Our Everyday Athletes
The Canada Games Centre, near the top of Two Mile Hill, opens every weekday morning at 5:30 a.m. I did not get there until 7:00 […]
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The Stigma of Teen Pregnancy
I didn’t set out to be a teen parent; I didn’t plan for the majority of things that have happened since high school, but in
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Finding your way in the woods
Who runs through the woods with a map and compass, searching for small orange and white flags? That would be a person who is orienteering.
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Yukon gets D- for diabetes mortality rate
Yukoners are among the least healthy people in Canada according to a February 2015 report released by the Conference Board of Canada looking at the
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Im-mead-iate Satisfaction
The title is a misnomer. Perhaps it is ironic, but I’m not literary enough to remember the nuances of such terms. At any rate, it
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Camp Tips and Ideas
Meat care: • Pre-cut ropes for hanging quarters. Make them six to seven feet long with a tied loop on one end to fasten to
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Ryan Dorward’s Tales of Absurdity
Beer hockey is not a sport for the faint of heart. Although it substitutes much of the grace, skill, and teamwork of our nation’s icy
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A biographical document
I got my MacBook Pro computer in the spring of 2010 and it has served me well for five years. It has been with me
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A Friend For Schwartz
Schwartz has been our only dog for the past few years. For the most part he seems to be okay, although he does enjoy playing
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Connecting to the past, to guide the future
On March 8, 2015, a team of 18 Northern Tutchone elders and heritage staff from the Nacho Nyak Dun, Selkirk, and Little Salmon/Carmacks First Nations
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Hiking the West Coast Trail
Gruelling. Gruelling is the word used to describe the West Coast Trail in the official online guidebook. The trail is a 75-kilometre backpacking trek, situated
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What’s In This Library
Spring is approaching — it’s time for all those with a green thumb to enjoy the warm weather. The garden season in the Yukon poses
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Potatoes Grow Anywhere
Formerly the Ramada, now the Days Inn, sits at the edge of the Whitehorse industrial area. It’s parking lot and big-box-store land, the concrete jungle
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Whitehorse Has Gas
If you’re unsure whether you consider Whitehorse a progressive city, here’s some fodder for the thought that it is: we’re one of a (growing) handful
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Caring Souls
Krista Reid has worked since last June to ensure the memorial exhibition known as Walking With Our Sisters would be “a space to create a
A New Market?
I was having dinner with a neighbour the other day and she asked me if I needed any dried greens. She was referring to turnip
That Special Olympic Feeling
Serge Michaud about Special Olympics. “”providing opportunities to individuals who may not get opportunities to compete in sports they love.”
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Destination B.C. and Destination Tennessee!
Two teams of Yukon students will travel outside the territory this spring after strong performances at the Destination Imagination Yukon tournament on February 28. Destination
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Fun with math
Emil Imrith laughs easily when he is asked about the stereotype we have for physicists: nerdy types in lab coats standing in front of a
Spice, Earth, and Barley
Welcome to the cigar lounge. Last time we were here, I paired a CAO Italia cigar with Glenfiddich scotch. Today, the cigar of choice will
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April Ain’t Cruel
In The Debt to Pleasure John Lancaster wonders if T.S. Eliot invented the link between April and suicides, just as painter Joseph Mallord William Turner
Cooking and Eating Ling Cod
Ling cod, or burbot, is very common in the Yukon’s southern lakes, and is quite easy to catch by jigging, bottom fishing, or using set-lines
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Cheese and Kids
In February I had the privilege of running a workshop on cheese-making for the Learning Lions, a homeschooling group that meets out at the Mt.
Strong Drinks, Strong Character
“I don’t know if I want to give away the secret,” says Tytus Hardy, when I ask about the name of the new cocktail bar
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The Encounter
The following story was my submission for the 1994 Yukon Young Authors’ Conference. There, I got to work with acclaimed Canadian playwright Guillermo Verdeccia, who
Puppet Dreams Coming True
Nicole Edwards was raised on the Muppet Show, and she dreamed of duetting with Kermit since she was a kid. As an adult, she decided
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My Yukon Bison Hunt
There’s something special about waking up in a cabin with a bunch of peers who all want the same thing: to catch a bison. It
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Tools of the trade
Over the last few years I’ve been gathering the components for a makeshift “solar system”, relying heavily on generous donations from friends for parts. Many
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Cherries for the Delayed Win
Last holiday season I cajoled members of my family into forming teams and entering a contest, invented by me, entitled, “The First Annual Shake-off, Stiroff
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Puddle Jumping at The CGC
My daughter Emily just completed Puddle Jumpers. It’s the first of a six level swimming course called the Little People Program. The lessons are offered
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Ice Rescue By Others
Falling through the ice is less life-threatening if you are with others, especially if they’re prepared for such an event. Some very experienced Yukoners have
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Walk the Walk With KATTS…
Are you a Dawsonite who enjoys following maintained trails for hiking, biking, and skiing? Then you have KATTS to thank for giving you what you
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The Aishihik Rock Slide
For three consecutive Sundays, my husband and I have been going to a place we both fell in love with. He found it when hunting
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Pancake Tuesday
Seasonal eaters, whether they are gardeners, foragers, or locavores reading the labels at the grocery store, know that the lean time of year isn’t during
Farmers Need Funds, Too
If you ate today, thank a farmer. If you know where your food comes from, thank them even more. Knowing where your food comes from
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Burn Away the Dark Times
The Yukon winter is so long that Dawson City-based filmmaker Suzanne Crocker once said winter has its own seasons. Most Yukoners I know divide their
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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
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Stuffed?
Ah, stuff. Sometimes my life can feel way too focused on the next thing I think I “need”, as precious hours are spent reorganizing the
DIY, If You Dare
They have a saying in the Dixie States — or maybe it’s the military: “When you’re up to your ass in alligators, it’s hard to
School spirit and teamwork
Before working on my school’s float, I didn’t think school spirit mattered or even truly existed. I thought it was a thing that teachers loved
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Angles and Arm-splints
In autumn 2009 I slipped on a frosty stair and broke my left humerus. Before the accident my left arm had an angle of 20°,
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Learning is Everywhere
‘Road-schooling’ is the concept of using travel, either by itself or in concert with a curriculum, to educate a child. It brings learning to life
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Kin and Creation
Before he met his wife, Simon Gilpin’s paintings were dreary — depicting cloudfilled skies. After, he created wide-open, blue-skied paintings. “I only just realized I
A Different Type of Rendezvous
You can keep your fishnets and feathers stored for this Rendez-vous. But you don’t have to. If you can’t help but whip them out for
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Yukon Toy Story
My three-year-old daughter Emily has a new BFF in our home. Her and I used to have tea parties, play dates with dolls, and trains
Adventures in Tombstone Territorial Park
Tombstone Territorial Park, and the highway that leads to it, evoke the images of the Yukon we love so much: vivid colours, vast, open land,
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The Call of Fastnacht
I am not a homesick person, but I can hear the Black Forest calling me home during Fastnacht, which means carnival. For many people in
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Living With Wildlife: Maggie Leary
Hello Everybody, We invite you to share your photos of Yukon wildlife. Email your high-resolution images with a description of what’s going on and what camera
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February Seedlings
Anything can happen in February, weather-wise. It can be -30°C one day and 5°C a few days later. The sun can be very warm and
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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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SOS
My phone rang at 2:27 pm. Janessa was on the other end: “What’s going on dad?” “What are you talking about?” I said. It turns
A Host Mom’s Story
The city bus stops right in front of our home in the Whitehorse. I still watch every day for “my boys” to get off and
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The Cold Weather Doggie Blues
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
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Authenticity on Fire
The Overland Trail was a transportation corridor between Whitehorse and Dawson City constructed by the White Pass and Yukon Route at the turn-of-the-century. Spanning 530
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A Handler’s Tale
When I showcased my subpar dog handling skills in a race for the first time, it was the 2006 Yukon Quest. But I was no
The Dedicated Volunteers of the Yukon Quest
Judy Beaumont talks about the early days volunteering in the Yukon Quest office. The cramped space was shared with the Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous in the
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Seed Catalogues Launch Dreams
“There are two seasonal diversions that can ease the bite of any winter. One is the January thaw. The other is the seed catalogues” – Hal
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How Does Your Burl Grow?
Deep in the woods, mysterious trees grow. They have a deformity that makes them more valuable. No, the dark arts are not at work, but
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Bring it to the People With Lasers
“Ice climbing is a cold, miserable activity to do; these days technology makes it more comfortable, but still, you’re climbing up a frozen piece of water.”
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Clear Plastic Windows
When I was a kid I rarely got mail. And when I did, it was usually a card from a relative or a note from
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Cold Water Immersion
The 1-10-1 principle refers to time: one minute, 10 minutes, and one hour. “One minute” deals with cold-water shock; when you first fall into the cold
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Rocking the Klondike
116th Brier, an event that started in the Klondike Gold Rush and is considered the Yukon’s oldest continuously running event.
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Vacation’s Over, Kid
Recently my wife and I went to Mexico. Rather than bring our three-year-old daughter, Emily, we decided to fly my mother from Quebec to take care
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The Story About Very Little
Here’s my dilemma: it’s 9:30 on Thursday night and I need to “put the paper to bed” by the end of the night. Everything else in
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King of the Castle
“When I moved to Whitehorse I started building with snow in my yard,” says Tyler Waddell, owner of Rockhard Construction, and man behind the new
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Someone to Talk To
Hailey Hechtman volunteered for a distress and support line in Ontario for five years. She wanted to keep volunteering for a support-phone organization when she
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Ice climbing ain’t for the faint of heart
I have been a rock climber for seven years; I went from being an indoor climbing warrior to outdoors enthusiast. I climb 1500 feet walls;
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Ice Fishing Equipment
Ice fishing is a cold weather activity and your hands are involved in every operation, including cutting holes, setting up equipment, and hopefully handling fish.
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Street Level Cuisine in the City that Never Sleeps
When I arrived in New York City on December 19 and found my room in the apartment I was subletting, I dropped my bags and
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Yukonstruct
If you build a better mousetrap, the world will beat a path to your door. And you will make a million dollars. But first, you
An elusive mountain creature: Mary Whitley
As her husband describes her, Mary Whitley is an elusive mountain creature. Mary’s favorite bird is the northern wheatear. I am proud to say that
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Keeping Hold Of That Festive Spirit
Is it really true, is another holiday season has come and gone? So much anticipation, preparation, anxiety or eagerness, and then once again time plays
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Techno Challenged
If it’s true there are seven wonders in the natural world, then surely this is the eighth. The world’s most incompetent techno-challenged is boldly composing
Thoughts and feelings of a young woman hitchhiking 10,000 km across Canada and the USA
I have been called many things. Crazy. Stupid. Brave. Adventurous. Trusting. But I‘d just like to be called human. Every human is special, and among
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Stay Safe in the Mountains
Michelle Christensen follows a routine before she heads to the backcountry for a day of skiing. It’s a safety routine, and it starts in her
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Claus for the Cause
Sometimes you experience things that you never would have expected. I never thought I would be living above the Arctic Circle in Old Crow dressed
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Coffee and a Conversation
It’s a sight you don’t expect to see: on most weekends and occasional weekday evenings, a lone woman with long blonde hair and a very
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Ice Fishing, Part 1 of 2
In southern Canada’s ice-fishing season, lakes have been traditionally dotted with wooden ice huts or shanties. These are frozen in places with propane or home-built
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Making of a Queen
If you thought royalty was something found only in Europe, check again. In the Yukon, February ushers in a new breed of Queens for the Yukon
The Proof is in the Pudding
Ah, Christmas — the time of year when magazines abound with recipes promising taste sensations derived solely from rainbows and snowflakes. At least that’s my
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Jake: pet Santa
Jake will be getting presents from Santa Claus, and his dog, Spencer, will too. What about the dogs & cats at the Mae Bachur Animal Shelter?
Sometimes I Forget: 39 Things I’m Grateful For
I’m grateful for my Canadian citizenship. I’m grateful for the constant support of my family. I’m grateful for the serving staff at the Gold Rush.
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The Social Traveller
Want to be a part of a reality show that you can influence? Just hop onto Bjorn Troch’s website, The Social Traveler, and you can
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Love Letter to an Everyday Hero
I knew my mom, Kathy O’Donovan, was something special as far back as my memory allows.
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Workers are Staying Home
My office and my bed are 10 feet apart, which means that my morning commute takes between 15 seconds and one minute, depending on whether
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Second Best Grilled-cheese Ever
Superlatives aside, I did just finish a pretty amazing sandwich. First, let me describe the creation that, to date, is the pinnacle of my gustatory
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Sleeping bag selection
Sleeping bags are available from $25 to $2500, depending on your needs and budget. They will all be satisfactory if used as intended, but none
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How About a Winter Road Trip?
Winterize the camper, stash the emergency parkas and boots, pack all the necessary clothing for three seasons (fall, winter, and spring), get coffee to go,
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Fish on Porcupine River
Sitting at a fish hole in the dark on the Porcupine River, in the Yukon at Old Crow in the fall, is not unusual. Excitement
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Lessons the Ocean Taught Me
When I was 16 years old I went to Hawaii with my family. We stayed in a modest but clean hotel with easy access to
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Hiking “Winter Mountain”
When the girl-gang goes hiking, we like to do as little driving as possible. The girls live in town. I don’t. So, we try to
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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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Tending The Fire
It’s a beautiful achievement when the most gratifying part of everyday is coming home to a still smoldering fire. Add a few kindling sticks, open
Making the Best of a Gunshot Animal
The heart-lung area is the place to put your bullet for a quick, clean kill on any big animal. The lungs supply oxygen, and the
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Bigger is Not Always Better
In the 1970s farmers in the United States were told to “get big or get out” as a way to promote larger, corporately owned farms.
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Not the Last Hike of the Season
I always keep hiking until the snow becomes too deep. On October 18 it was snowing. The previous day I had gone for a full
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Big House Red
I was in the Yukon Liquor Corporation about six weeks ago, when I was delighted to make the acquaintance of an old friend. Looking for
Happy Birthday Eeyore
In chapter six of A.A. Milne’s classic, Winnie the Pooh, Eeyore has a birthday. Miserable to begin with, and sure to become so again soon
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