Trail Snacks: GORP and Fruit Leather
GORP, aka Good Old Reliable Protein, and fruit leather are can be bought. Quality varies depending on how much you pay. They’re both easy to […]
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Gone Fishing
As a Conservation Officer in Ontario in the late 1950s through the 1960s, I patrolled the St. Lawrence River to the Quebec border. I came
Coho
September is harvest time. Berries are juicy and ripe for picking; root crops need to be dug and stored. The shortening days are a clear
On Living With Things That Might Want to Eat You
“You just take a cup full of piss,” he says, “And then you throw it up high – like, splash it around on your roof,
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Exotic Animals to Visit the Yukon
A wide variety of exotic animals from Cuvier dwarf caimans, pythons, tortoises, tarantulas, a black lemur and opossums are being brought to Whitehorse for the
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A Feast For All
Harvest time. At the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in (TH) Teaching and Working Farm, there will be a feast to celebrate a summer’s worth of hard work.
Two Chefs, a Dinner and a Whole Lot of Beer
If you love beer and food, you’ll love this spin on the traditional Winemaker’s Dinner: Hops ‘n’ Grub. Seated at a long table with
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Berry Picking
For me, the summer of 2016 has been the best berry year ever. My berry season starts with wild strawberries and they were bigger than
Running for a Cause
If there’s a competitive foot race nearby, or a fun run for charity, Tom Ullyett will almost certainly be there. The 58-year-old deputy minister of
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On Simple Pleasures
There is a microwave placed awkwardly in front of the little, old fashioned split-glass window. The curtains are open and on the other side of
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Pelvic What Now?
Ok, so when I hear the words “pelvic floor” the folks I think of are pregnant women and the elderly. It’s also a term that
Jamming with the Derby Girls
The Yukon Derby Girls host their first bout in 3 years A bout is a game. Bouts are two 30 minute halves, with a 30
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Keep Your Bus on the Road
Mindful breath in, mindful breath out, mindful breath in why did he say that to me what a jerk I can’t believe he blamed me
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How-to Remember Five Species of Salmon
Remembering the five species of Pacific salmon is as easy as counting the fingers on your hand. Start with your thumb, which rhymes with chum.
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Eating for Endurance
What you eat and drink before a long run impacts your performance and your ability to recover, post race. If you’re looking to beat a
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Out of the basement, into the parks
The clever people who invented Pokémon Go obviously did not have my generation in mind when they launched the new smartphone craze that’s taking the
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Boat Launch Etiquette
This was an extreme situation, but I once pulled up to the ramp to put my boat in the water and a Zodiac owner had
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K – Come See Why People Line Up
Klondike Rib & Salmon is only open in the summer. Both tourists and locals alike flocking to the restaurant. It’s a welcoming place, from the
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Whitehorse: The Edible City
At the downtown community garden in Whitehorse, a beekeeper tends to the newly built beehive in the fading evening light. Nearby, a gardener waters his
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A Market for the Whole Community
Whitehorse chef and cookbook author (and What’s Up Yukon columnist) Miche Genest has a wonderful description of the Fireweed Community Market: she calls it “community
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Mushroom Confidential
I wrote this in 2013 for Dave Mossop at Yukon College as part of my course requirements for NOST 201, A natural history of the
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Mushrooms in the Yukon
Mushroom season starts in spring. On a hike at the end of May, I came upon some black morels. In the Yukon, morels usually only
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Not for Novices: Beyond Beginner Picking
After you’ve picked your first few batches of mushrooms, and haven’t landed in the hospital, you’ll find the mushroom conversation branches into themes of field
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Birth of a Family: Christine’s story
“I would have loved to have had midwifery care and a home birth for all my pregnancies, but that wasn’t possible,” says Christine, a Whitehorse
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Sampling the ‘challenge’
This is the second year that Northern Vision Development has challenged Whitehorse restaurants to make the best burger. This year six restaurants took the bait
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Train Your Brain to Hate Junk Food
Craving cookies, chips, ice cream, pizza, or some other delicious-tasting, high calorie food? You know these foods are not good for you, but it can
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That Wasn’t the Plan
I always forget the way this works, how fast things change here. In the hot, hot days of summer, I think it will last forever
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Summer Lessons in Hippo Munching
What a happy day it was when my four-year-old daughter Emily opened a gift from my wife and I revealing a classic game from our
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Back to school? Not for Me
As the summer comes to an end, I reflect on my first day as a homeschooler. It marked the day of a wonderful beginning of a new chapter.
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Family earns a home; the community wins a family
Jeff Wolsynuk looks like his happiness will burst out at any second. Tanya Butler looks relieved and content. The couple is sitting in the kitchen
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Final Days and Thoughts
The final week of Icelandic adventuring saw us completing the Ring Road, which encircles the whole country and has tourist spots dotted along the way.
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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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Summer Vacation
A question that pops up every now and again is, Would students be better off without a summer vacation? This stance claims that the luxurious
Learning to fly just got easier
In a second-floor office of Alkan Air, there is a bulletin board that holds photos of pilots with their aircraft. The pilots are smiling –
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A Colouring Book for Adults
When Kyley Henderson was in elementary school her mother, Elaine, encouraged her to draw, and one year a drawing of hers was used in the Robert
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The Politics of Rotary Park
Aristotle famously noted that humans are political animals. As I see it, human behaviour can be viewed in its most primal and pure state whilst
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My First Baby: Emma
We moved into our newly built log house one week before my due date. We were racing against time, because we planned our home to
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The Yukon Culinary Festival Tells a Story of the Yukon, Through Food
The Yukon is filled with culinary hidden gems, according to Eric Pateman. A culinary expert, Pateman had no idea how rich the Yukon food scene
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Off to the Races with Allan Benjamin
97 Yukoners aged 55 to 91 participated in the 2016 Canada 55+ Games in Brampton, Ontario from Aug.16 to 19.
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Yukon College won’t give up on you
“I thought no one cared.” This Yukon College student can be forgiven for being surprised. Just over 10 per cent of students at this institution
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Wildflowers on the Mountaintop
Breaking out of sheer rock, on the barren ground, or beside a mountain stream, hundreds of different kinds of wildflowers grow in the Yukon mountains.
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Continuing the Legacy of Alex VanBibber
The late Alex VanBibber had a favourite refrain: “An outdoor life is a healthy life.” This is according to his friend, Harvey Jessop. Jessop wrote
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Don’t Toss Those Tops
Backyard farmers and local food fans in the Yukon will undoubtedly be treated with an endless supply of nutrient-rich root vegetables. This season, when you
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Be Amazed at What We Can Grow Up Here
Whether you have a green thumb or not, you’re invited to the Horticultural Exhibition in Dawson City on Aug. 13. Tarie Castellarin and Helen Dewell
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What’s Up in the Sky
When I was a kid my mom ran a park in the southern interior of British Columbia. Mabel Lake Provincial Park. Mabel Lake is remote
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Yukon Astronomical Society wants to make Whitehorse the Science-Centre of the North
Stargazing has long been part of the human psyche. For thousands of years, we – and our ancestors before us – have turned our eyes
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Eastward Ho, at Last
Follow Bruce Barrett and Judy Forrest as they explore beautiful Shack Island with their dog, Charlie, after recent hardships.
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Petting Cheetahs in Namibia
The cheetah appeared suddently, and instantly I was overcome with fear. I saw it walking slowly on the porch of the farm house. I froze
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From the Ashes of A River Fail: Two Cocktails
A couple of weeks ago I wrote about heading off on a trip down the Wind River. I was concerned that our group, with all
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He built a better greenhouse
There are two kinds of gardeners in the Yukon: those who can grow tomatoes and those who can’t. With Yukoner Bob Sharp’s Solar Growing Greenhouse Kit
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How Foster Care Shapes Lives
Amelia Merhar knows what it’s like to be a foster child, to go from home to home, and to be without a home at all.
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Vestmannaeyjar Voyage
The road that encircles Iceland, called Highway 1 or the Ring Road, offers access to many of the sights on the tourist track, called the
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Your Fibre-less Diet is Making You Allergic to Everything. Here’s Why.
You know those moments when you realize something awful? Your whole body goes cold as the dread sets in. Your eyes go wide and the
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4-H is Good for Kids
Kids and horses, life doesn’t get much better than that. 4-H is thriving in the Yukon. We are the Spirit Riders 4-H Horse Club, based
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In Support of Mental Health
The Second Opinion Society (SOS) is holding its annual barbecue on Thursday, July 28th, from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and all are welcome. SOS
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Especially Good Fun
There is something special about watching Special Olympics athletes compete. If you know people with an intellectual disability involved with the Special Olympics, then you
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Managing Health with Meditation
Today many people practice meditation for stress relief and to improve their overall quality of life. However, is there evidence that meditation is effective? If
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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
Spotlight on Kids at Vaudeville Camp
School’s out for the summer, which means that summer camp is IN! An exciting new day camp is taking centre-stage this year in Whitehorse –
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PFDs are Only Good if You’re Wearing Them
I have often wondered just how I would feel if after falling out, I was 30 feet away from my drifting boat where my life
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Love The Skin You’re In
Being the body’s largest organ, problems inevitably show up on our skin. It’s a complicated organ influenced by diet, stress, lifestyle and environmental factors. People
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On The Benefits of Hot Pools, Mostly
Spring in Iceland is a mostly cold, grey affair, strikingly suited to the harsh, rugged landscape. The road into the capital city, Reykjavik, from the airport
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Of lavender and squashed fly biscuits
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. In this case, we’ll have to make do with 500, since that’s all this space allows.
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How To Do Your Part to Reduce the Risk
On July 2, 1998, as Canada Day weekend celebrations carried out across the Yukon, a wildfire ignited. It was one of the largest and most
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You Are What You Wrote When You Were a Child
Ten years ago husband and wife Dan and Jenna Misener were at Jenna’s parents’ house for Christmas. The couple was in Jenna’s room, going through
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A Family Tradition
When the hooligan are running, the rivers and harbour In Haines, Alaska host a fiesta of wildlife that congregate to feed on this little fish
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A Cultural Affair
One of the fun things about fermented foods is passing on bits to others, knowing they will grow and spread like a great idea. It
Here’s Your New Home, Bees
We saw the queen recently. She wasn’t wearing a crown. She was sporting a big blue dot on her thorax though. The Cheshire Beekeepers’ Association,
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Yukon’s First Lady of Physiotherapy
Mentioning Yvonne Emson’s name can trigger a response like my neighbour’s: “Oh, she saved my life! My husband’s, too.” Physiotherapists are not in the business
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Aroused and Ecstatic
Ping pong might be what prevents Shawn Hall from harpooning Matt Rogers, or keeps Rogers from dismembering his musical partner with an axe. The duo
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More than Just Coffee
I catch Heike Graf between the lunch rush hour at the Caribou Crossing Coffee and picking up her five year old daughter from school. “It
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The Queen Bee of Klondike Rib & Salmon
The young woman is dancing like nobody is watching, lip syncing animatedly to Abba’s “Dancing Queen.” It is 2 p.m. on a Monday and Klondike
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Soothing Your Stomach Naturally
Feeling like a gassy, nauseous, not-quite-your-awesome-self mess? It happens to all of us at one point or another. Perhaps you overate – indulged in some
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Not Precisely Iceland, More Like Montreal
I would like to revoke the claim I made in my introduction about being a seasoned traveller, because I have made an embarrassingly rookie mistake.
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The 2016 Kluane-Chilkat International Bike Relay: A Photo Retrospect
The relay creates memories worth cherishing. Piles of cyclist race through the Haines Pass, many in costumes. Many without training or practice or cycling experience.
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The Joys of Reading Aloud
Jack London’s The Call of the Wild is not a particularly long book. A mere 70 pages, perhaps a few more in a version with
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Camaraderie in a Canoe
Nine ladies in a voyageur canoe whose ages range from 23 to 62; 715 kilometres; paddling for Yukon Cancer Care Fund. Stix Together is a
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A 24-Hour Mountain Bike Relay … for Everyone
24 hour bike relays used to be en mode around North America, 15, 16 years ago. That’s when the first one was in Whitehorse, 16
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Love, Honour, and Equality Under the Midnight Sun
Just when you think Yukon Pride is all about the party, the world reminds you that it’s not. Though the cheery posters and advertisements for
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Know Thy Microclimate
I’ve put a lot of miles under me this spring between Victoria, B.C. and the Klondike Valley, and had thought I would be riding the
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Managing Yukon Wildfire: How, When and Why
Wildfire is as common in the Yukon as camping and bear sightings. There are roughly 150 wildfires in the territory every fire season.
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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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Farewell Winter, Hello Summer
After a long Yukon winter, you look forward to packing away your warm winter coat. We all look forward to the warmer days.
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Come On Out To the Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre
On June 21st the Kwanlin Dün Cultural Society will be hosting National Aboriginal Day at the Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre. The festivities are open to
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A Passion for Yoga
There are numerous ways to get into yoga – just ask any of the instructors at the newly-opened Soulstice Yoga Studio in Dawson City.
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Natural Remedies for Allergies
Nothing ruins a fabulous sunny day faster than red, itchy eyes and a runny nose. With summer here (yes – I am saying it!), we
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A Little or a Lot, Get Ready to Run
Dawson City runners have been pleased to participate in the Mayo Marathon. This year there is a Dempster to Dawson (or D2DC) Solstice Race.
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A Warm Home in a Cold Place
Did you grow up or work in Tungsten, in the Northwest Territories? If so, you’re invited to a party and might not even know it.
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Chalk It Up
I had a great chat recently with Heidi Loos. She is organizing the first Yukon Chalk Art Festival for Unlikely Events Yukon. The Festival will
Family Camping
My daughter’s dad and I started taking our daughters for Dempster Highway camping adventures around 1991, and the magic and fun times of those trips
Wisdom Teeth
I discovered that I had wisdom teeth at the ripe age of 10. Then promptly put off thinking about the matter, until I was told
Summer: A Kid’s Perspective
Finally summer is here! This is the most funnest season of the year, but my horse, Hollywood, probably loves it more than I do. This
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Neuroscience and Everyday Living: Part 3
Gridlock. We hardly ever have it in Whitehorse and if we do we can likely, easily, take another route to get where we are going
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J – Java Connection – ” It Immediately Felt Right”
It was a nice, sunny day, the day we decided to go to the Java Connection. It immediately felt right, with its friendly and vibrant
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It is All Just About BBQ Jealousy?
When it comes right down to it, perhaps human evolution has all been for naught. My mind started drifting on that particular stream recently, as
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The Little Fish With Many Names
Someone once said, “Give a man a fish, and you will teach a man where to get free fish.” If you try to give a
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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.”
Neuroscience and Everyday Living: Part 2
According to Israeli physicist Moshe Feldenkrais, “hurrying is bad for learning.” How many of us hurry through our day ensuring that the garbage has been
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Three Weeks in Iceland
Hvernig segir maður, “I’m completely lost” á íslensku? What’s that, you say? Icelandic is one of the most difficult languages to learn? On second thought,
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