Christmas Vacation Procrastination
Christmas – when presents take precedence and work is cast under the bed and forgotten. Youth and adults alike put off assignments until the final […]
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Finally Fishing Time
Leaning against the counter at my wife Heather’s staff party, I listened to tales of hiking trips, caribou hunts, broken ATVs and fishing trips good
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I’m Just Saying … An editorial
It has been brought to my attention that the term, “Mount Ernie” is derogatory. Let me go on the record to say I have used
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Main Street cruise
Those of you who took a cruise during the Spring Break raise your hands … not so fast, Hookey. But don’t feel sorry for me
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A Hot Soak on a Cold Day
Whether it’s finding a way to get the kids out of the house when it’s -20°C, or letting tightened shoulders drop down from ear-level, the
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Homeward Bound
Rossland is a small ski town in British Columbia – or logging town, I’m not sure which prevails. I’ve raced here once before and it
Tips and hints and other good things: Get ready to enjoy the Yukon night skies
If this is your first night outside, looking at the stars, there are a few things you can do make the experience much more enjoyable.
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The Cars are the Stars of Gran Tourismo 4: “The most fun you can have with your clothes on.”
Polyphony Digital had produced another winner with Gran Tourismo 4 on the PlayStation 2. Improving on its predecessors, GT4 offers an astounding 700-plus vehicles, 50-plus
Tis the season to raise tally: Tourists give Yukoners a bad name
Now that the days are longer than the nights again (although sometime in January at –54 we thought that this might never happen this year)
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Care and Feeding of Your Skateboarder: It’s that time of year again
And the thaw continues. Its only mid-March, but the snow in Whitehorse is almost gone and the theme from the Twilight Zone goes through my
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International Curling Bonspiel is ready to go
Mount McIntyre Recreation Centre expecting to entertain 400 to 500 curlers and guests at the 53rd Annual International Bonspiel, 2014
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More than one way to count down to Canada Games: Figure skaters take it one step at a time
Kevin Caron measures the time to the Canada Games by the number of spins he can do in the air. The pre-novice figure skater figures
Muskrat love … Inuvik-style
Residents of Inuvik love their muskrats so much, they named a jamboree after them. Muskrat Jamboree is a celebration of spring and one of its
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For more exercise, try a hilly trail
This column is called Wheeler’s Walkabout and not Wheeler’s Hike, or Wheeler’s Trek for a reason: It is just a low-stress introduction to some excellent
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Zombie Apocalypse? The Yukon is the Place to Be
Have you been kept awake at night by the threat of a zombie apocalypse? If you have a spouse like mine, then you no doubt
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Living on Wheels
Ask a Yukon teenager if they’ve ever hit the pavement on a skateboard and the answer will likely be yes. However, pavement’s hard and skateboarders
Nothing But Nostalgia
I lived in the beautiful mountainous Kingdom of Swaziland from 1987 to 2002 and have returned six times since — the need to “come home”
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Racing Close to the Cut-off
I left home on December 1. My teammate, Colin Abbott, and I rolled up to the airport and ran back and forth, hauling our gear
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Giving Winter the Gears
Somewhere in Riverdale, not far from downtown, but maybe a bit farther from the Canada Games Centre and the airport, lives a merry band of
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Vacuum Sealers
Fish quality deteriorates faster than anything else in your freezer. Flavour loss and freezer-burn are the most common results. Double wrapping with plastic and butcher
Life of a Yukon Girl: The Fire Reapers
The Fire Reapers by Patricia Robertson, is a new book that got published in November. It is about a 12-year-old boy Named Neil, living in
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A Quiet Yukon Christmas
Twas the week before Christmas and all through the farm. Not a chicken was stirring, they’re all in the barn. All summer they roam, but
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Parking Meter Attendants Have Feelings, Too
There are some jobs that appear thankless. To name a few, collection agents, nurses who take blood samples, and dentists. Parking meter attendants surely get
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A Baptism of Winter
May of 2010 was when I landed in Canada. I came to the Yukon, directly from Nigeria. I was greeted by changes in the length
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A Chicken and Egg Story
Last year our chickens stopped laying eggs. For the first time in a decade we had to buy eggs instead of selling them. The egg
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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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Filling in the Gaps
This is the last article of the series. We’ve looked at the ineffectiveness of synthetic nutrients, benefits of nutrient-dense foods, and explored how to improve
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A Snapshot of Vanier’s Talent
The Vanier Catholic Secondary School Vocal Group will be performing at the school’s Arts and Culture Night at the Yukon Arts Centre.
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Donations Can Go a Long, Long Way
Making donations to charities in lieu of giving gifts has become common practice for many people. Large organizations such as Oxfam and UNICEF have seasonal
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Auction Action: Whitehorse Lions Club Auction offers chance to shop while giving back to community
The Whitehorse Lions Club has been in operation for approximately six decades and during that time they have provided community support in many areas, from
The Saskatchewan Embassy Hosts a Grey Cup Party
In December 2010 I moved into my current residence on Normandy Road in Takhini. Joining me as roommates were Gavin Gardiner from Saskatoon and Jayden
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Digesting the Facts
In part one and two of this series, we investigated the effectiveness of synthetic supplements and looked at the natural food sources of our most
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Harbingers of a New Era
Perhaps citizens of every tourism-oriented economy reserve the right to gently mock the very visitors that employ them. In the Yukon, for example, tourism contributes
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Can Food Be Your Medicine?
In part one of this four-part series, we looked at some discouraging reports on the effectiveness of synthetic vitamins and minerals. So, the question now
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The Beautiful Game Fills Up Fast in Whitehorse
The Whitehorse Recreational Coed Soccer League opened applications for this year’s indoor season, and found themselves with a dilemma. The six-team, 92-person roster filled up
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What’s Up with Yukon Weather?
The Yukon is full of surprises. You never know what is going to come next, especially when you look at the weather. Take this year,
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Building Better Baby Brains
We’ve all experienced stress, but when is it considered toxic? For infants and young children, when it happens often enough that it starts to change
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Do Supplements Even Work?
As a nutritionist, I am often asked about the effectiveness and necessity of taking various vitamin and mineral supplements. Answers are rarely straightforward. This article
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Boosting Red Blood Cells in Arizona
The in-between seasons: I never know what to do with them. Roller skiing is not an option as soon as the roads are graveled. I’ve
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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
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Living on Farmer Time
I have always wondered why we need to adjust our clocks for daylight saving time here in the land of the Midnight Sun. It was
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Opening the Heart of Riverdale
“Lead with your knees…lead with your eyebrows! How does your ‘status’ change when you lead with another body part?” George Maratos guides a group of
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Las Vegas, Here We Come
Runners are fascinating. Non-runners question their sanity for participating in a seemingly monotonous, exhausting sport, but talk to a runner and their passion comes through
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Local Angler Receives National Recognition
On October 9, 2013 Dennis Zimmerman was awarded the 2013 Recreational Fishing Award. This award, which is only handed out to a handful of Canadians
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What is the Tr’ondëk-Klondike Project?
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
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Winter Gardening
Years ago I was asked by a Japanese helper what kinds of plants grew here in the winter. I laughed and said nothing grows, it
Edible Yukon: Fish Heads, Fish Heads…
As I walked about the property over the last few weeks, I found myself on the lookout for things that I don’t want to find
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My greatest sports moment … Ben Barrett
.. was the time I was skating on a pond near the Cowley Creek Subdivision with my cousin, my friend Gavin, my mom and my
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Badminton takes it to the next level: Looking for new players to join the pool
“I don’t believe we’ve ever been competitive,” says Gary Burdess, president of the Yukon Badminton Association. Yet, in 106 weeks, he hopes to send eight
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Biking is for winter, too
Biking in extreme weather is hard on any bike. Whether you have decided to you use your bike all four seasons, or you have purchased
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Our boxers respected Outside
Levi Commons, of the Yukon Amateur Boxing club, returned from the Alberta Bronze Gloves tournament with a gold medal. Edujardo Aragon and Micah Hoeschele, of
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She is the face at the finish: She’s a clock-watcher
Anyone who has taken part in competitive cycling or running in the Yukon, in these past 20 years or so, has most likely experienced the
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Local gymnasts all win medals
The Polarettes Gymnastic Club faced its first competition of the year and earned quite a few medals. The West Coast Gymnastics Invitational was held Jan.
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Skiing is a Made-in-the-Yukon Experience
I remember trails that wound through this area before roads came. Now there is always fresh human contribution to the ever-changing landscape.
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World of Warcraft is simply beautiful: Game is simple to use and beautiful to look at
For those new to Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games, World of Warcraft is a good place to start. Right from the beginning, WoW drew
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Keep warm, stay watching: Winter star gazing is fun, but you have to know how
Living in the North has many advantages. We have crystal clear skies, no air pollution and many hours of darkness in the winter season. This
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Who is the fittest?
For the fourth year, the Polarettes Gymnastics Club is challenging anyone and everyone to see who is the fittest. On Feb. 13, at its facility
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Just Exactly How Big is Big
It’s going to be all antlers, horns, and skulls for hours on end next Saturday at the Big Bull Night. From 5 p.m. until way
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Hiking Stony Creek
I haven’t written about Stony Creek before, even though I drink its water daily and follow its bank up to the mountains a few times
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Bound for Warsaw: Yukoner Scott Bradley serves as youth ambassador at United Nations Climate Summit
Dawson City resident Scott Bradley will be hooking up with 15,000 delegates from around the world next week to discuss climate change. Bradley has been
Season of Being Pulled Around by Dogs Ramps Up
DPSAY started with the goal of promoting dog powered sports and providing a regular race series for mushers, skijorers and those with dogs.
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Yukon Quest is anybody’s race
Although the number of sled dog teams is down this year to 21, and the reigning champion is not returning, Stephen Reynolds thinks these factors
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G.A.L.A. provides a service
This is my first column for What’s Up Yukon and I am excited to be able to write about what is happening in the Yukon’s
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Raising a Child with FASD: Eleanor Millard’s new novel chronicles the early days of FASD
There was little documentation on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) in the early 1980s when Carcross writer Eleanor Millard adopted a child who had been
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From Prairie to Polar: A Saskatchewan-born family moves north
3:30 a.m., January 5th, 2013 I’m running around the house trying to sedate a cat. Of all our family members, she is the most unwilling
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What’s Up Yukon can kill you
(The views of this columnist do not necessarily reflect …) OK Yukon – I’m going to say it only once. What’s up? Or, as the
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Overheard in a Whitehorse garage
AFFABLE SERVICE DESK GUY: Good morning, sir. How can I help you today? CUSTOMER: Well … I just got here last week, so I figured
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Random acts of kindness
“The road leading out of Takhini North has a sharp turn and it is icy. Instead of following the bend, my red Ranger truck kept
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Beer and the noble pursuit of nation-building
What does it take to make a country? Paul Martin might say gay marriage or, maybe, a fresh scandal every six or eight months. But
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A game: Google Golf
This is where we have some fun. I will throw out a challenge and we will see how you, the reader, throw it back. I
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50 Ways to Leave Your Sugar
We have all been struck with a case of the sugar blues — nagged by those treats hiding in the kitchen or next to the
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Halloween: A Call for Inaction
Regular readers might know me as a generally cranky person, not likely to give out candy freely at any time of year. Today, I will
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Buying and Selling Online
I’m back after a bit of a vacation and a bout of pneumonia, but I’m ready to sell you on some safety tips for online
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A Cheesy Housewarming Party
About a month ago my friend Dylan Letang finally got his wish. Last year he moved back to Whitehorse after spending a decade in Vancouver.
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Celebrating Death:Roots of Hallowe’en symbols and traditions
“Here it is, the tobacco. I am certain that you, O ghost, are not very far away, that you are in fact, standing right in
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Evidence Inconclusive, But the Place is Still Freaky
Uncover the mysteries of the Haunted Macaulay House. Discover Jude Griebel’s fascination with Dawson City’s ghost stories.
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Spooky Noises are Okay, but No More Showing Up in the Flesh
Discover the history of the haunted guild hall and learn how one woman’s ghostly encounter transformed her perception of reality.
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The Joy of Homegrown Tomatoes
Nothing tastes quite as good as a garden fresh tomato. Here in the North these are rare enough to find, but this past summer we
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Another Rite of Passage Bites the Dust
In the early ‘90s I semi-regularly attended the United Church with my family. This involved weekly Sunday school lessons, plus the occasional extracurricular congregational picnic
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The Pups that Brought Chaos Back into My Life
It was the winter of 2011 and my aging pack of nine sled dogs had slowed down. The yard was quieter, life overall was no
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Vulnerable Ecosystems, Resilient Life Forms
The Yukon’s iconic mountains have captured the attention of visitors from around the world and can easily impart a sense of permanence. For many of
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When Home isn’t a Happy Place
For 20 years Eleanor Millard has been providing support to grandparents who want to rescue their grandchildren. Year after year, Millard’s phone rings, and an
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Grandparents Remembered
When 2010 began I had three living grandparents; by the year’s end I had none. My mom’s parents were Walter (Waddy) and Beth Robertson, both
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Talking Turkey
Explore the fascinating story of the Thanksgiving Turkey, from wild origins to the modern breeds raised for the holiday.
Edible Yukon:Hip to the Lingo
Harvesting in the wild often puts me into a contemplative state. Perhaps it is the repetitive action of the hands – the eyes moving slightly
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Making Music to Make Change
Regardless of genre or gender, music has the ability to capture the interest of an audience. This is a concept that 15-year-old Emily Ross is
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Life in a Gold Town in Guatemala
Three years ago, Diodora Hernandez, a tiny Mayan grandmother and farmer, was shot in the face by two men. They were hired to make her
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A Tapestry of Yukon Voices
I broke my arm almost four years ago to-the-day and I was impressed with the diligence of my friends’ response — the visits, the casseroles
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Cheechako Stories
Two things are important to Andrea Sinclair: family, and curling. In the end, it was one that took her away from the other. “It was
Hooked on Haines
Salmon fishing in Haines is one of the most exciting fishing trips a Yukoner can take. The vast array of species creates an opportunity for
A Misty Morning at Taye Lake
The mist is seeping through the trees surrounding the house, and the sky directly overhead is starting to show blue. This would have been a
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A Sticky Family Issue
In honour of National Family Week, let’s unpack a controversial issue: stick-figure family stickers. If it sounds like I just invented a poor tongue twister,
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Family; More Than Just a Word
I was born in Yellowknife and raised in Churchill, Manitoba, the same town my mother was raised in. One by one her siblings moved away
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Autumn Brings Renewed Interest in Chiantis
While we had an exceptional summer, part of me welcomes the changing leaves, grey cool days, slower pace, stars, and northern lights. This change of
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Back to School in Haiti
As September chills the air, whether with excitement or dismay, kids in Whitehorse turn their attention towards the new school year. Half way across the
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To Frost or Not To Frost
With the beauty of the fall colours comes an increase in the ever-present danger of frost. For some, this is evidence of a balance between
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Yukon Harvest Time
I can’t believe it’s almost over. This summer was one of the best on record as far as gardening goes. We always had lots of
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French Toast: Taking the Blame Off the Victim
Les Essentielles, the Yukon’s Francophone women’s organization, is proud to have a new male asset on their team. Scott Carlson is the project coordinator for
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A Family Who Plays Together, Stays Together
Pack up the seniors, the toddlers and the teens because there are lots of free, Family Week events. A nation-wide celebration, Family Week runs Monday,
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Serious About Horsing Around
This year was the 100th anniversary of 4H Canada and the Whitehorse Spirit Riders 4H Club are have come to the end of another fantastic
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