Toilet Training Frisky Felines
The life of a cat is a rather interesting one. They get agitated by birds, try to capture mice, are fascinated by dangling objects…
Yukoners
‘Bratsky’ Part 2
Several months ago, I described the joys and struggles of a couple of seniors adopting a puppy. She joined our household of three seniors…
Yukon’s Own ‘Game of Thrones’
Yukoners have been using the outhouses for a long-time. Sometimes they even race them. But whether they are made of old wood…
Skills Canada Interview: Dan Scobie
Through the university trades, I was introduced to Skills and saw an opportunity to inspire youth to enter the trades…
Why Wait Till Spring?
The first official day of spring is right around the corner (though in the North, it usually feels more like a seemingly random date…
The Guardians of Magundy River Canyon
In May of 2010, a lady contacted me and invited me to visit Faro, to discuss an encounter with a group of Sasquatch…
A Tenant’s Guide To Finding A House Share
Accommodation in Whitehorse is tight. Even if you manage to find a place online and even if you have actually met the landlord…
The ‘Impertinent, Wacky Disorder’ Of Whitehorse In The ’50s
When Pat Ellis walks around downtown Whitehorse, she sees evidence of the past because she knows just where to look.
Yukoners At Canada Winter Games
The 2023 Canada Winter Games, officially called XXVII Canada Games, are taking place Feb. 18 to March 5 and will be hosted in P.E.I.
Skills Canada Interview: Dylan Ponsioen
I was told by my shop teacher that there was a competition for small engines, and he thought it would be a great idea for me to compete…
Reimagining Valentine’s Day
Whether you feel that Valentine’s Day is overrated, highly commercialized or cheesy (or it’s your favourite holiday of the year)….
Get Glammed Up for LDAY
The Learning Disabilities Association of Yukon, also known as LDAY Centre for Learning, is celebrating its 50th year in operation in 2023.
Tales of Nahganne
For as long as humans have been in the Yukon, they have shared this vast land not only with various animals but also with…
Skills Canada Interview
Skills Canada Interview with Yukoner Cadence Hartland who is a current high school student and apprentice hair stylist and welder.
Dog Song Rising
Over the holidays I had the opportunity to interview Jess Sears, a dog musher based in the Whitehorse area.
The Gift of Storytelling
In January, I turned over a new leaf … more accurately, a new page! I’m planning to spend more time on writing.
The Simple Joys Of Yukon Count
This past Christmas season, Yukoners were introduced to a new children’s book created by local illustrator Tedd Tucker.
Brawn Versus The Old Buzzard
Every muscle sprang into action, and without a single ounce of energy left for cursing, he hoisted the tranny into place.
Safe At Home
The Safe at Home Society is a Yukon organization that works to end and prevent homelessness in the territory…
So you wanna be a house-sitter …
In the coming months, just like elegant trumpeter swans, many Yukoners will flock to warmer climates in search of sand and vitamin D.
Closing out the Year
New Year’s Eve is known to be one of the ultimate party nights of the year. But the carefree celebration does not last long.
Choices
Making so many choices every day can be stressful. Sometimes it causes me to lose track of the big picture.
Skills Canada Electrician
I’ve always enjoyed working with my hands, whether it’s something as small as Lego or as large as a building…
The Yukon’s Basketball Star
Dikran Zabunyan is all about teamwork. Whether it’s a basketball team or the staff at a hotel he manages that he’s talking about…
Prep That Ride!
Always have a snow brush to clean your entire vehicle off. Snow blowing off of your vehicle will make it invisible to other motorists.
Becoming Age-Friendly
One of the marvelous things about knowledge is how so many people are willing to share it freely so that others can learn.
Skills Canada Profiles
I first got interested in welding while working in outdoor education at the University of Alaska Southeast.
The Yukon Remembers
The Remembrance Day ceremony at the Canada Games Centre (CGC) is something many community members have missed, over the past couple of years.
Seasonal Change
We are in a state of seasonal change. Not only is the weather changing, but the roads are changing as well.
A Peek At The Yukon During ‘The Quiet Years’
Aside from just being a darn good read, this book covers a period about which very little has been written.
Red Seal Hairstylist Elizabeth Schalko Hones Her Skills
Skills Canada Yukon promotes trades and technology. Call 867-668-2736, email [email protected] or Social Media @skillscanadayukon.
What’s Your Attitude Toward Aging?
Are you “middle-aged” or “retirement age,” or of “old age?” Do you bristle at being asked those questions? Are you avoiding answering them?
Yukon Awards To Be Bestowed
The Office of the Commissioner of Yukon is inviting Yukoners to nominate their peers for three prestigious awards this month.
Returning Home to the Yukon
Tears streamed down my face as our airplane began its descent, preparing to land at the Whitehorse airport.
My Dearest 2022 Two-Year-Old
The terrible twos, they say, will be difficult. As I look back at old photographs, I often find myself thinking, Oh, how things have changed.
Running For The Cure
George Maratos is excited to organize the annual Terry Fox Run and hopes to see an increase in participants this year.
Yukon Chef Goes For Top Spot On National TV
Chef Chris Irving describes his life as a chef humbly “as a job.” Irving recently competed on Top Chef Canada (on The Food Network),
Skills Canada: Interview With Dominic Devigne (Carpentry)
Skills Canada and Skills Canada Yukon catch up with past and present participants with a series of interviews.
Dining In The Dark
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to eat … without being able to see? Well, you can experience eating at a restaurant without being able to see! Yes, that’s right, your only senses would be touch, smell, taste and hearing.
Toddler-Friendly Skies
The time had come. We had waited two years to be able to introduce our toddler to his extended family and now, at last, it was finally going to happen. However, in order to do that we first had to become the parents I have always looked at with a mix of trepidation and sympathy. We had to become FWAT parents. You know the ones: the “flying with a toddler” parents.
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.
Fly Straight Like a Honeybee
The idiom make a beeline for is a bit of a mystery as we watch the erratic dance of bees – So, what’s with bees and beelines?
Pride: It’s Time to Shine, Yukon!
August is Pride month in the Yukon with smaller events planned throughout the territory from Whitehorse to Watson Lake and beyond.
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 …
Around the World in 3,833 Days
A trick learned over 3,833 days of walking is to share the experience with someone else who has the same goal.
Becoming Canadian
Becoming a Canadian citizen means different things to different people. For Kylie Campbell-Clarke, it was a journey five years in the making.
Coming Back: A German In The Yukon
The call of the Yukon or the call of the wild that so many have heard and have followed, like my friends … they came here and stayed.
A ‘fish’ called (insert your name here)
Living in your comfort zone feels better than feeling like “a fish out of water.” Do you know the idiomatic origins of the phrase?
Let’s Build A Better Future For Waterfowl
Wetlands are vital for waterfowl reproduction. Unfortunately, encroachment by industry and humans is harmful.
Swipe Right: A Northern Love Story
A True Love Story set in a town of 40,000 in northern Canada. The universe proves my “Swipe Left, Swipe Right” (2017) story wrong.
Being Unorthodox in the Yukon
Unorthodox Yukon is one of the Yukon’s most-colourful spaces. The store’s owner, Douma Alwarid, is funny, open and animated.
Bobbi Rose Koe receives the 2021 Canadian River Heritage Award
30 year old Teetl’it Gwich’in woman Bobbi Rose Koe received the 2021 Canadian River Heritage Award. A lifetime achievement award.
Amelia Merhar, on Meanings within Pysanky
To me, pysanky, Ukrainian Easter eggs, is messy memories of making eggs with wax and dye, with my Baba or at Ukrainian Easter events.
KDFN citizen Doronn Fox handcrafted drums for Elders in Whitehorse’s long-term care homes
KDFN citizen Doronn Fox, Helping to reconnect Elders in care through traditional drumming. Part of a series featuring Citizen success stories.
Whit Fraser: A Versatile Man Under the Midnight Sun
Whit Fraser led coverage of the Berger Inquiry & Mackenzie Valley Pipeline. Some argue it defined the North & mayber altered northern life.
First lady of Klondike gold: Remembering Kate Carmack
Reflecting on Tlingit Kate Carmack (Shaaw Tláa) & her contributions to the Klondike Gold Rush, a defining event in Yukon &Canadian history.
Memories of the Yukon’s only psychiatrist: Still a Yukoner in his heart
From 1995 to 2001 Dr. Jaime Smith was the territory’s only psychiatrist. Jim Robb devotes page 38 in The Colourful 5% V:III to this Yukoner.
The quilt of many poppies
Joseph Novak is a World War ll veteran and possibly the last in the Yukon who served overseas. Joe moved into Whistle Bend Place early this year and has delighted co-residents and staff with his passionate storytelling, unshakable love of music and gratitude for life. In October of last year, Joe was given a 7×7-foot …
Jim Robb is still coming up with new ideas
Imagine our understanding of the Yukon without Jim Robb. Colourless without characters like “Wigwam” Harry, Andy Hooper and Buzz Saw Jimmy?
Robert Service’s great-granddaughter honours her ancestor
Robert Service’s great-granddaughter honours her ancestor. Charlotte Service-Longépé wrote Robert W. Service La Piste de l’Imaginaire.
Homecoming for Brandon Isaak
“We wanted to do a record and we didn’t have long to do it,” says Isaak. “So we just did it live in a day, basically.”
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.
Paris Pick – A Star is born
Whitehorse musician Paris Pick’s most recent video, the title track from her album I Can’t Help It , is blowing up on YouTube
Family Feud Casting… In The Yukon!
Family Feud Canada is looking for families including Canada’s north, for their unique way of life and sense of community
Remembering Joe Loutchan
Loutchan played a weekly gig at the 98 Hotel for over 40 years, and the strains of his lively, heart-warming, toe-tapping music could often be heard coming through the doors as eager music-loving patrons came in and out of the bar.
King of the Medevacs – Part 2
I argue that if Laserich had been American, I would not be telling you this story. You would have already seen it on the big screen.
King of the Medevacs
Inducted into Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame with more than 45,000 hours, 5,000 medical trips a perfect safety record
In the footsteps of her great-grandfather
In 1898, Ione Christensen’s great-grandfather and his four sons hiked the Chilkoot Trail on their way to find fortune in the Klondike gold fields. Over her lifetime, Christensen, who recently turned 86, has spent a lot of time on the historic trail herself.
Seventy tales from the Yukon, Atlin and Tibet
Peter Steele’s book arrived on my desk at just about the time in my cataract affliction when I was unable to read it, the white glare off the paper turning the printed words to grey smudges. Eventually I was piqued enough by this that I sought it out in the various e-book options and found …
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.
Volunteerism, a true Rendezvous tradition
Without volunteers the Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous Festival (YSR) would have never started, let alone gotten to its 56th year.
Pinoys on Parliament
From February 21 to 23, young Filipino-Canadians will converge on Ottawa for a youth-led national leadership conference. Pinoys on Parliament will bring together 200 delegates from coast to coast to coast. “Pinoys on Parliament was born out of the idea that although Filipinos compose one of the largest minority groups in Canada, they are still …
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.
Teri McNaughton and the Watson Lake Historical Society are ensuring the history of the town is recognized–one site at a time
McNaughton had rescued boxes of photographs showing the southern Yukon town in its heyday, and with that newly acquired collection, the Watson Lake Historical Society was born.
When the community comes together, Christmas magic is possible
Since 1991, Wayne Henderson, aka Garbage Truck Santa, has delighted Yukoners with his colourful light displays, dancing antlers, music and gifts of candy canes. Now, Henderson can feel confident that his garbage truck will keep bringing joy throughout the holiday season for years to come.
Showcasing accessibility and diverse abilities
Yukoners have the option to put some of their holiday shopping dollars towards the support of local entrepreneurs who are living with intellectual disabilities.
Telling a new story
Yukoners Rosemary Oslund (l), Paige Hopkins, Emily Turner-Davis and Geri-Lee Buyck are heading to the Kingdom of eSwatini for 18 days to tell stories of gender equality through photography and journalism Winter had not yet fully set in in Whitehorse, but you wouldn’t know that on the grey and blustery day I met with four …
Volunteers essential to success of 2020 Arctic Winter Games
With just over 100 days to go until the 2020 Arctic Winter Games (AWG) kick off in Whitehorse on March 15, the drive for volunteers is in full swing. The 2020 AWG host society will celebrate the 100-day milestone in conjunction with International Volunteer Day on Dec. 5, hosting an event that focuses on the …
Volunteers essential to success of 2020 Arctic Winter Games Read More »
Sharing Northern Tutchone stories, culture and heritage—one bar at a time
Sometimes when Joella Hogan returns home after a long day, she’ll find a bag of fresh rose petals on her doorstep. And once in a while, neighbourhood kids will knock on her door with fists full of wild flowers and plants. “People always want to help me; they see this little business and they see …
Sharing Northern Tutchone stories, culture and heritage—one bar at a time Read More »
Opportunity is what they do
Every holiday season the Challenge Disability Resource Group brings their clients together with business community supporters, funders and government officials, for the Challenge Annual Christmas Luncheon. This fully inclusive and barrier-free event is just one element of the myriad of work that Challenge does to support Yukoners with a disability. “We are a non-profit organization …
Lest we forget
Each year we hope you take the time to remember on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, wherever we are. In the modern world and as we become more disconnected from the memories of what occurred, it becomes more important that we share the necessity of recalling what may occur …
Getting on the wrench, Meet Riley Hildebrand
Meet Riley Hildebrand, Skills Canada Yukon alumni: Heavy equipment, truck and transport technician
Great things happen when women rise
The research is in. When women lead the way, companies, organizations, and communities all benefit. Study after study has concluded that having more female leaders in top positions is correlated with increased profitability and performance. When it comes to public office, there is evidence that having women in elected seats impacts the whole community–women and …
A trip to town
Sid’s youngest daughter was in conversation with Yukon artist Jim Robb for a commission of Bordertown Garage and Museum / Sid’s Treasures.
Kim and Mike McDougall
Mike and Kim McDougall have been mining gold in the Sixtymile region of the Klondike for nearly 40 years. Throughout the decades, they’ve made their own history in the area. They’ve also been surrounded by the remnants of those that came before them, both the mammoths and the miners. “There are not too many places …
Women fight fire
Life after Ember Fire Academy Many ancient civilizations had a form of organized firefighting. The earliest recorded fire services was in Ancient Rome. Firefighting became more organized from the 18th century onwards. In 1818, Molly Williams, a New York City slave, was recorded as being the first female firefighter in the United States. In the …
100 people who give a damn
Katrina Diles (Yukon Girls Rock Camp), Andy Cunningham (Co-founder, 100 People Who Give a Damn Dawson), Lana Welchman (Co-founder, 100 People Who Give a Damn Dawson & Founder, Yukon Girls Rock Camp), Kim Martens (Humane Society Dawson) and Tanja Westland (Canadian Prenatal Nutrition Program) are part of the new support network in Dawson Andy Cunningham …
A spark in the spring
What happens when the fire is out and the cat is rescued from the tree? Look no further than the Whitehorse Firefighters Charitable Society (WFCS) to find out that when the job is done, they just keep helping people. The society is an extension of what firefighters do while on the job, but it gives them …
Shandaa (In my Lifetime) – Chih Ahaa
William Ch’itzee (Fort McPherson), ganaldaii (I remembered) Belle Herbert (Chalkyitsik), ganalydaii. Rev. James and Sarah Simon (Fort McPherson), ganaldaii. Special Constable Thomas Njootli (Aklavik), ganaldaii. Persis Kendi (Women’s Auxilliary, Mayo), ganaldaii. Rev. James Gilbert (Arctic Village), ganaldaii. George Robert (Fort McPherson), ganaldaii. Eunice Carney (Fort Yukon), ganaldaii. Rev. Jim Edwards (Aklavik), ganaldaii. Chief Simon Francis …
Celebrating women leaders
[one_half] Yukon Women’s Transition Home Society is celebrating 40 years in good standing as a society in the Yukon. We were incorporated in 1979 and opened our doors in 1980. The Women’s Transition Home is located in Whitehorse, Yukon, on the traditional territory of the Kwanlin Dün First Nation and Ta’an Kwach’an Council. We provide …
Remembering a friend
I think almost everyone who was living in the Yukon at that time has probably figured out that I’m writing about Andy Philipsen. The courthouse is named after him.
The usual suspects
Rendezvous made Marj Eschak move to the Yukon. It was 1977. She’d only come up for the weekend, but was so impressed, she decided to stay.
Throwing the doors open
After almost nine months on the job, the Honourable Angélique Bernard is loving her new role as the Commissioner of Yukon. That time has been mostly spent meeting people and educating them on the role of the Commissioner. Bernard notes that the responsibilities of the role are unknown to many Yukoners, since she is not …
Get your lips ready!
What is one to expect when one decides to go to a 2018 Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous event in November?The Ultimate Lip Sync Battle!
What’s your story?
Ulrike Levins (left) and others celebrate completing the Yukon Anti-Poverty Coalition’s Voices Influencing Change program PHOTO: Courtesy of Yukon Anti-Poverty Coalition Life isn’t always kind and rosy. Each of us experiences things we would rather not and, as a result, have a story to tell. These challenges sometimes leave deep hurts, wounds and scars that …
Ode to Nellie
If you have a glass or cup of something handy, get it ready. At the end of this piece we’re going to raise a glass to a woman named Nellie. You might want to get a handful of penny candy too … you’ll see why. Nellie and her husband (whose first name I never knew) …
A decade of experiencing culture and heritage
The Yukon portion of Culture Days will happen at numerous locations around Whitehorse on the last weekend in September as part of a national effort to increase participation in arts and culture. The event was created in response to the success of Québec’s Journées de la culture weekend that first took place in 2007. Michelle …
Ten years in Whitehorse and ready to celebrate!
Born in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, Antoinette GreenOliph came to Ontario at 13 years of age. She recalls that her family was the only black family in the neighbourhood and recollects the awkward questions and excluded feelings of growing up different. She fell in love with food at a young age. “I was …
Moosehide – shining a light across the North
The 2018 Moosehide Gathering in Dawson City was, once again, a smashing success. The local Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in relocated to Moosehide, two miles north of Dawson City on the Yukon River, during the gold rush of 1898, to escape the insanity of thirty-thousand lousy, drunken gold-hungry stampeders. It is a refuge for Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in, and the …
A ‘real’ Yukon man or woman (knowin’ how to pick a good one)
There’s only one place you’ll find the best Yukon woman, and that’s at the dump, looking for parts. If she’s ripping the ball joint off an old Ford, then you’ve got it made.
Celebrating with Land and Light
The Land and Light Gallery, part of MacBride’s new expansion, will open July 5 and will feature 11 of Ted Harrison’s paintings.
Seize your Canada Day
No summer in the Yukon can be complete without the yearly Canada Day events. The very mention of Canada Day can conjure up memories and build anticipation for just about any Yukoner.
The Perpetual Immigrant
Since I was 18 years old, I have been an immigrant 12 times. My entire adult life has been spent as a foreigner to those I live and work with. Always being different. Never quite fitting in.
The Adäka Cultural Festival … celebrating our diverse First Nations arts and culture
The 2020 Adäka Cultural Festival at its idyllic location, the Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre located on Whitehorse’s beautiful waterfront.
“I’m gonna live forever”
I don’t recall how long ago or what time, exactly, that I met Cor Guimond, but the moment I met him I knew he was going to be a lifelong friend.
National Aboriginal Day
It’s the longest day of the year, and what better way to appreciate this new Canadian statutory holiday than to visit local First Nations and to be part of this national celebration and enjoy live music, artist demonstrations, traditional food, ceremonies and more.
Spring rendezvous in the midnight sun
On June 7, the Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous (YSR) will host their first spring auction, a must-add for everyone’s calendar.
The Yukon’s Lost Centenarian
I was astonished to learn that the Yukon Territory currently is without a card-carrying centenarian, male or female, according to the most recent age data on record which is the 2016 census.
Building character, helping youth
When Bailey Rumbolt first arrived at the Boys and Girls Club of Yukon (BGCY) in 2015, she would never have guessed that it would lead her to big changes in her life.
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.
A fundraiser to help kids have a positive mentor in their life
When we think of bowling most of us can feel the weight of the bowling ball in our hands as we release it down the lane, crossing our fingers that it doesn’t end up in the gutter.
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 …
Yukon Pomp
There’s a furry addition to Team Yukon’s uniforms as they march into the opening ceremony of the Arctic Winter Games in the Northwest Territories on March 18. Athletes will sport fur pom-poms made from wolf pelts harvested in the Haines Junction area and sewn onto their hats by members of the community.
An unfurgettable night
The Yukon’s inaugural 2018 Fur Ball is from the creative minds behind the UnFURled project, and will give Yukon fur-fans a chance to show off their styles.
Yukon’s got strength and a whole lot of style
The Strength and Style competition is a popular event and whether you’re new or old to the Yukon, it brings people together.
Welcome the Year of the Dog
The Chinese New Year is the celebration of the Lunar New Year and considered the beginning of spring. Due to the Chinese calendar’s reliance on the lunisolar cycle, which is based on the exact astronomical observations of the sun’s longitude and the Moon’s phases, the new year is a floating date and usually occurs between …
Dining with future queens
Enjoy two high-class afternoons with the Quest for the Crown Rendezvous Queen candidates The Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous Quest for the Crown competition features opportunities for us to dress in gold rush era finery and spend a civilized afternoon visiting with the women hoping to be Queen: the Queen’s Tea and Social and the Queen’s …
A royally good time
The Rendezvous event called Her Majesty’s Royal Feast is an elegant evening with a 5-course meal on Feb. 13 at the KDCC In its second year, Her Majesty’s Royal Feast was created to give the Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous Queen candidates a high class venue to deliver one of the most important components of the competition: …
Sharing a love for film
There are meetings. There is paperwork. There are grants to apply for and cheques to sign. But, for Jessica Hall, being the president of the Yukon Film Society is all about… people. “The thing I really like about being on the board is my fellow board members and the staff,” she said. “They are all …
A sense of community needs a voice
Sarah Crane will tell you that her Riverdale community is “a great place to live” with its close proximity to downtown and the diversity of its residents. And the trails.
But Crane knows there is one more element that needs to be pursued every day: a sense of community.
Welcome 2018, farewell Commissioner Phillips
According to the Yukon Commissioner’s office, the New Year’s Levee is an old tradition that dates back to King Louis XIV of France and was first introduced in Canada when fur traders would pay respect to their government representatives on New Year’s Day. The annual event has evolved from these beginnings and the levee this …
Animals need the Humane Society; the Humane Society needs people
Everybody knows that the Humane Society of Yukon takes care of our beloved animals in distress at the society-run Mae Bachur Animal Shelter. But who takes care of the people who take care of the animals?
Better communities, 100 women at a time
The concept of 100 Women Who Care may be simple, but the community impact is huge.
Supporting great health care in the Yukon
Philip Fitzgerald was embarrassed when he is asked about his greatest sense of accomplishment as the chair of the Yukon Hospital Foundation.
He is a steward of the trails
To begin to understand Mark Daniels, you must first discard the stereotypes of a snowmobile owner. Yes, the president of the Klondike Snowmobile Association (KSA) owns snowmobiles – and ATVs and dirtbikes and quads and boats – but these are mostly used to get to far-off wilderness areas so that he can hike and camp …
A friend indeed
Dorothy Bradley leaves her vehicle at Eagle Bay Park, where Whistle Bend Way and Range Road meet, and walks to the bench overlooking McIntyre Creek. It is a 10-minute walk along a path that is dappled with bright yellow aspen leaves. To the left is a boreal forest of jack pine, to her right is …
In The People’s Voice
Ross River musician Dennis Shorty grew up in a musical family that spoke Kaska and performed at social events. Now he is sharing his love of the language through the musical duo he formed with his wife, Jennifer Froehling, is called Dena Zagi, meaning “people’s voice”. In August, they toured in Germany with their first …
Émeraude Photography and Design
When Yukon born-and-raised photographer and graphic design artist Émeraude Dallaire-Robert was 14-years-old, her dad gave her a camera, and not just any old hand-me-down camera. The camera was given to her dad in exchange for rent by a tenant who occupied a room in their family home. Dallaire-Robert was told by her dad that the …
Experiencing the Beauty of Canada
Heather Newman graduated from high school in 2007 from Robina State High School on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. Not exactly in 2009 and definitely not in Whitehorse. All the Whitehorse kids from the class of 2009 seem to be busy this summer; as I haven’t been running into any of them lately. Some …
From Storms to Spectres, and All Surreal Things Inbetween
As a child, April Howard remembers spending hours quietly flipping through her dad’s collection of Robert Bateman books, getting lost in, and inspired by, the intricate and realistic details of the iconic Canadian artist and naturalist’s works. “I’ve always loved drawing. If there was ever a pen and paper in front of me, I’d be …
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He brings heroes to life
Have you seen the gamers and sci-fi fans and people dressed up as action heroes from the comics and board games? Well, Paul Scholz is their president. To be more precise, he is the president of the Yukon Comic Culture Society, an all-volunteer board that creates events to unabashedly celebrate “geek and nerd culture.” That’s …
Carrie Boles – Green Thumbs
Carrie Boles’ green thumb sprouted back in her hometown, the grassland ecosystem of Winnipeg , Manitoba. While working on a degree in cultural anthropology at the University of Winnipeg, Boles happened to live in a house packed with gardeners. As each roommate brought home the literal fruits of their labour, the horticultural bug was infectious …
A Bumpy Road to Citizenship
November, 1972. California-born musician Mike Stockstill and two friends packed their instruments into the car and headed for Alaska. The car was a 1942 Dodge truck that had six months earlier been a chicken coop. Mike, a mechanic, and his friends turned it back into a truck. “It broke down every 300 miles so we …
Healing through Massage
A keen interest in psychology, bodywork and holistic health and wellness: Discovering the profound benefits of massage therapy.
Make the Most of Your Canada Day!
Summer sun brings with it loads of visitors to the various Yukon campgrounds, especially on the long weekends. Those folks joining the campers for the Canada Day long weekend will be missing out! On July 1, Canada is celebrating its 150th birthday. The festivities, therefore, will be 150 times bigger than they have been in …
The Heart of a Queen
When Telek Rogan decided to run for Rendezvous Queen in the 2017 Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous competition, she did so as a celebration of who she had become. Talking with me about it, Rogan has no problem articulating the changes that have shaped her. “I’ve done a lot of transitioning in my life. I became a …
There’s a New Drummer in Town
Meet Lee Campese, Yukon’s most recent import and the latest addition to the groovy rhythmic assemblage, Major Funk and the Employment.
Celebrate First Nations Culture
Take some time off work – that’s the only way you’ll be able to enjoy all the programming offered by the Adäka Cultural Festival this month. That’s the suggestion from Lynn Feasey, director of arts for Yukon First Nations Culture and Tourism Association, which hosts the festival each year. Feasey is joking, but, looking at …
Ski Bum Pizza Co. is Making Tracks
There’s a new enterprise to the Yukon pizza scene. It’s big, unmistakably blue, and it’s serving up local ingredients atop a wood-fired crust, slopestyle. Ski Bum Pizza Co. is Yukon’s first pizza food truck, and the brainchild of longtime Yukon resident Eric Telford and ‘za loving, culinary wizard, Tara Paczkowski. The engaged duo seem to …
Already Six Weeks
Forty-five days ago, I placed my feet on Canadian soil, with the goal of changing my life completely. Things are going pretty well!
Class of 2009: Colby Heynen
In May 2017, Colby Heynen drove up the highway to Whitehorse from Southern Alberta. He and his girlfriend, Karin Wall, from Coaldale, Alberta will be renting an apartment here in Whitehorse and moving in the first of June. Colby has been back in Whitehorse for two years, working at Whitehorse General Hospital as a nurse. …
High Adventure
At the age of 82, Peter Steele says he has very little memory of his own parents. That’s partly why he decided a few years ago to write his autobiography. “I didn’t want my own kids to able to say the same,” he explains. “I thought I had enough interesting stories that I’d like them …
Keepers of the Faith at the 98
You’ll either be told to avoid the 98 or it is a must go for an authentic Yukon experience. The 98 has the most colourful people in town.
If You Have a Dream, Come to Canada
May is Asian Heritage Month. We recognize Socorro (Cory) Alfonso, who came to the Yukon in 1986 as one of the first Filipino nannies to work here. She was an adventurer, willing to leave the familiar for unknown challenges and the hope of a better life. Members of the Hidden Histories Society of the Yukon …
Class of 2009: Katie Pope
As I was trying on new glasses a few weeks ago at Northern Lights Optometry, fashion specialist Katie Pope helped me. I liked her instantly and I complimented her on her extraordinary sense of style. On my next visit (according to Katie many people take choosing a new pair of glasses very seriously, and come …
Women in Whitehorse – Part 3
From the river to the mountains, Whitehorse is a picturesque place. However, it’s the people that make Whitehorse truly breathtaking. Beauty is found in Yukoners weaving their unique skills and talents into the tapestry of the north. Below is the third in a three part series about some particularly extraordinary women of Whitehorse. Larra Daley …
Célébration de la francophonie yukonnaise
… et des célébrations Pour la 11ème édition, l’AFY et ses organismes partenaires, bien rôdés dans l’organisation de l’événement, ont voulu apporter de la nouveauté. Finis les longs discours de remerciements, ces derniers, raccourcis au maximum, laissent dorénavant place aux festivités : vendredi 12 mai, dès 16h15, une réelle chasse aux trésors, destinée aux familles, …
Women in Whitehorse – Part 2
From the river to the mountains, Whitehorse is a picturesque place. However, it’s the people that make Whitehorse truly breathtaking . Beauty is found in Yukoners weaving their unique skills and talents into the tapestry of the north. This is the first in a three part series about three particularly extraordinary women of Whitehorse. Teagyn …
A New Daily Routine
The quietness is however short lived, the silence broke as soon as I approached the harnesses… It was their way of showing their will to go; their desire to work. They were 50, and yet only 14 would be taken for the first round. And they knew it very well! As soon as I put …
The Team
I fell asleep, dreaming about all these beautiful things that the next days promised. The sweet melody of my alarm clock rang. It was 7:30 a.m., time to get up. It was above all time to greet and take care of my new colleagues. Here I was, clothed in my three layers, ready to face …
Take the Gwich’in Language Challenge
Take the Gwich’in language challenge. It’s a challenge from Norman Snowshoe, the former Gwich’in Tribal Council vice president. He said, “If you learn one Gwich’in word a day, at the end of the year you’ve learned 365 Gwich’in words.” Jacey Firth-Hagen, 23, jumped to the challenge. She started a social media based movement, called Speak …
Women in Whitehorse – Brettanie Deal-Porter
Brettanie Deal-Porter is program coordinator for Special Olympics Yukon in Whitehorse. Both have cemented a special place in her heart.
Welcome to Alayuk Adventures
Marcelle arrived shortly before 7:30 pm and I was on my way to Alayuk Adventures! My luggage loaded into the trunk, we get into the warm car and drive on the South Alaska Highway. Two strangers meeting for the first time – despite a few exchanges of emails, we knew nothing about each other. Yet …
“Build the strength of your people”
Al Cushing may be leaving, but he’s not going anywhere. When he steps into retirement at the end of this month, one aspect of the Yukon Arts Centre’s evolution during his nine years at the helm pleases Cushing the most. “I think the highlight is that the Yukon Arts Centre (YAC) has gotten closer to …
The Long-Awaited Day
I sit on the 10K seat. For the first time in my life, I travelled middle class and it’s pretty cool, I have to admit! Tons of space for my legs, despite the big bag at my feet, and even more attentive hostesses. This was Condor’s last flight of the summer, the plane was half …
Yukon Tough
A graduate of the Porter Creek Secondary School in the Class of 2009, Nicole Grove, 26, has always been physically strong. Back in 2003, in the days of Hidden Valley Elementary School, Nicole was a gold medalist in the Annual Yukon Wrestling Tournament. In training, she competed with the boys and in a game of …
Les femmes, unies, jamais ne seront vaincues!
Il y a près d’un an, j’ai quitté le Québec pour m’établir au Yukon. À la recherche de nouveaux défis, j’ai pris les rênes des EssentiElles, un groupe de défense des droits des femmes francophones du territoire. Bien que je me sois toujours considérée comme une citoyenne engagée et progressiste, cette expérience de militantisme est …
Arts, Culture and Creation
“Artists show the world unseen,” says Tahltan First Nation artist Rhoda Merkel. “Teachers show students a better form of themselves.” Merkel, who was raised in Whitehorse but lives in Atlin, combines both talents in her newest project, the Sam Johnston Storytelling Festival, which takes place Tuesday, March 7 in Teslin. The festival is a collaboration, …
The Long-Awaited Day
This day, I woke up at 6:45 a.m. I must say I was surprised to have such a good night’s sleep. No stress, no sadness. But the anxieties arrived as we get closer to the airport. My fear of the plane finally bit the euphoria of departure. We quickly found a parking space, tested the …
The Secret Life of a Can Can Dancer
What does it Take to be a Can Can Dancer? Six months of determination, of going straight to practice after work, of trying that spin and skirt flip over and over again until you get it just right. It means that when you hit the stage at Can Can Kickoff and the schedule shifts into …
Beyond the Limits
Mallory Pigage is a 26-year-old woman with an apartment in downtown Whitehorse, a large network of friends and her own business. A true Yukon success story, Mallory is determined to focus on her capabilities rather than her limitations, and has made a name for herself within the community despite challenges. After graduating from high school, …
Take a Midwinter Break
“Her Majesty’s Royal Feast is a brand new and exciting event,” says Dave Blottner, executive director of Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous. This event will feature a five course meal catered by six local restaurants, with a speech by the Rendezvous Queen and a string quartet. The event will take place at the Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre …
Syrian Sourdough
Now he is upgrading his education and learning English at the Yukon College in preparation to study pharmacy. He concentrates to force his hand write left to right, which is opposite to Arabic, as he writes out the names of his family. At school, it’s impossible to overlook Hasan’s notoriety. “We’re famous now.” He shifts …
A Yukoner at Heart with a Lot to Give
Since graduating from Porter Creek Secondary Nicolai Bronikowski has been working on ship design and transit studies. Through his work in Finland, Russia and Canada he showcases the Yukon’s strong science programs and growing potential as an Arctic research hub. Bronikowski came to the Yukon in 2009 for an exchange year, after finishing Grade 9 …
Hunting with Gary Sam
I remember well while hunting with Gary Sam he suddenly jumped off his horse and ran into the bush. “I got it,. We ate well that night!
Calling Aboriginal Artists!
The Yukon First Nation Culture and Tourism Association is looking for artists, artisans, musicians and performers from the Yukon and abroad to be part of the seventh annual Adäka Cultural Festival, which takes place at the Kwanlin Dun Cultural Centre from June 30th to July 6th. “We generally reach out to the well-established group …
Using his passion for the sport to support others
In April each year Whitehorse’s Volunteer of the Year award is handed out. This year’s recipient, Afan Jones, brought together his passions for orienteering and volunteerism in the work he was honoured for. The Yukon Orienteering Association hosted the 2018 North American Orienteering Championships in August 2018 (NAOC2018). Jones served as race director for the event. …
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Karen Nicloux: Stitching a Healthy Future
To talk to her, you wouldn’t think the quiet needleworker Karen Nicloux was once in the upper echelons of our local drug circuit. She was one of two debut artists chosen to display work at the newly opened Art House Carcross, a permanent visual showcase to promote Yukon art in the Carcross Commons in partnership …
Yukon See It Here: Klondike Visitors Association
Employees at Klondike Visitors Association were surprised to find that a Jim Robb original hung on the wall for the centre. Early in summer, a call from Doug Thomas (also known as Gold Nougie Dougie), revealed to them that a painting of the Palace Grand Theatre (the only one Jim Robb has done), which staff …
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What Happened to the Kids?
I have Marie write out her full name for me. ‘Achtymichuk.’ It’s Ukrainian, where her dad is from. I compliment her on her beautiful handwriting. We have this interview in the store where Marie is a manager, we were interrupted by staff a few times. Marie is needed! Marie’s parents started the business in 2006, …
It’s not you, It’s the Yukon
This is part 4 of a four part series, chronicling one woman’s Tinder dating experience (or lack therof) in the North. I heard a rumour that the old pond hockey tournament in Whitehorse was started by a woman seeking to land an Alaskan husband. I also heard that it worked. The Buckwheat Ski Classic …
Doors are Open for Culture Days
The Yukon is recognized for its rich cultural diversity, and you are invited to experience it during the seventh national Culture Days and Doors Open celebration, from Friday, September 30 through to Sunday, October 2. “The best place to start your Culture Days experience is at The Old Fire Hall,” says Michele Emslie, co-ordinator and …
Dawson Tinder Report
Hello, dear readers. The Annual Territorial September Scramble is on in full force. Up the Klondike Highway where the winters are darker and colder than in Whitehorse, the stakes of the dating game are stacked even higher. I went to Dawson for five days, and swiped and liked and Tindered away. In the efforts of …
The Tale of the Tinder-Q
Say you’re a single person throwing a barbecue. No stranger to the rigours of quality event coordination, you line up a food and drink theme, secure a donated fire pit, invite all your friends and lots of peeps you know but never really hang out with. Cute flyers are made. Fancy sausages ordered from the …
Introducing the Intricacies of Tinder in the Yukon
Amelia, 31. University of Alaska Fairbanks. Yukon College. Grad student, artist and musician. Happy to be back up North after a year at school! Small truck and a big dog. That, my friends, is my Tinder profile. Tinder is one of of numerous dating apps, where you swipe left or right photos of people on …
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Questioning the World
Harlan Pruden and Marney Paradis are PhD program at UBC. Pruden gave a talk to a group of peers – including Marney – after class once. As Pruden describe it, upon hearing the presentation, Paradis’s mind was blown. Two-Spirit People, Then and Now: Sex, Gender and Sexuality in Historical and Contemporary Native America is the …
Learning her Mom’s Language
“Dänch’á Éh ma,” I begin the conversation with my mother in a standard Southern Tutchone greeting, uncertain and nervous about my speaking abilities. “Éyigē shrō kwäthän,” she replies. “My feelings are very good.” We are closing a generational gap that transpired in the last century in Northwestern Canada, as colonization took hold in the territories. …
Finding Herself
In 2009, Ayla Sanders graduated from Vanier Catholic Secondary School and got a summer job in Paradise Alley on Main Street in Whitehorse. She did not have plans to pursue a post-secondary education, so she wrote an essay to apply for the Rosemary Burns Grant. This was the first year of the award. Since then …
No rest for the Wickets
Don your best Victorian era dress for the Yukon Historical & Museums Association’s (YHMA) third annual Charity Croquet Tournament.
A Celebration of Tradition and Culture
From July 28 to 31 the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in First Nation will welcome everyone to their traditional territory. The First Nation is hosting the 13th biennial Moosehide Gathering, taking place at Moosehide Village, which is located 3 km downriver from Dawson City by boat, or 4.5 km by forest trail. Entry and camping is free. During …
Another Field, Another Festival
Claire Ness wasn’t even born in 1969, when the most famous rock festival in history took place. It’s possible her then-20ish parents, Roy and Penelope, have regrets about not joining the throngs of music-loving hippies who flocked to Max Yasgur’s dairy farm near Bethel, N.Y., for three days of musical magic known affectionately as Woodstock. …
Interview with a Local Transman
Identifying as a transgender person in any community presents risks and challenges, which is partly why the transgender man interviewed for this article chose to remain anonymous. He lives and works as a man, and is only open about being transgender with a few people because, he says, prejudice against transgender people is real. “I …
A (Very Rare) Letter From The Editor
On Monday mornings, I get up and check my email. If I have worked over the weekend, I usually only have 30 or 40 unread messages. If I haven’t, it’s usually in the 60 to 70 range. I start at the bottom and go through them, filing stories that have come in to copy desk …
Stay on the Trail
“It requires a lot of discipline to stay on the trail – not just the ski trail,” says Gary Bailie, “but the trail of life.” Skiing is definitely a way of life for Bailie, who has been running and coaching the Whitehorse-based youth cross country team the Kwanlin Koyotes since 1999. His hard work and …
New Artistic Director used to couch surf at The Guild Hall
One of Brian Fidler’s first memories of the Yukon is sleeping on the couch at The Guild Hall. He had just arrived in town and – without a car – would hitchhike to rehearsals of El Crocodor, his first Yukon theatre experience. From those early years, Fidler spent a lot of time at The Guild. …
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The Beauty of Icelandic Socks
Blönduós is a small town situated at the mouth of River Blanda, in northwest Iceland. Iceland is largely an Arctic desert punctuated by mountains, glaciers, geysers, hot springs, volcanoes and waterfalls. Most of the vegetation and agricultural areas are found in the coastal lowlands. Willows, heathers, grasses, crowberry, bilberry and lichens are just some of …
The Next Act
Longtime Yukon teacher Mary Sloan and rapper Eminem have something in common. They both got their careers started in Detroit’s notorious 8-Mile district. However, Sloan’s teaching environment from the beginning to the end could not have been more different. Growing up in Michigan, Sloan was just 20 years old when she began her first teaching …
Venturing North
Born in 1950 in the Philippines, Socorro Alfonso travelled halfway around the world to live in the Yukon. Socorro was born on the tiny tropical island of Bacacay Albay southeast of Manila. Her mother named her for the Spanish word meaning “help” and throughout her life she has been a caring helper for people of …
Converting Adventure into Books and Film
Dianne Whelan is an award winning filmmaker, photographer and author who lived, until fairly recently, in Vancouver. At the time of this interview she was in New Brunswick, in the midst of a project she calls “500 Days in the Wild.” “It’s what I do for a living. I do these adventures, make films and …
Sharing His Knowledge of Wolves
For 20 years, Robert (Bob) Hayes was the Yukon’s wolf biologist. During those years, he studied hundreds of radio-collared wolves and conducted several long-term wolf-prey studies. He is considered a world expert on moose and caribou predation by wolves and the effects of wolf control efforts on wolves and their prey. Over time, his studies …
Everything But the Sake
Japan is a country that is rich in history and has made quite the presence within popular Western culture. Think ninjas, samurai warriors, cherry blossoms, sushi, anime – the list goes on. On April 2 you can experience many of the wonderful things Japan has to offer at the festival hosted by the Japanese Canadian …
How’s Retirement Working Out for You?
The other day, I overheard a couple of guys in a coffee shop talking about their impending retirement. One is about to pack it in at the end of this month, the other hits the magic R-day later this year. Perhaps it was excessive politeness that kept me from offering my thoughts on the subject. …
Barb McInerney
Barb McInerney came up to the Yukon in the 1970s to work in a camp kitchen. Though she worked in mining before starting at Kaushee’s Place in 2000, she says that no matter what job she had, she was always trying to advance the most vulnerable of her communities. “I feel like I’ve been doing …
Barbershop and Hockey Talk
She is far more important to me than a friend. She is my trusted, longtime barber at Barber’s II. She has a remarkable ability to make me feel sexy and confident during the most vulnerable times: job interviews, break-ups, first dates and gender transitioning. Your everyday life stuff. Tucked in beside the bustling Baked Café …
What Happened to the Kids?
Several months ago I walked into a beauty salon for advice on a skin problem. Kayla Dewdney appeared from the back of the shop. She looked at my skin and offered her advice. It worked! Today I made an appointment with her for a facial, which involved lying down during the treatment. I felt very good …
Getting into the Game
Audrey McLaughlin moved to the Yukon in the 1970’s with “no man, no job” because she thought it would be an interesting place to live. As she became the first woman to lead a major Canadian political party in 1989 and the first female federal party leader to represent a portion of the territories in …
Invitation for an Authentic Experience
Yukon First Nations are planning ways to offer authentic cultural experiences for visitors. The plan to bolster cultural tourism among the Yukon First Nations has been in the works for a while, but this week people from across the Yukon Territory are getting together for a conference in Whitehorse to discuss ways to strengthen this …
My Story as a Special Olympics Athlete
Mallory Ellen Pigage has been a Special Olympics Yukon athlete for 16 years. “Is a time for me to socialize and do sports at the same time.”
Telling stories
Sharon Shorty and I first met back in 2005 when I worked at the Yukon College Library with her awesome husband, Derek Yap. Sharon was born and raised in Whitehorse and is a member of the Teslin Tlingit First Nation. She is a storyteller, beader, regalia maker, wife, playwright, mom, and actor. But what I …
Two Exciting Yukon Lives
“I was ready to live here permanently the day I got here – the land just drew (me) in,” says Velma Hull. The day she is speaking of was 57 years ago, when she and her husband – well-known local handyman and one-time bike shop owner Red Hull – came up the Alaska Highway. Velma …
Thanks Dr. Jim
It’s been a month and a half since the Traditional Chinese Medical practitioner Jim Zheng passed away. Those who he helped will remember him fondly, and those who depended on him to help manage ailments will be wondering how to manage the void he has left in their lives. “Dr. Jim,” as he was known, …
My Favourite Word is Grandma
On December 1, 2007 at 1:32 p.m. my life changed forever. I was introduced to Darwin Orion Murray. At about 10 p.m. the evening before I received a telephone call from my son-in-law, Avery. Kirsten and Avery were on their way to the hospital. Even though they said I could wait for a bit before …
Another Christmas without my family
Living far away from your family means that sometimes your strength and persistence will be tested. It’s Christmas 2014 and I am in Montreal. A cold wind is blowing, the sky is grey and it’s raining. I wander rue Sainte-Catherine, watching people with shopping bags rushing from store to store. I already bought my gifts …
History is being re-written
Over the last few months, I have been sharing how I became involved in this queen title and what I have been doing. And while doing more research to better educate myself on the Yukon and its history, I have found some great information that I hope will also interest and educate you! During my …
Water under Moss
My favourite childhood memories are when Mom would take us to Fish Lake, just a few miles out of Whitehorse. We spent our summers there along with several other families during the 1950s. Though the summers at Fish Lake were my favourite times, there were always chores to do before playtime. Our mother, Carrie, was …
From East to North
“Never heard of it!” That was my first thought when my aunt said Yukon Territory. Other than knowing it was part of Canada and that I had family there, I was clueless about my possible new address. So I did my homework; I Googled. Since then, “more or less two hours away from Alaska” has …
A word or two about memory, memoirs and waterfowl
The kaleidoscope of memory is a wondrous thing. A quarter twist, and tiny fragments tumble themselves into a startling pattern of perception. Another twist, another vista of the past, another “aha” about the present, or the future; perhaps an insight into an unknown temporal dimension. And, like the river into which you cannot step twice, …
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A Star in LA
It’s the last Thursday evening in July, and Elyn Jones is sitting beside the parking lot of Universal Studios giving an interview on her cell phone. She and her husband, Jerome McIntyre and their daughter Breda, 12, have spent a scorching afternoon touring the worksite of numerous Hollywood stars, along with three of her nieces …
Claire the Bartender
If you’ve ever been to Lizards Lounge in the Town and Mountain Hotel on a Friday or Saturday night, you’ve seen Claire Mechan. She’s been behind the bar making your drinks for the last fiveand-a-half years. “It’s my identifier in Whitehorse,” Mechan says. “I go into Walmart and people say, ‘It’s Claire the bartender!’” But …
Harmonica George,Blowin’ strong
After playing harmonica for more than 40 years, Harmonica George McConkey finally feels he is getting to the venerated status “old blues guy”.
No Exit
It’s mid-winter when I finalize the tentative plans I’ve carried with me since leaving Ontario to drive to the Yukon a year ago. This summer I will leave again: the myth of an uncle I’ve never met pulls me to New Mexico. I’ll slip down the West coast, visiting friends as I go, then cross …
Pop-up Fashion
Jessica Vallenga has an eye for quality-made clothes; she is an artist trained in textiles, and she makes clothes. She turns embroidery into pendants and earrings, and she makes lingerie. As well as making clothing, Vallenga keeps her eyes peeled for second-hand finds wherever she goes. Most recently, it was Seattle, where she found a …
Flummoxed Felines and Forrest Gump
My favourite line from Forrest Gump comes near the end. Gump’s beloved Jenny has died and he stands over her grave: “Mama always said that dying is a part of life, but I sure wish it wasn’t,” he says. It’s not often quoted, but I like its honesty. He is faced with a sad truth, …
Taking Pride
Stephanie Hammond won’t be dancing on the truck leading the annual Pride parade in downtown Whitehorse this weekend, as she has in previous years. Instead, she quips, she’ll be busy co-ordinating “dozens and dozens of floats” that are expected to take part in the third annual version of Yukon’s colourful celebration of diversity. “We have …
Drumming Festival will ‘wake up the land’
“You feel it to your core; it is a heartbeat; so uplifting; it just goes right through me.” Steve Smith, the chief of the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations, is trying to explain what drumming means to him and his First Nation. “It was dormant in me for quite a while,” says Chief Smith. “But …
Mitigating Factors
Describe Adam Greetham as you wish: tinkerer, scientist, adaptor, businessman. “A bit of all of them,” he admits. “I can’t really deny any one of those.” Another handle that easily fits the president of Groundtrax Environmental Services is innovator. Over 23 years doing environmental assessment and remediation, Greetham has developed “some of the best remediation …
First Nations share through fashion
It’s her first day on the job and Chantal Rondeau is starting with a list of the Yukon’s 14 First Nations. “I cross them off when I get a piece of their clothing on the runway,” she says. The producer of the Adäka Fashion Show, the splashy finale of the upcoming Adäka Cultural Festival, June …
Ancestral Ways
Juanita Growing Thunder-Fogarty lives in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, in the tiny community of North San Juan, on the same property her paternal ancestors settled during the California Gold Rush of 1849. But her heart is inextricably linked to the Great Plains territory of her Sioux and Assiniboine forebears, and the beading …
Freddie Osson
If you haven’t met Saxophone Freddie up in Dawson City, you should. He is, after all, the first face you see when you fly into Whitehorse — if you enter through the new side of the airport. There is a huge photo of him playing… you’ve got it, the saxophone. When Fred was in Grade …
The Game Is On
Spring is here and summer is coming. Everybody has put away talk of events that happened in the cold winter months. The 2016 Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous is moons away. However, my crown as Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous (YSR) Queen is only good for one year, and there are so many things I want to do. So …
How To Love The Yukon Without Ditching Your First Love
Yukoners know the following conversational elements all too well: “So, what brought you to the Yukon?” “Oh, I came up here for work/to visit friends/as a tourist a few years ago and never ended up leaving.” The frequent follow up question is…
Radio Rob
I’m almost at the Tagish Bridge when 106.7 CFET kicks in and the truck is flooded with Estonian pop music. I’m on my way to interview the fellow that makes this happen. I spent some time growing up in Tagish, and it’s there that “Radio Rob” Hopkins continues to be a close neighbour to my …
Strippers Who Live In Cabins
When I first meet Tina, during this year’s Rendezvous, she introduces herself as Misha. After waiting for one Jarvis Street Saloon manager to talk to another Jarvis Street Saloon manager, who relays messages from the front of the bar where I am, to the back of the bar, where Tina is, I’m finally lead around …
Remembering Sandi Gleason
A friend of Jeanie Dendys’s 15-year-old son told Dendys he gets more excited for the native hockey tournament than he does for the Canada Games. Dendys figures it’s because of the exposure and the level of competition — and the community. A nation-wide community forms during the Yukon Native Hockey Tournament; teams come from all …
Homage to a Yukon Birder
Yukon birds, and its birding community, have lost a true friend. When he died last month, at 75, Helmut Grünberg had spent over 40 years promoting the enjoyment, study, and conservation of Yukon’s bird life. He found his way to Whitehorse in the early ‘70s when, en route to climb Denali in Alaska, he was …
The Man Who Knows Tesla Trumps Edison
As a shout out to Gary Bob Joe Bremner’s love of specialty cocktails, I conducted our interview at Whitehorse’s newest, not-yet-open, cocktail-andwine bar, Woodcutter’s Blanket, on Strickland and 2nd (known to most as the two-moose building). The pews were just being set up when we arrived, but our place at the bar was ready for …
Behind the scenes Of Canada’s bilingual heritage
In mid-January, I was given the opportunity to coordinate Je parle français And I Love in English, 2015, a theatrical performance written by and for Francophone women that will be presented this weekend, March 6 and 7, at the Old Fire Hall. As a newcomer to the Yukon, I did not see the sold-out début …
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From handler to racer
After almost a decade of being a Yukon Quest handler, partner, sponsor, and anything else required, Tamra Reynolds is embarking on her very own Yukon Quest. Her journey to the Quest start-line started in 2003. While living in Vancouver, Reynolds ventured up the Dalton Highway in Alaska to the Arctic Circle. On that trip, she …
The Many Faces of Claire Ness
I’m in the ‘98 drinking water (sober January) and waiting for Claire Ness to arrive. “London Calling” by The Clash is playing, which, for some reason, doesn’t feel out of place here. Once Claire arrives, the first topic we land on is her upcoming adventure with her Frenchman: they are looking for the sweet chassis …
Remembering Al Baer
This fall I attended the Yukon Biodiversity Forum, a yearly round-up of biology goings-on in the territory. I reunited with old friends and met new ones, and was overjoyed to hear that an old mentor of mine was planning on coming back to the territory. Alan Baer had taught me the art of strapping antennae to …
How The Double Bob Bash Came To Be
Despite claims of memoirists galore, who say they walked the Chilkoot Pass with Robert Service, the man now known as the bard of the Yukon arrived in Whitehorse via the White Pass and Yukon Route train in 1904. The shine was well off the Gold Rush at this time. Born in Preston, Lancashire, England, Service …
Behind the Man Who’s Behind the Camera
It’s Christmas Eve and Vince Fedoroff and I are drinking happy hour beers at the Gold Rush. The place is packed. We chat for a bit before we begin the interview. Crystal Ball by Styx plays on the satellite radio and I admit to Vince that Styx is one of my favourite bands. He cites …
Gunalchéesh for your Love and Support
Marilyn Jensen was inspired to start a dance group after finishing her master’s degree at the University of Victoria. She studied Indigenous governance, and said she was surrounded bypeople who were connecting with their culture, language, traditions, and old ways of life; this propelled her. She returned to her hometown of Carcross, and in the …
Love Letter to an Everyday Hero
I knew my mom, Kathy O’Donovan, was something special as far back as my memory allows.
Felix and Astrid
I’ve been living in a cabin downtown this past week, near the Pioneer Cemetery. It’s a little one-room shack with hot water and electricity. Not exactly the bush life, but still. This cabin belongs to a Swiss couple, Felix and Astrid Vogt, who have been living in the Yukon for more than 20 years. Thanks …
Remembering Alex Van Bibber
Some people should live forever; I felt immense loss as I heard about Alex Van Bibber’s passing on November 26, 2014, at the age of 98. I first heard about Alex van Bibber when I came to Canada in 1985. I was living in Atlin and had not yet heard about all the amazing things …
Running’s His Medicine
Caribou Legs has a home now, in Whitehorse. He’s lived here for about three months. He runs everyday, and he works with youth. He’s currently organizing a jigging marathon for New Years Eve; he’ll invest the money raised on his next runs — he’s going to Inuvik, where he’ll do four youth workshops, and then …
Mountain elephants and buffalo eyes
It was the Christmas season in 2005 in Whitehorse and my two great-grandsons, Dakota and his younger brother Garrison, were visiting us during their Vancouver school break. Because my late partner, John, and I had a trip planned to travel down the Alaska Highway in the New Year, the boys didn’t have to take the …
Tea Time with Nicky
I arrived in Whiterhorse in the middle of the night after riding Greyhound buses across the country for five days. The last thing I wanted was to sit again, but at 4:30 a.m., feeling cold just because I was tired, Tim Hortons seemed like the only place I could go. I sheepishly dragged myself accross …
Greg Hakonson – One Man’s Dream Of The Arts As An Economic Engine For Dawson City
The way Greg Hakonson tells it, the Dawson City Arts Society (DCAS) had its beginnings in a chance encounter with his across-the-street neighbor, artist John Steins. “We started chatting, and decided we should build an arts society,” Hakonson says. “He was coming at it from the arts side, and I was coming at it from …
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Dancing’s his thing
struck his family, and Vig started drinking heavily to cope. Then he got a job with an oil company, and hightailed to Inuvik to work on a rig. “I was trying to get away from myself, but myself came along.” But Vig didn’t have a drink the entire time he was in the Arctic, and …
Come and Get Your Culture Days
Want to learn how to paint with plasticine? Interested in meditating to satire in the outdoors? Curious to go on a mystery tour in Whitehorse and see where you end up? If you answered yes to any or all of these, then you are ready for Culture Days. The Canada-wide event will be entering its …
Andrea Simpson-Fowler has a Passion for Dance — and for Building Communities
There’s a moment near the end of the TEDx talk Andrea Simpson-Fowler gave in Whitehorse last year that explains in a nutshell what her life’s work is all about. “Kids can become extraordinary people with unique skills, while learning how to build, how to share, how to create, how to engage, how to manage and …
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Jana and Bruce McDonald
They each moved to Whitehorse to start fresh, but Bruce and Jana McDonald never thought that would include a second chance at love. Jana, a psychologist, moved north in 2012 after her 30-year marriage and then-Alberta-based job came to an end. One of her sons, who lived in Inuvik, knew how much she loved Whitehorse and …
Safety First. Always
When Whitehorse students go back to school on August 25, many of them will be meeting Peggy Hanifan for the first time. Many others will have spent hundreds of hours with her already, but they won’t call her Peggy. To them, she is School Bus Driver. Hanifan has spent 14 years transporting students to and …
“Thinking About the Tomorrow”
It started with a death in the community, a suicide last November. Young people close to the deceased asked each other why it came to that — “What wasn’t there for him? What did he need?” The conversation that started in living rooms extended to teleconferences between communities. Young people talked about what is missing …
Champagne and Aishihik First Nations Look to Uncover Heritage and Culture Through Photographs
Klukshu village, or Klukshu Łu Ghą is an important part of who Sheila Joe is. The heritage resources officer for the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations (CAFN) spent a lot of time with her grandparents while growing up, and looks back on her time there fondly. She gets her sense of belonging from that community. …
For Patti Flather, Gwaandak is about building connections by sharing our stories
When Patti Flather left Vancouver for the Yukon, she had no thoughts of becoming a playwright, let alone co-founder and artistic director of a busy theatre company. “It was not at all part of life,” she says. “My parents were not theatre goers. I had one wonderful teacher in elementary school who did drama with …
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Barbara Chamberlin defies categorization
If it’s April and you’re hoping to hear Barbara Chamberlin perform, forget about it. “April is just a killer month,” she says. “I wouldn’t even try to play out that month. It would just be too hard for me.” So what makes April the cruelest month for the Whitehorse musician, teacher and choir director? Well, …
Looking for Yukon Love Online
In previous weeks, this unattached Yukon man described his initial experiences in online dating, provided some observations on improving online dating profiles, and discussed how he grouped the Yukon women’s profiles he came up with. Now, on to contacting complete strangers! The first on my list was a woman who had included no photo but …
Fighting for Love
On July 17, 2014 Stephen and Rob Dunbar-Edge will celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary. This event, a milestone for any couple, is especially significant for them: it commemorates a battle, hard won. Stephen and Rob were the first gay couple to legally marry in the Yukon. And before they tied the knot, they had to …
Feels Like a Celebration
First, she says, it allows artists, performers and cultural sector workers “to come together once a year to share inspiration, to share ideas, to learn new skills, to inspire each other.” Alexander is a co-founder and executive producer of the four-year-old festival, which runs this year from Friday, June 27 through Thursday, July 3 at …
Looking for Yukon Love Online: Part 3
In the previous two weeks, this unattached Yukon man described the circumstances that led him into the world of Yukon online dating and discussed some suggestions for tailoring the narrative part of the online dating profile. This week, he’ll take a look at the profile photograph. Many dating profiles don’t include photos; I’m guessing there …
The Power of Soul Mates: Joy and Rick Karp
After 48 years together, one of Rick Karp’s favourite words for his wife, Joy, is “B’shert”, a Yiddish word for destiny, or soul mate. It certainly felt like kismet when they met on April 16, 1966. “Joy was having a party and needed a couple of extra guys,” he says. “I got a phone call …
Northern Romance, June 5, 2014
Dear Juniper and Johnny, Three months ago I decided to swear off casual sex because I am looking for something more than just a fling. The first month was tough, but I powered through and now I am feeling pretty good about it. The problem is I am really lost on how I can actually …
Gone But Not Forgotten
Great changes are moments that define your life. In an instant the axis of your world spins, and you have no choice but to see it through. On December 28, 2013 at 11:13 am, my world tilted. My father, Andrew Westover, died. I had been under the weather for a while, but on that fateful …
Changing Norms
In one of the many Rhianna songs to get major radio play, the pop star sings: “[you’re] just gonna stand there and watch me burn, but that’s all right because I like the way it hurts, [you’re] just gonna stand there and hear me cry, but that’s all right….” The song reminds us of how …
Talent and Passion
The Yukon is blessed with a huge number of talented and passionate women. It would take much more space than I have here to pay tribute to even just a handful of these inspiring ladies but I’m going to give it a shot. I’ve had to narrow the list down to five who have inspired …
From Mexico with Love
In 2007, Craig Graham-Biggers left the Yukon to run a bar in Baja, Mexico for a year. He expected sun and sand and to earn a living, but did not think he would find love. But he did. In August, he and Fernando Biggers started chatting on a popular site for “bears” (“big, hairy men” …
Doug and Pearl Bell
Doug Bell is still in love with the “beautiful, bubbly blonde” he met while he was a teenager in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. Pearl, his wife of 64 years, passed away in 2010 but the memory of their wonderful marriage remains strong, nurtured by regular strolls down memory lane through her journals and scrapbooks. Recently, Doug …
One Foot in a Moccasin, and One in a Sneaker
Culture has been described as the immune system of a people, and in a world where so many distractions are coming at us on a regular basis, Yukoners can take comfort in knowing that we are home to a beautiful and thriving culture. Last year, Yukon First Nations celebrated the 40-year anniversary of the document, …
Falling in Love with the Territory, and Each Other
Christina Kaiser first fell in love with the Yukon in 1998, long before she set eyes on the man she would marry. Christina, who was living in her native Germany at the time, took a trip to Canada and drove from Vancouver to Fairbanks and back that year. “I came to Whitehorse and decided this …
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Northern Romance, March 13, 2014
Juniper and Johnny – I have been with my girlfriend for three years now and I am noticing that our intimacy level has started to decline. I haven’t been able help her hit the “mother lode” in a while, if you know what I mean. I want her to feel satisfied in our relationship or …
Northern Gifts
Some gifts take time sinking in; others stare you in the face. We, our family of four in a VW Beetle, arrived late in Watson Lake on October 1, 1957, and awoke in a strange house, beside the lake. Outside, in brilliant sun, and “a silence you most could hear,” as Robert Service described it, …
Senator, Mayor, Sourdough Wafflemaker
When Ione Christensen invited me into her home to talk sourdough, I could tell she’s done this before. I hadn’t gotten passed “Nice to meet you,” before she handed me a printout of recipes and a sample of her famous starter. She looks out from the photo on the cover page clad in lacy whites …
Northern Romance, February 13, 2014
Dear Juniper and Johnny, My girlfriend and I were casually discussing the Peel Watershed Regional Land Use plan that was just released and we ended up getting into a very heated argument that ended in her never wanting to speak to me again. I am also having a tough time seeing her side of the …
Emily Nishikawa Makes Tracks for Sochi
I’m certain I’ll never speak to a more grounded Olympian than Whitehorse born-and-raised Emily Nishikawa. I caught Nishikawa on the phone the day before her flight to Toblach, Italy. There, she will train at high altitude and compete in a World Cup on February 1 and 2. It’s Nishikawa’s last stop before Sochi, Russia, where …
What it Means to be Two-spirited
In some First Nations, two-spirited people are a common part of the history of their culture. Will Roscoe, for example, writes in the book The Zuni Man Woman (1991) that two-spirited people have been documented for centuries in over 130 North American tribes in every region of the continent. The term refers to homosexuality or …
Northern Romance, December 12, 2013
Hi Juniper & Johnny, My roommate’s boyfriend of three years claims to be in the process of separating from his wife, however I believe it’s a big lie. My roommate has never been to his house, he has never spent the night, they never see each other for more than an hour at a time, …
Help a Brother, Sister, or Animal Out
I came across this tidbit in the government study “Volunteering in Canada” by Mireille Vézina and Susan Crompton: In 2010, 88 per cent of Yukoners polled volunteered informally by doing things like shovelling a neighbour’s walkway, or taking tea to auntie. Meanwhile, 45 per cent said they did not volunteer formally in their community because …
The Real Value of Athletic Excellence: Alain Masson inducted into Hall of Fame
Helping an athlete to manage mental pressure is one of the most important factors for Alain Masson. Athletes need this kind of mental skill if they’re going to try out for the Olympics — and we’re all pretty proud when hometown athletes take the podium. Masson knows that kind of pressure – he has competed …
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Lucy’s Legacy
I fell in love with this photo of my great grandma. The fact that my heritage can be traced back to Lucy Peter, one of the most respected women of my community, makes me proud and reminds me that I have a lot to live up to because I am a reflection of my family. …
Northern Romance, November 21, 2013
Dear Readers, Charley Sprucetip and I have parted ways. Fortunately, I have found an absolutely delightful and charming writing partner, Johnny Snowshoe, who has years of experience and valuable insight on love and lust in the North. Juniper Frost Dear Juniper and Johnny, I am originally from a large city in southern Canada and moved …
In Defense of Earnestness
In my room I have a desk where I work. And on the wall above that desk I have tacked a What’s Up Yukon article dated December 11, 2008. Titled “Worked Hard, Still Working,” it is about Roger Thorlakson, who settled here in 1964. I wrote it — it’s the first in my Yukon Icon …
The Yukon Romance of Claude and Mary Tidd
The following story is from an online exhibit by Yukon Archives that features letters, diaries, manuscripts, newspaper articles, photos, home movies and sound recordings collected and saved by Mary’s family in Pennsylvania. He was a British teacher who came to Canada in 1910 and became a Mountie. She was an American farm girl-turned-nurse on the …
First Issue “I’m just saying”
Dennis Fentie is the premier of the Yukon and watches over an annual budget of $550 million … but I don’t care about that. I do care that he likes to play Bridge and, before he lost most of his free time to that government job thingy of his, he played hockey and coached a …
To: Japan, With Love From: Whitehorse
A hand-drawn card from a child — featuring a heart, or people holding hands — is powerful stuff. It can bring a lump to the throat for moms and other sensitive types. That’s the kind of innocent beauty that can be found in a set of quilts that arrived in Whitehorse from Japan this month, …
Telling the Stories of the North
Whitehorse resident Dennis Allen has crafted a successful career out of telling stories close to his heart: stories of life and culture of the people of the North. Allen, who is of Inupiat Eskimo and Gwich’in decent, is the co-director, along with David Finch, of Watchers of the North, a new documentary series that portrays …
A Queer Look at Life
Rae Spoon is not the average musician. The transgender musician has become a household name in Canada’s burgeoning queer music scene.
A Backward Glance Down Memory Road
Once upon a time in the Northland the river was the road, the wheels were paddles and time stretched long. They were called “the good old days.” Time, war and technology pushed them aside with a chain of airports, and thousands of warplanes heading to Russia. A road followed the next year, with vehicles galore, …
Coffee and Good Conversation
“We’ve been married 65 years and we still talk to each other,” Gordon Toole chuckles warmly. “I still feel the same about Rose as I did when we first got married, even more so.” The two met in 1948 thanks to Rose’s brother, Louis. Louis and Gordon both worked in the Yukon at the Snag …
Adventurers Find Each Other
Bruce Barrett and Judy Forrest came up to the Yukon for adventure and work, but never dreamed they’d fall in love with the territory — or each other. Bruce grew up in Toronto but was living in the Northwest Territories when a friend suggested the Yukon would be the perfect fit. “In 1978, I decided …
Andy and Esmé Cruickshank
A 1920s Love Story, a Ryan B-1 high-winged monoplane named the Queen of the Yukon and the start of the Yukon Airways and Exploration Company.
A Trip Through Dog Mushing Past and Present: Dawson area resident runs year-round dog mushing museum
Kyia Bouchard was in her mid-50s when she discovered dog mushing. One year later, she left her life in New York City behind and relocated to the Dawson City area to learn everything she could about it. Now, at almost 60-years old, Bouchard is training to run the Yukon Quest, and the dogs have taken …
Kennedys: Making Waves and Making Headlines
The wild beauty of the Yukon is the décor of our daily lives. But when famous types make a special trip to the Yukon, it’s a reminder that this is a special place. We will soon have a Kennedy in our midst, and it’ll be the second visit from the Kennedy family in nearly 50 …
Getting Tipsy While On the Trail
They are a drinking club that runs, and they’ve got comrades around the world. They are the Whitehorse Hash House Harriers (WH4). The original Hash House Harriers got their start in Malaysia just before World War II, combating boredom among British troops. Now, there are nearly 2,000 “kennels” around the world – including the one …
Local Farmers Need Us to Gobble Their Stuff
When the highway flooded-out last spring it meant that cargo trucks full of food couldn’t deliver their goods to grocery stores. It was a wake-up call that as a whole, we’re pretty dependent on food from hot, foreign places. Still, there are Yukoners with a passion for supplying healthy, chemical-free food produced using sustainable practices. …
Sweethearts ’til the End
A chance encounter during wartime turned into a love that lasted more than 65 years. In 1944, John Gould was a young Royal Canadian Air Force pilot stationed in St. Catharines, Ontario for flight training. He was a long way from his family’s mine at Nugget Hill outside of Dawson City, but he was pursuing …
French Toast: Puppets on the Big Screen
I’ve met some beautiful and special fabric puppets. They live here in Whitehorse and they come from the imaginary world of Fabienne Tessier. Tessier sews and knits little animals and imaginary characters with different, kind of funky, old fabrics and wools. Those characters catch our attention by their strong personality and the expressions on their …
Pelly Dancing
After their initial inception, the Selkirk Spirit Dancers had a hiatus, and some wondered if they would ever dance again. Started by Carmen Baker, the dance group is based in Pelly Crossing and is now comprised of 45 dancers. The large number in itself is enough to set the group apart, however what makes the …
African, French and Japanese Groups Showcase Their Culture
They are not always featured in history books, but since the Klondike Gold Rush people of many ethnic backgrounds have called the Yukon home. On Sunday, June 23 the Adäka Cultural Festival will host the Sharing Our Spirit Community Celebration, a day of events bringing together the culture of these different groups that have put …
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Healing and Transformation: Ravenstail Weaving
“A woman needs to have an art form,” says Tlingit Tutchone master weaver Ann Smith. And she feels a responsibility to pass on the art of weaving to the next generation of First Nations women – which is exactly what she and Alaskan Tlingit Chilkat master weaver Clarissa Rizel will do during the Adäka Cultural …
Keeping the Stories Alive
Tammy Lee Josie was literally pushed onto the stage at 14 years old. She was watching her grandmother, Edith Josie, perform her family’s Vuntut Gwitchin stories at the Yukon International Storytelling Festival in 1998 when festival coordinator Louise Profeit-Leblanc asked if Tammy Lee knew Edith’s tales. “Then my grandmother pointed at me and said ‘Your …
The Controversial Three Letter Word
We use the word “the” to indicate when something is distinct.This may be why we have used the word “the” in “the Yukon”
Home, created one piece at a time
I want to spend my life with you Don’t want to live all alone I can’t conceive of the years left in me Without you in our home —The Proclaimers, “Life with You” It is the Good Saturday, the one before the snow. You can call it summer. I go over to Mike Durham and …
Northern Romance, May 2, 2013
Q: There is this woman I have known for a few years now and I know she is single. I asked her out for coffee about a year ago and she said no. Lately I have been running into her again and I have been striking up conversation. I still really want to get to …
The nations of the Yukon celebrated
A long time ago, Deb Jutra was at the T&M Hotel when a visitor said to her, “This is amazing, I see seven different cultures here and they are all getting along.” “Oh, yeah,” said Jutra, not in a surprised way but, rather, in an “of course” kind of way. “In the Yukon, we are …
Variety Is The Spice Of Francophone Film Festival
Le secteur culturel de l’Association franco-yukonnaise is bringing north some of the greatest cinematographic creations of the year in the world of francophone film, Canadian and foreign. From Oct. 16 to 19, the Francophone Film Festival is coming to Whitehorse. Once a year, this event provides the rare opportunity to view new, independent French films …
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The Stubborn Paradox of Mark Prins
On the corner of the building at Third and Black, there is an office with no sign above the door. On a quick scan you would be forgiven if you thought the office was abandoned. In fact, this is the office of Mark Prins, who owns and operates Inanda Images, a local photography company that …
Risking Life to Fulfil a Calling
“Not well, she’s shell shocked and very concerned, incredibly concerned.” That is how Kevin Rumsey describes his wife’s reaction when he informed her that he was leaving his hometown of Whitehorse and moving to Afghanistan for a year. Rumsey accepted an offer to work in Kabul with Action Against Hunger, an international organization that delivers …
The many faces of a Yukoner
The first Yukoner I ever met was Rodger Thorlakson. It was 19 years ago and I was two days “Inside”. Sure, I met other people in that time, but between the hotel room and work it wasn’t a lot. Those I formed relationships with were just like me: recently transplanted. Rodger, however, had that hat …
Portraits of Clay
Harreson Tanner and his wife drove up to the Yukon from Vancouver in the summer of 2002. It rained all they way up, but once they got to the Yukon, the Northern sunlight broke through the clouds and put on a show. “We thought the Yukon sure knows how to welcome us,” says Tanner. This …
Feeding Spirits, Not Just Stomachs
The thing about chefs is that they can work almost anywhere. Because of this, cooking is an ideal job for the restless spirits among us. In a crowd known for its wanderlust, Gordon Parton is somewhat of an anomaly. Parton is the head chef at Gadzoosdaa Student Residence, where students from small towns live while …
Bicycle Parts Reborn as Art
Philippe’s Bicycle Repair occupies a modest little house on Wood Street. The front yard is filled with many bike parts, but they are not strewn about as one might expect; rather, they are arranged – designed to catch the eye and imaginations of those who pass by. Inside, Philippe Leblond, the owner, builds and repairs …
A Journey That Began With Press and Politics
Flo Whyard was born in 1917, in London, Ontario, and grew up in a family of newspapermen and political junkies. Her father sat in the Press Gallery, inside the House of Commons, and wrote his articles at night while Whyard fell asleep. “I was still small enough to fit in a crib, and banging away …
Savouring Good Times of Food and Fellowship
Above Antoinette’s Food Cache is a sign that proclaims it to be an “International Slow Food Restaurant”. In a culture that often idolizes speed, such a proclamation seems a little out of place. But maybe there is more value in slowness than we often give it credit for. Antoinette Oliphant would certainly agree. She is …
Taking Medicine to New Heights
Cambridge medical students are expected to be well-schooled in the art of social climbing, but Peter Steele, who studied medicine at the University of Cambridge, in England, chose mountain climbing instead. “There were some really excellent climbers [at Cambridge], and I got bit by the ‘climbing bug’,” Steele says in a British accent that seems …
A Yukon Welcome to the Nations
At first glance it’s difficult to know whether the large yellow beast is a dragon or a lion. Upon further inspection, looking closely at the large teeth and yellow hide, it’s most definitely a lion. Oh, yes, certainly … a striking yellow lion, set with sparkles. The wood-framed lion, with the fabric-draped hide, sits in …
The ‘Crazy Uncle’ of CKRW
When Keith Ellert graduated from the Cinema, Television, Stage and Radio program at SAIT, in Calgary, he had dreams of being a “shock jock”. “I wanted to be Canada’s answer to Howard Stern,” says Ellert. “I didn’t just want to push the envelope; I wanted to put enough postage on it to send it around …
Klondike History Is Alive and Well
On Phyllis (LePage) Simpson’s coffee table is a stack of books on the history of the Yukon River. When she reads them, it is not unusual for her to find a glaring error or omission. “They make me so mad,” she says. “They sometimes get things wrong.” It’s easy to wonder if perhaps it is …
Friendships Forged by (but Not Limited by) Time
Between 1968 and 1978, the Cassiar Asbestos Corporation ran a small mining community called Clinton Creek, about 60 miles northwest of Dawson City. The far-flung location attracted a certain type of person; namely, the young and the adventurous. And so they came – from across Canada and around the world. Noreen McGowan arrived from rural …
Northern Romance, March 21, 2013
A Northerner’s Spring Horoscope: The days are getting longer, the sun is shining and spring is in the air. If you are in a relationship — you might be reflecting on the winter and how your partner will look in the bright light of summer when northern nature turns on its 24-hour ugly lights. Use …
It Takes a Village
As nine-year-old Alexis Crystal Jim focuses on picking up a brilliant blue bead with her sewing needle and fastening it to a piece of hide, the women several decades older than her chat and laugh and sew. And as the time flies by, the little girl soaks up traditional knowledge and the Southern Tutchone language …
Discovering a Rich Cultural Heritage
Colleen Potter has an infectious smile that can put even the most-guarded person at ease. It’s a smile that doesn’t fade when she begins to talk about her ancestry. Potter is Métis. We often think such a fact should be pushed to the side, that ethnicity should not be discussed in polite company. Because of …
Keeping His Culture Strong
Daniel Tlen sang our national anthem at the opening ceremonies of the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. The event was viewed by one of the largest television audiences ever assembled. “There were some estimates that two-billion people were watching,” says Tlen, though he admits he is a little skeptical of that figure. Tlen’s performance of …
A Vision Ignited by Love for the Yukon
Bob Van Dijken is a man of deep convictions and strong opinions, but what’s odd is the way he expresses them. Amid the barrage of aggressive sound bites and amped-up election campaigns that we usually suffer through, Van Dijken’s thoughtfully expressed sentiments are an anomaly – but a refreshing anomaly. Van Dijken came to the …
Northern Romance, February 14, 2013
Q: What should I do if I don’t have a date on Valentine’s Day? –Dateless on Donjek Charlie Says: Count your blessings Dateless. Valentine’s Day can be an expensive Hallmark holiday full of pressures, expectations and annoying restaurant line-ups. With the time you would have otherwise spent aggravating your hay fever at a flower shop, …
Almost Everybody Knows One
It seems almost everybody knows an O’Donovan. Some of us know nine or 10 of them. All told, there are 11 siblings and they tend to be an active and creative bunch. After seeing different brothers and sisters pop up at different community events, it is only natural for one to wonder where they all …
Artrepreneur: Hunter, Dentist, Artist, Priest
Beautiful portraits of the people and dogs of Colville Lake, NWT, encircle the Yukon Arts Centre Community Gallery. Arctic Journal was put together by Deb Jutra in honour of Bern Will Brown. Jutra knew the artist as Father Brown, her Catholic priest when growing up in Uranium City, Saskatchewan. Brown arrived in the Arctic in …
The Intimacy of Live Performance
When you talk about “The Theatre”, these days, it is inevitable that certain eyes will glaze and certain minds will wander. It’s old and out of date, the YouTube crowd might complain. But perhaps the qualities that prevent live theatre from being trendy are the exact same qualities that ensure it will always remain consistently …
The Little Subdivision That Thought It Could
The Coppermoon Gallery is buzzing. Prospective customers peruse the walls, looking at exquisite Yukon art, a woodworker presents a scaled replica of a new sign for the entrance and there appears to be some renovations going on in the back. At the centre of all this activity is Nerissa Rosati, owner of Coppermoon. She apologizes …
Whitehorse Dating Scene: Hairy, Mysterious, Limited…
Someone recently told my lover, “In Whitehorse you don’t lose your girlfriend, you lose your turn.” It’s a pithy summary of the dating experience in this town and perhaps in the Yukon in general. A quick look at the Statistics Canada 2012 data reveals men out number women in the Yukon by a margin of …
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An Inspirational Elder: Alex Van Bibber
One could easily write a page-turning book about the life and accomplishments of outfitter, trapper, residential school survivor and honoured veteran Alex Van Bibber. I was lucky to have coffee with Van Bibber one morning in January when he was in Whitehorse. His list of errands included picking up his cowboy boots, which he had …
A Tinsmith Who Creates Community
Rick Griffiths just returned from a vacation in Saskatchewan where he visited many old friends. “There wasn’t a place I visited where I wasn’t given a meal and offered a bed to sleep in,” he says. Griffiths is a self-proclaimed “people-person”, a man who cultivates and maintains long-term relationships. As he talks about his friends …
What’s in a Name?
In The Yukon, certain family names loom large in our post-gold-rush era: “Van Bibber” is one such handle. Geraldine Van Bibber is one of the family’s new recruits. She took the last name upon marrying her husband, Pat, and has since become a student of the family’s history. “The three Van Bibber brothers came up …