A Dispatch From Namibia Part 2
Once is the name of my taxi driver in Namibia (like once in a lifetime). People have strange names here: Darling, Given, Gift, or Mistake.
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Volunteers and Volunteering
A Clutterless Christmas
This year, commit to giving presents that will be useful, meaningful and appreciated. There are many (so many!) options for Yukoners to consider if you just think a little creatively.
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Brightening days, one tale at a time
Denis McCrae saw an advertisement asking for volunteers at the Thomson Centre, about two years ago, and thought to himself, I have some time to
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Volunteers make Rendezvous!
It is no secret that without volunteers, there would be no Rendezvous. Each year hundreds of Yukon residents step up to continue a tradition that
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Rope wreaths and Yukon steamers
Ruth Treskatis, volunteer and Janna Swales, executive director, proudly display their creations in front of the popsicle stick model of the SS Klondike at the
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‘Bigs’ and ‘Littles’ – spending time together
Forty years ago this December, Big Brothers started in the Yukon as a volunteer-run organization to help boys, who were needing a male role model
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Igniting their passion to fight fire
Last year, when I arrived in the Yukon, I saw an article on the Ember Fire Academy, a Yukon Government Protective Service program. There were
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Today’s the day the teddy bears have their clinic
September 9 is National Teddy Bear Day The inaugural Teddy Bear Clinic in November 2017 was a hit with families and medical professionals alike as
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Yukon Ski Patrol
The Canadian Ski Patrol is a national organization is composed of more than 5,000 volunteers from coast to coast, in Canada, in 59 zones and
George Arcand has been hitting home runs for over 30 years
For decades, George Arcand has been an institution for softball in the Yukon, getting his start as a volunteer in the mid-1970s.
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A lifeline for Yukon artists
James Kirby dedicated his life to his craft and when news of his terminal illness came to light, the Yukon Artist Relief Fund Society was there to help.
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Top 10 tips for your first summer in Whitehorse
Here are some tips and tricks to starting out in Whitehorse as a Cheechako (which is the name for being new to the north of 60th parallel).
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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.
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A different kind of volunteer
Tom Gibbs doesn’t get as many hugs as he used to. As the president of the board of Special Olympics Yukon these past five years, he isn’t working with the athletes as much and he isn’t able to give out as many of those encouraging hugs.
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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
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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.
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Celebrate our local hockey team’s good deeds
The local hockey team, led by coach Michael Nemeth, is a semi finalist in the nationwide Chevrolet Good Deeds Cup Competition this year.
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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?
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Don’t mourn the soup kitchen, ask what’s next?
For the volunteers who served at the soup kitchen, it was a labour of love and giving back to the community. Closing the doors simply means, what’s next?
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Meet the City of Whitehorse Volunteer of the Year
If you’re wondering just how much volunteering Jeff Marynowski was doing, the answer is this: enough that the City of Whitehorse named Marynowski the 2016 volunteer of the year.
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A conversation with Bruno Bourdache
There are about 600 NGOs in the Yukon. They need at least three to four board members, and they are all volunteers. So yes, in the Yukon, we cannot be as dynamic or strong as we are without volunteers.
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A beloved musical tradition
Bob Williams knows the residents and staff at Copper Ridge Place quite well. That’s because the longtime Yukoner, musician and volunteer has been playing music at the continuing care facility since it was built eight years ago.
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Happy 20th anniversary to everyone’s favourite river race
Sixteen teams competed in the inaugural Yukon River Quest (YRQ) 20 years ago – that’s a fraction of the numbers anticipated by race organizers in 2018.
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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)
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Ride for Dad Rolls Into Town
Sixteen of the country’s top prostate researchers are meeting in Whitehorse this month and it’s partly because of Mike Thorpe. “Mike is very much responsible
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Helping to Warm Whitehorse Feet
Knitters work to warm others. Whitehorse knitters are aiming to craft 150 pairs of socks to contribute to the city’s Outreach Van.
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Yukon Search and Rescue: The Basics
Yukon Search and Rescue (YSAR) is a volunteer-run organisation that provides ground and water search and rescue support for the territory. Prior to 2014 each
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Mount Maichen Madness Hits Watson Lake
What do you do with a ski hill in the summer? You hold a relay race! If you’re looking for a fun, exciting and challenging
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Experiencing Theatre in Namibia
It’s 15 minutes before our performance starts and one of my actors has a meltdown. “No, I am not gonna play,” he says avoiding eye
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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
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Volunteering with the Yukon Quest
We’ve followed the Yukon Quest over the internet for several years. When we came to Whitehorse a year ago, it was clear that we wanted
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All Kinds of Bargains
It’s autumn and time for the thrift shop in Haines Junction to ramp up again for winter. Dozens and dozens of bags of used clothing
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“It Can Happen to Anybody”
“Once you hit homelessness your world crumbles. People don’t know that there’s people who care.” So says Kerry Nolan, who is speaking first hand. Now,
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Creating Healthy Communities
United Way Yukon is a charity that raises money to fund Yukon organizations. Its mandate is to fund programs that enhance the “physical, mental and
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Catch the Infection
Kid Vicious, Starbuck’s Revenge, Goat. No, not my favorite B-movies, but mountain bike trails christened by those who build and ride them. All of these
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Powerful Incentives
The ATCO technician was confused. Normally reading meters is the simple part of the job, but this one seemed to be running, well, backwards. Time
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Learning to Fry
A small assembly of structures along Mountainview Drive has been quietly housing 45,000 young salmon each year for the past 25 or so years. The
Hot Ticket to Ride
France has the Tour de France. Italy has the Giro d’Italia. And here in the Yukon, we have the Kluane Chilkat International Bike Relay. The
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Looking after each other
in 1996, the Mount Lorne fire hall opened it’s doors with a 1977 Ford cabover truck with an 800-gallon tank and a 125 horsepower pump
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Gearing up for Bike to Work Week
A new trend in hairstyles is likely to emerge in workplaces across the country during the first week of June: helmet hair. From May 30th
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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
Making a Difference
In January 2013 Daniel Adamson first travelled to the Philippines. It was the wish of his sick mother whom Adamson had been looking after for
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Gift of Giving
If you’re searching for a little inspiration this holiday season, then perhaps this story is for you. Many of us give to charity and volunteer
Feeding the Hungry is a Vital Community Service
The Dawson Food Bank and the Dawson Women’s Shelter are busy organizing their annual Holiday Hamper Program and Food Drive. It’s designed to assist individuals
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A farewell from the 2015 Rendezvous Queen
As the year 2015 is coming to an end, so does my reign as the Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous Queen 2015. This article will be my
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Working for Free: Gaining so Much
There was a time in my life when my father called me a professional volunteer. Working for a handsome wage was much less of a
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Becoming A Role Model in India
One of the very first things that Yukoner Liam Campbell did when he arrived in India was land himself an invitation. “Within two hours of
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No Need to Shout
An honest and emotional message will attract the eyes – and more importantly, hearts – you need to keep your organisation running, in terms of
Amazing Volunteers
by Hospice Yukon, Yukon Learn and Volunteer Yukon The Yukon is full of amazing volunteers. Here are just a few people whose donation of their
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A new park says Thanks to Klondike volunteers
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
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You are a Winner
One of the many remarks I got when I was selling queen raffle tickets during Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous (YSR) events was, “I have never won
The Fire Siren is Good News
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
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A Little Help from Friends
According to Marc Paradis, it’s starting to resemble a mini-music festival. He should know. The Whitehorse drummer has performed at pretty much every major music
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Fun Fair tips by Nash and Thayer
What are those? “Whiffle balls.” What are they for? “Tic-Tac-Toe.” Five-year-old Nash Battersby is about to school me in the art of winning prizes at
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Quilters Without Borders
“ We might be copyright , ” says May Gudmundson, laughing . A pin with the words I (heart) Quilts rests above her heart. “There’s
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Food Bank Superstar
Four years after she officially retired, Robyn Ward-Clark still pulls two shifts a week doing what she’s always done: working with people. Following 31 years
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A Sourdough Scrapbook
How much do Yukoners look forward to Rendezvous? A quick glance at the Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous website gives you a hint: they have a clock counting
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Making Change in Hostile Conditions
A Yukon labour leader and two other Yukoners recently joined forces with two human rights organizations on a mission to help improve conditions in south-west
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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
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Come On and Take a Free Ride
What do you get when you dump 38 truckloads of snow and ice at the doorstep of Yukon College? A 28-foot-high ice slide that’s fun
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The Yukon Quest takes care of the Winter Blues
The Yukon Quest is an annual event in the North that can banish your winter doldrums, lift your spirits, and get you cheering. The Quest,
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A Turkey and Some Gifts Can Make a Big Difference
For more than a decade volunteers have been bringing bundles of stuff to hundreds of families in need around Whitehorse at Christmas — and making
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Helpers Extraordinaire
A few weeks ago I met a guy from Ontario who asked if it would be possible to help out at the farm. Of course
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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
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Eww! Ugh! and Blecch!
As I shove my hands into the remnants of last night’s revelry, dripping what can only be described as garbage juice, I mouth what may
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The arts can be your community
Sitting at a table in the Gold Pan Saloon, enjoying a reception for the Santa Claus Parade volunteers, I met some incredible young people who
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Offering Shelter
Kip Veale is right at home among the throngs of people who are participating in Rendezvous at Shipyard’s Park. As Yukoners celebrate the coming of
Volunteers and Other Visitors
Volunteering is something that a lot of people do to give back to their community. Sometimes it is more than that. Some volunteers go a
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Skiers on Patrol
“A slight glow on the eastern horizon beckons to me and I anticipate the brilliant splashes of intense color that characterize our spectacular Yukon mornings—an
He Paved the Road to Sporting Success
The sports world is losing a good friend: Curtis Prosko is leaving the Yukon in July. And curling, in particular, is losing one of its
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