Anna Claxton and the rest of the Percy DeWolfe Race Committee were hugely relieved to be able to announce that the “really hard working, amazing, […]
It’s 40 years of mushing on the Percy DeWolfe Trail Read More »
On Easter weekend the ballroom of the Oddfellows Hall will be filled with hundreds of short film fans celebrating the 17th edition of the Dawson
Year 17 sees an abundance of Yukon Films at the Festival Read More »
With late February temperatures maxing out at +4 in Dawson, it’s hard to say just what this year’s Thaw di Gras, Spring Carnival will be
Announcing Yukon’s Unofficial Other March Long Weekend Read More »
This week shaped up to be a culturally ambitious one in Dawson City. The centerpiece of the week has been the Myth and Medium conference
Myth and Medium Focuses on Stories and Performance Read More »
The most recent exhibition at Dawson’s ODD Gallery is nothing if not seasonal for its subject is the northern lights, also called aurora borealis, the
Examining the Quest to Understand the Aurora Borealis Read More »
It’s not that there haven’t been warm winter spells at various times in Dawson, but this winter seems to be one for the books.
Of Heater Plugs and Roof Clearances Read More »
There are six bookcases in my study, and two of those are arranged so that I can shelve paperbacks on both sides of them. On
The (Book) Case for Real Books Read More »
Dawson is switching to LED (Light Emitting Diode) streetlights, swapping out the older HPS (high pressure sodium) for the newer, more eco-friendly, longer lasting lights.
Where will the ravens warm their toes? Read More »
I was very pleased to read recently that the L.A. Times reported 571 million print books were sold in 2015, 17 million more than in
So much for the death of the printed book Read More »
Last month Jesse Cooke was the recipient of the Parks Canada Youth Tourism Entrepreneur Award, at a ceremony held in Ottawa on Dec. 2. Cooke
Winning Awards with Husky Bus Read More »
We have reached that point in the season where we don’t get a lot of direct sunlight in Dawson City’s historic townsite. Those who live
Dawson Lights up for Christmas Read More »
The Dawson Food Bank and the Dawson Women’s Shelter are busy organizing their annual Holiday Hamper Program and Food Drive. It’s designed to assist individuals
Feeding the Hungry is a Vital Community Service Read More »
I’m happy to record that, except for the arrival of the Sears Wish Book at North 60 Petro Express, everything else related to Christmas here
Brightening Up Even the Darkest Nights Read More »
November 7 turned out to be an incredibly busy evening for anyone involved in community events in Dawson. There was the closing banquet for the
Good Music for Good Causes Read More »
The ice is coming down in a rush this year. While there was not a sign of the stuff in the river on the day
Jewels on the Water Read More »
Mark Zuehlke was a writer-in-residence at Berton House in 2003. At the time he had just finished several books on the history of the Canadian
Marching in remembrance of things past Read More »
At a recent municipal candidates’ forum it was suggested that one of the solutions to Dawson’s perennial winter housing problem would be to arrange to
Winter: We Shutter to Feel it Coming Read More »
Those who think that the Klondike is just a sleepy little place in winter between the tourists and the Yukon Quest would be mistaken.
What to Do in Dawson in the Winter Read More »
Students in rural schools can miss out on a number of things in terms of course offerings and opportunities. There are specialty programs in the
Bringing Variety to the Rural School Experience Read More »
I promised to tell a little bit of the story of the Klondike Sun’s near death experience if the editors here said it was okay.
Trying to keep the Sun Shining Read More »
As the crew who came here to film an episode of the Canadian television series Murdoch Mysteries a few years ago told me, Dawson is
Fun fiction from the Klondike Read More »
I have written a number of columns about Dawson’s habit of recycling building for other purposes. The Old Territorial Courthouse, which has to be passed
Bringing New Life into Old Buildings Read More »
Each year during the Riverside Arts Festival, the ODD Gallery sponsors a paired set of exhibitions called The Natural and the Manufactured, each dealing with
Revisiting the Klondike Big Inch Read More »
Dawson City has a new park. Located between the Dawson Plaza (where the CIBC is) and the Husky Bus HQ (the former Hair We Are
A new park says Thanks to Klondike volunteers Read More »
In 1976 I was a young teacher just starting out in Beaver Creek, fresh from Nova Scotia and learning about the North. Regular stories about
When local voices made a difference Read More »
Front Street is lined with vehicles and shoppers from late morning to midafternoon each Saturday during the summer, even on days when there’s a smoky
Saturday at the Front Street Markets Read More »
The Slocan Ramblers often get asked how it happens that four lads who live in Toronto came to be interested in bluegrass music. Bass player
Rambling North for the Dawson City Music Festival Read More »
“Someone should make a list of all the houses that have been moved around in Dawson, showing where they used to be and where they
Moving Day on Eighth Avenue Read More »
It’s 5:00 and I’m sitting at the table in my summer office which, whenever possible, is our veranda. Seven blocks west and about two north
Twice A Day the Whistle Blows Read More »
On any Wednesday evening, at any time during the year, most residents in the core historic zone of Dawson City can hear the sound of
The Fire Siren is Good News Read More »
On the whole, there are two positive things about this year’s edition of NorthwesTel’s Northern British Columbia and Yukon Directory. The first is that the
When your Fingers Stumble Through the Pages Read More »
June 17 – 21 2015: Dawson City Midnight Sun Camera Obscura Festival. This is the follow up to last year’s Dawson City Solstice Symposium
When the Darkness Bleeds Daylight Read More »
In just a few days we’ll be loading our little Toyota Yaris onto a freight truck and shipping it to Whitehorse to have a new
Explaining Travel Realities to People Outside Read More »
By the time you read this I’ll be “Exploring the Frontiers of Language” in Skagway, attending this year’s edition of the North Words Writers Symposium.
Off to Skagway to Explore Language Read More »
Klondikers pride ourselves on not needing to lock our doors every time we leave our houses. But sometimes we should, as events this week proved.
Facebook Posse Finds Stolen Trailer Read More »
The Yukon Government (YG) finally decided to sign on in a substantive way to the push for UNESCO World Heritage Status for the site designated
World Heritage Planning Gets a Big Boost Read More »
Dawson has entered that phase of spring I call Puddletime. City workers have been trying to keep up by opening storm drains. The rapidly accumulating
Dawson Moves Into Puddletime Read More »
In the April 8 edition of the Klondike Sun I put a little note inside the Sun graphic, in the banner. We always do this,
The Ice Bridge Decay is a Sure Sign of Spring Read More »
Diamond Tooth Gerties is an iconic Dawson building. It’s the cash cow that finances most of the operations of the Klondike Visitors Association. As of
Gerties is now a Municipal Heritage Site Read More »
A television mini-series is being shot in Dawson between April 7 and 17. The two episodes of Her Next Plan are being produced by the
Her Next Plan is Coming to a Television Near You Read More »
Dawson City has a fondness for parades. Canada Day and Discovery Day are the annual events with the longest history, but there have been Pride
Dragon in the New Year, Chinese Style Read More »
I recently listened to a court debate concerning the streets connected to 2nd Avenue in the north end of town, and which turn you would
Getting Around in Dawson Read More »
The Yukon Supreme Court returned to the Old Territorial Administration Building (OTAB in local slang) late in January. It will continue to occupy space there
Court Comes to the OTAB Read More »
At 40 below, Fahrenheit and Celsius are the same; not that our dog, Shadow, cares about that. She may need to go outside to relieve
The Cold Weather Doggie Blues Read More »
November and most of December were mild in the Klondike this winter. Wondrously, it only took two-and-a-half days to warm up St. Paul’s Anglican Church enough
St. Paul’s Tries To Get Warmer Read More »
At the request of some Facebook friends I spent about a week in late December taking a series of pictures showing the retreating daylight hours.
Here Comes the Sun Read More »
I’ve been the opening act at the last two monthly coffee houses. We meet on the first Saturday of every month in the Odd Fellows
Music for the community Read More »
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
How The Double Bob Bash Came To Be Read More »
Clancy the Cat didn’t show a lot of interest when I dropped in to the Humane Society Dawson (HSD) shelter to visit him a couple
When the cat came back Read More »
As a former English teacher, long time library patron, book reviewer, informal Berton House liaison, and editor of The Klondike Sun, it often falls to
Turning Her Life Into Stories Read More »
I understand him getting nostalgic about the slides and equipment. He still has the cast after he broke his arm there in elementary school.
Change is Always Challenging Read More »
I had to do my first major snow clearance of the season on Hallowe’en. It wasn’t bad — took about half an hour. The snow
A Tale of Two Boxes Read More »
I’ve been listening to a lot of cassette tapes lately. You remember those things; they appeared between vinyl records (making a comeback) and CDs (fading
Listening to the Music Read More »
Learn the advantages of early Christmas preparations and how to stay organized for a joyful holiday season.
Christmas Eve Preparations Before Halloween? Read More »
Most of the tourists are gone in mid-October and the Klondike is settling into its off-season routine. Across the river in West Dawson and Sunnydale,
Keeping Busy Now that the Tourists are Gone Read More »
On the day I am writing this, Whitehorse and Haines Junction are inches deep in their first winter snow and Dawson, while chilly and damp,
Where Have All The Colours Gone? Read More »
Last evening our current writer-in-residence, Anik See, presented two of her essays to 15 people at the Dawson Community Library. See focuses particularly on landscape
Keeping Busy On The Berton House Beat Read More »
The facetious title of this article, which dates back to the 1950s and 1960s, is a metaphor for trying out an idea to see who
Let’s Run It Up The Flagpole And See Whom Salutes Read More »
The Klondike Outhouse Race was inspired by chatter in a bar. “the barnstorming biffies charge through Dawson like a dose of castor oil.”
The Glory Days of Outhouse Races Past Read More »
We had fireworks just the other night. No one I’ve spoken with seems to know exactly who set them off down by the river. There
Things that Go Bang in the Night Read More »
Some people are just not content to watch the river flow.They have to get in it and, as Ratty said to Mole in The Wind
Not Content with Watching the River Flow Read More »
The Klondike is known for permafrost-distorted buildings. The twisted shapes of older structures inspired the artistic career of Jim Robb — as a young artist he
An Odd Taste in Lawn Decorations Read More »
Robert Service School (RSS) celebrated its 25th year in its present building last May. There were no special celebrations, and I suspect that not too
Reflections on Rural Yukon Education Read More »
Dawson has a long history of dressing up with flowers and plants. When Martha Louise Black was the chatelaine at the Commissioner’s Residence on Front
Dawson’s Public Gardens Are A Treat Read More »
Ask tourists what they like about Dawson City and you get a variety of responses. They like the old buildings and the sense of history
Along the Boardwalks in Dawson City Read More »
Nadia White, great-granddaughter of Elmer (Stroller) and Alice Josephine (Josie) Keys White is on a quest to find out all she can about the life
Tracking down grandmother by land and water Read More »
The Yukon Gold Panning Championships were held on the well-used greensward between Front Street and the dike. The greensward wouldn’t be here if the dike
Why does Dawson Need a Dike? Read More »
The second full revival season has been launched at the Palace Grand theatre. Marveling at the theatre is past due; It’s time to celebrate that
Grand Times at the Palace Read More »
The Commissioner’s Residence sits on Front Street, just past St. Paul’s Anglican Church, in Dawson City. It is one of six buildings in town designed
Front Street’s Elegant Showcase Read More »
In windy Skagway, the boat people make their way from the cruise ships into town several times a day, clogging the streets and shops. I
Winnowing Word in the Windy City Read More »
The Klondike Visitors’ Association (originally the Klondike Travel Bureau) pre-dates the formation of the Yukon’s Department of Tourism (originally the Yukon Tourist Bureau) by over
The KVA promotes the Klondike to the world Read More »
The George Black Ferry splashed into the Yukon River shortly after 2:00 p.m. on May 15, bringing to life the summer time link between the
The George Black Ferry Links the Two Dawsons Read More »
I was in Calgary in the middle of a snowstorm when the ice went out in the Yukon River this year. Two days earlier, it
The tripod met an unusual fate this year Read More »
There’s all sorts of misinformation about the Klondike Gold Rush out there. One of the most obvious is that a lot of Americans, other than
Talking Points about “Klondike” for our summer visitors Read More »
There are lots of places where people tend to drive a little too fast. Some of these places have had various ingenious traffic control systems
Dawson’s reverse speed bumps slow people down Read More »
Sometime between now and May 29 (the absolute latest date in the records that have been kept since 1896), the ice in the Yukon River
Now Comes the Season of the Tripod Read More »
I’ve been attending a number of annual general meetings lately, and the experience has simply served to reinforce something that I already knew: without the
Dawson City Runs on Volunteers Read More »
On March 31, the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in (TH) held a feast to remember the mixed-heritage children who came to Dawson City to live at St. Paul’s
Cross-Cultural Advances in Klondike Education Read More »
Dawson‘s streets will be wider and lower by the time you read this column. There will be the odd large puddle around town, especially at
Dawson’s Streets Get Ready for Spring Read More »
If the buzz around this year’s Percy de Wolfe Memorial Mail Race is any indication, this years’s event may be one to watch. Just how
The Percy de Wolfe Race is Ready To Go Read More »
In Dawson we are of two minds regarding the Discovery Channel’s Klondike mini-series — that six hour reimagining of history, geography and culture that aired
The Hollywood Treatment Read More »
From the very beginning there’s been some confusion connected with the word “Klondike.” It started with new arrivals — the gold rush stampeders — who
What Does Klondike Mean to the World? Read More »
The mostly family oriented weekend event is a lot of fun for locals – and draws in visitors, too. It includes a lip sync event
Dawson Gets Ready for Spring with Thaw di Gras Read More »
The 21st running of the Trek Over the Top snowmobile run from Tok, Alaska, to Dawson City and back will take place from March 6
The Trek Will Be Coming Soon Read More »
The bi-annual Myth and Medium symposium runs from February 24 to 28 this year, the week after the territorial Heritage Day holiday. Heritage Day originally
Myth and Medium are Coming Again Read More »
Rebekah Miller is fascinated with zippers, with how they both conceal and reveal, how they open and close. She’s also fascinated with coverings – whether
Getting into the Skins of Things Read More »
Barnacle Bob Hilliard is ubiquitous on the Dawson City music scene. Since arriving in the early 1990s he’s been a fixture in the bars around
Barnacle Bob Headlines at the Odd Fellows Hall Read More »
2014: Frostbite and the Kluane Bluegrass, are taking the year off, Dawson City Music Festival (DCMF) soldiers on.
The Dawson City Music Festival Focuses on Quality over Quantity Read More »
Volunteer radio has a long history in Dawson City, with the current organization – CFYT-FM (106.9) – reaching back to 1984. At that time, the
Freeze-up on the Yukon River is not proceeding according to custom this year. Despite the lack of ice at the regular crossing down by the
A Season in the Mist Read More »
Christmas Eve is a busy night in Dawson City, with all four of the churches holding their own late evening services in honour of the
Staging the Nativity in the Museum Read More »
The Dawson pre-Christmas season launched on Nov. 10 as the gym in the Robert Service School filled up for the Dawson Daycare’s Bazaar. This was
It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like… You Know Read More »
As winter approaches and the Yukon River finally begins to fill up with ice, it’s pretty clear that there’s a lot of music on tap
Dawson Hosts a Medley of Concerts to Check Out Read More »
In two previous columns I have given some background behind Dawson City’s interest in UNESCO’s World Heritage Status designation. The Klondike region was placed on
What is the Tr’ondëk-Klondike Project? Read More »
The date may have changed this year, but the timing is the same. Contestants in the Yukon 48 Challenge still have just 48 hours to
Gearing up for 48 Hours of Filming Madness Read More »
While Martha Wainwright began her current tour a year ago to promote her latest CD, Come Home to Mama, she says the North American portion
A Subversive Singer-Songwriter Comes to the Yukon Read More »
The late Dick North used to quip that with a surname like his it was no mystery that he worked as a journalist in the
The Legacy of Dick North will Endure Read More »
The headline on the front page of the July 24, 1997 edition of the Klondike Sun proclaimed, “Berton Proposes Dawson for World Heritage Site Status.”
Proposing World Heritage Status for the Klondike Read More »
Thousands of people have touched their lips to the Sourtoe and have swallowed the notion that it is part of Dawson’s quaint charm.
The Sourtoe Cocktail: A Popular Gag Read More »
From May to September you can find Riley Brennan all around Dawson, digging in the dirt as she skillfully helps to make the town a
Created from Shattered Glass Read More »
