions – which I refer to as Literary Heights because all the streets are named for authors – do continue to get a short view of Ol’ Sol …
Reflections on Harsh Times
Last Friday I returned from a run to find The Frenchman shovelling snow. The end result is like an iced cake: smooth, precise and clean. It’s peculiar how one can go from being wrapped in one’s tiny world to having a sudden connection with things beyond comprehension. Upon reaching the cabin we found texts from …
Didee & Didoo: WILLOW MAN
WILLOW MAN IS HIS NAME AN’ HIS ARROW HE LIKES TO AIM. HE’S AS STRONG AS A BEAR AN’ HE HUNTS WITH A SPEAR. WILLOW MAN IS FAST AN’ BRAVE AN’ HE LIVED IN A BEAR CAVE. WILLOW MAN WAS KIND AN’ WISE AN’ STRONGER THAN ALL THE GUYS. THERE WAS JEALOUSY IN HIS CLAN …
Feeding the Hungry is a Vital Community Service
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 and families in the community who might need a little boost to get them through the Christmas season. Donations of non-perishable food items can be dropped off at either the …
Didee & Didoo: THOSE MY AUNTIE
I CALL THOSE MY AUNTIE HE AN’ HE CALL THOSE UNCLE SHE. THOSE AUNTIE HE’S NOT THAT NEW AND SNUFF HE ALWAYS CHEW. I THINK HE STILL WEAR BLOOMER AN’ HE MAKE STRONG RUMOUR. THOSE AUNTIE ALWAYS SMOKE PIPE AN’ HE USE CATALOG TO WIPE. THOSE MY AUNTIE HE FEEL BIG WHEN HE MAKE DOUBLE …
Brightening Up Even the Darkest Nights
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 in Dawson City seems to have been content to wait until after Remembrance Day to get started. ‘Tis the season for community gatherings, and the first one to occur was …
West Dawson Time
I’m not sure where the second week of freeze up has gone. After the protracted nature of my preparations, the flurry of activity upon arrival, and the pleasantly systematic organization of the cabin once here, time itself has taken on a different feel. Maybe it was the sudden transition from fall to winter that came …
