Out and Away: The Camping is the Food!
No recipes here. Too little space, too many ideas and I don’t think I have ever cooked the same thing twice
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You can’t buy happiness … but you can rent it
These days, whenever I drive past Home Hardware, I throw my head back and laugh. You see, I am now a renter. Yup, most of
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Fall’s Bittersweet Song
Fall is a bittersweet season. The mountainside is absolutely glorious with the sun shining off the golds and reds. The days are still warm enough
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Pride Week Celebrated in Film
The queer community in the Yukon is full of creative and innovative people doing interesting projects in the areas of the arts and business. One
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Preschoolers get their own festival
With the Atlin Arts and Music Festival taking the summer off, to re-tool and re-tune and re-fresh, Atlin residents may have suspected the second weekend
Preschoolers get their own festival Read More »
In praise of AGMs
Recently, in my other life as a volunteer, I have been exposed to the inner workings of boards of directors and societies and such things.
Three deadly letters
“Three letters that will change your life forever: ALS. “And that’s what it does,” says Donald C Watt, world-class snow carver and walk coordinator for
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Shredding the Trees is Within Her Comfort Zone
I tend to mow the grass around the barn areas as green feed for all of the animals. This not only gives them the greens
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Comet Hartley and Starfest
We are back from an astronomical holiday and raring to go. It is great to be back in such dark Yukon skies with no light
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Know Your Tomato
Did you know that banana peels and eggshells help to make your tomatoes grow? When buried in the bottom of a planter or spread around
Dear Mister Ed
The four of us was at the table chewin’ on the fat the other day the way folks do after a good feed and a
Local Comic Battles for Whitehorse on CBC’s The Debaters
Watch out, Whitehorse — you’re going to have to defend your place in Northern society. CBC Radio’s The Debaters is set to take the stage
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A Pre-Harvest Harvest
Whenever the beginning of August rolls around, I think more of harvesting the fruits of my gardening than the actual gardening. And harvesting has been
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Dear Mister Ed
The dangdest part of gettin’ on in years is theres less and less folks that can recall the same stuff you do from when you
Fit ‘n’ Healthy: Are those toning shoes worth all that hype?
You’ve seen the commercials, the girl with the legs that go on for miles and that perky butt. She says, all you have to do
Fit ‘n’ Healthy: Are those toning shoes worth all that hype? Read More »
A Bold, Brassy White – Organic, Too
Over the coming months, I hope to explore some new wines that I have not tried before, and also make a concerted effort to look
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Everything Has Its Season
The garden is just buzzing these days. I noticed a lot of bees while I was pulling up the radishes that had bolted. Even after
Everything Has Its Season Read More »
A Kitchen Cupboard Full of Ways to Fight the Flu
There are many options out there for relief during cold season. Here are some lifestyle options that have worked in our household.
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Confession of a Mustache Cheater
This is the first time in my life my upper lip has been covered by anything that could be defined as a moustache. You see,
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Send Theo to the Hall
Growing up on the mean streets of Whitehorse’s Hillcrest subdivision, one of my favourite post-dinner, pre-bedtime activities was “taking shots”. Stephen Doyle and I would
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Jupiter Takes Centre Stage Through December
Here comes the Yuletide observing season, so get ready to tilt your neck up. There are plenty of cosmic events happening in those amazing Yukon
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The Claus Expose: Santa Dishes on Doubters, Believers, the Unwilling and More
The Job My Santa adventures in the Yukon began when George Green needed a Santa for an Learning Disabilities Association of Yukon fundraiser at Hougen’s
The Claus Expose: Santa Dishes on Doubters, Believers, the Unwilling and More Read More »
Choosing the Best Packaged Food For Your Pet
I’m always amazed at advertising for pet foods. The current trend is towards “natural,” “organic” and other such words. But what does this really mean
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Taking Note of Good Peas
If you like peas, and many Yukon gardeners must for they can be found in most gardens, you’ve had lots of company throughout history. Dried
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Dawson’s Table Tennis Champ Heads to Ottawa
In her pink wheelchair and stylish red and grey shirt, Laurie Sokolowski grins as her dimpled racquet sends the orange table tennis ball over the
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Is There Anything Up There?
As the end of May approaches, and June begins, we notice darkness at midnight. Living in the 60-degree latitude and above means that in the
Is There Anything Up There? Read More »
Composting Nature’s Black Gold
Composting is a great way to involve the entire family in an environmentally friendly outdoor project. But what exactly is compost and how does it
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Grayling Amidst the Heat at Quiet Lake
One really takes pavement for granted until a trip on the South Canol puts it in perspective. Thankfully, after two hours, the bone-rattling, trailer-tire popping
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Just Do It and Do It and Do It
Pam Charmin is a night owl. As organizer of the Yukon Craft Society’s annual Spruce Bog craft sale, she has to be. Charmin joined the
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Play Makers: Yukon Broomballers Set to Take the World
Late Saturday afternoon, Canada Games Centre. About 20 people of various ages, sizes and genders tumble over the boards at the Olympic-size ice oval and
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Ready or Not, Here It Comes!
It has been an unseasonably warm fall, but winter is going to settle in whether we like it or not. So why not enjoy it
Ready or Not, Here It Comes! Read More »
Birch Bark Canoeist Made It to the Bering Sea
The first time we met Dirk Rohrbach was after church in Fellowship Hall on Sunday, June 13. What first struck me about Dr. Rohrbach was
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Fit ‘n’ Healthy: PHAT Camp is Coming to Whitehorse
PHAT Camp is coming to Whitehorse! This camp is truly an amazing experience (for women, that is … sorry, guys). For those of you who
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Dear Mister Ed
OhKay evrybody, lets hear it fer Dominion Day. Oops, it aint called that anymore is it? OhKay then, lets hear it fer Canada Day. Now
Fit ‘n’ Healthy: Tear Down a Greenhouse, Build Up Your Muscles
Summer is just around the corner and with it will come “the lazy days of summer”. Don’t let all of that hard work through the
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Mommas, don’t let your babies grow up to be Darrell
I met an expectant mother the other day and I asked if they had picked out a name yet. When she said, no, they haven’t,
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Self-loathing Queers
I was watching All Aboard! Rosie’s Family Cruise a while back – a documentary about Rosie O’Donnell’s gay family cruises. In the film they interviewed
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How to Have a Fun Lesbian Summer
Summer is finally upon us. We come out of our houses blinking at the increased daylight like a bunch of groundhogs. Whitehorse feels more vibrant.
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The Triathlon for Non-swimmers
I wish I learned how to swim when I was a kid. I took lessons, I even earned some of those little coloured badges that
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Eddy, My Friend
Canada was built via the canoe. It was once the main mode of transportation across the country; today, canoeing is a pastime, a sport, a
The tyranny of perfection
June was a bad month to be a human. First, we all watched with horror as Armando Galarraga’s perfect game was stolen from him, at
The tyranny of perfection Read More »
Get Your Greenhouse Ready
Hey, Yukon! It’s gardening time! Time to get that greenhouse ready! If your greenhouse has a supplementary heating system, chances are you’ve already begun planting,
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Your Greenhouse is 2,000 Years Old
If you are like many people trying to grow tomatoes in pots on the patio, the windy conditions we’ve been having hasn’t helped the growth
Your Greenhouse is 2,000 Years Old Read More »
Dear Mr Ed
Iknow how folks get all outta twist hearin’ Brutish Columbyans brag on how they got trees and flours bloomin’ like Billy B. Dammed whilst the
Students still care about Haiti
It’s been four months since an earthquake ravaged the already-desperat e country, Haiti. The world responded swiftly and compassionately. But Yukon high school students know
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Gas Pumps, the Vatican and Gelato: That’s Amore
Rome, Italy — After a full day of exploration, I’m back in my hotel room with a sore back, sweaty feet, bad tan lines, 32
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Meeting Chicks at the Watering Hole
One of my favourite parts of spring is when we get our chicks. It doesn’t seem to matter how often we have gotten them in
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Fit ‘n’ Healthy: Year-to-year Goal-setting
I know it’s only November, but it’s never too soon to start thinking about your goals for 2011. What will you start up in January?
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I conclude that socks and sandals are fashionable …
It’s a walking, talking paradox … well, mostly it’s a walking paradox: If wearing socks with sandals is so wrong, why do so many of
I conclude that socks and sandals are fashionable … Read More »
Greening Up With Natural Lawn Care
Having a green lawn is a highlight for gardeners during the spring and summer seasons. How we care for our outdoor green spaces can make
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Dear Mr Ed
I gotta get this here off my chest, OKay Darroll? There was a bit of a fib in my last letter. Not that big a
Dear Mister Ed
So like I was sayin’ it looks like Unkle Walt mite of started goin’ a bit soft in the head of late. Most fellers Walts
Alone on the Road
Neil Pert, in his book Ghost Rider, said that for “the ‘armchair traveller’, it’s only the vicarious, pristine experiences they want to share … not
November’s Celestial Musings
The Yukon Night Skies are coming alive with winter constellations like Orion, Taurus, and Gemini. Using a pair of humble binoculars, star clusters, galaxies, and
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Winterize Your Greenhouse
Getting your greenhouse ready for winter could be a matter of just closing the door and walking away, something to worry about next spring. But
Winterize Your Greenhouse Read More »
Dear Mr Ed
Got yer note sayin’ you was’nt sure what my last letter was on about when I menshuned the party line fones. If yer thinkin’ it
E.T. Wants Two Hours of His Life Back
The world’s biggest brainiac’s latest bombshell has got me thinking. Professor Stephen Hawking certainly piqued the interest of all tin-foil hat wearers across the globe
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Dear Mister Ed
D’you ever get the feelin’ the more the world goes foreword the farther back it gets? Near as I can tell from the news of
The Secret to a Successful Workout? It’s Clear as a (Kettle)bell
Kettlebells. You’ve probably seen them in magazines or mentioned around the gym lately, but what the heck are they? Do they make noise like a
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Finnish Family Recipes
While rummaging through a few Barista magazines the other day, I came across some interesting coffee statistics. There, nestled between ads for state-of-the-art grinders and
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Dig the Taste
One of the best types of vegetables to grow in the Yukon are root crops. Most root crops can take late frosts in the spring,
The Joy of Gardening
I have discovered that gardening is more than a past-time; it’s a way of life. For me, gardening is both therapeutic and inspirational. There is
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Cardio With a Touch of Poetry
In this time where such importance is placed on body image and hardcore workout geared to “feeling the burn”, I thought I would talk a
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The Tulip’s Rich History
Can you imagine selling your house, your car or your recreational cabin for a rare type of tulip? No? Neither can I. However, in around
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Fit ‘n’ Healthy: Getting S.M.A.R.T. About Fitness
Kids are going back to school … maybe you’re an empty nester … or maybe you are a summer outdoor enthusiast. Well, it’s fall time
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Next Year’s Garden Season Begins Now
Although this year’s gardening season is winding down, next year’s season is just beginning. I heard quite a few years ago, that someone was experimenting
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Designing with Climbing Vines
When it comes to adding visual interest in outdoor spaces, no landscape would be complete without a luxurious vine growing in the garden. There are
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Christmas treat sales help seniors
Finnish sweet buns with finely ground cardamom, shortbread, chocolate-chip cookies and Finnish sugar-cinnamon cookies — Ann Dibbs’ husband Al delivers a plateful to the table
Christmas treat sales help seniors Read More »
Festival of Trees Offers Several Events to Light Up the Season
There’s nothing like the fun of picking out and decorating the perfect Christmas tree to put you in the holiday spirit. But if one tree
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What’s in Your Kids’ Lunches?
Many parents want to send their kids to school with homemade food and nothing pre-packaged. But how many parents actually have time for that? Well,
What’s in Your Kids’ Lunches? Read More »
Fit ‘n’ Healthy: Snowshoeing is Winter Exercise Made Easy
Did you know that snowshoeing is the fastest growing winter sport in the world? And, why not? It’s relatively cheap and if you live where
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Wild Encounters Between Road and River
When you drive the Alaska Highway towards Haines Junction you get glimpses of the Takhini River on your right, but it disappears from sight once
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Cell Phone, Service
Last weekend, my friend Georgia Sauve picked me up and we drove 50 minutes south of Whitehorse to Nares Lake. We pulled of the highway
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City Livin’
It’s early. I’m walking across the Riverdale Bridge in Whitehorse, just about three hours shy of the ten-minute morning rush hour. 5:30 in the am.
Yukon: No Star-Whackers Here
Has my gast ever been flabbered! Trolling through Randy Quaid’s IMDB (Internet Movie Database) listing, I was shocked to discover that someone already had the
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All Time is Not Equal
How much time do you have, I mean to think, right now? If you are like me, the answer is probably, “Not much.” Keeping track
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Attack of the Gargantuan Tumbleweeds
It was a bit like being in a B movie. We were on our way north from Baja, California and had just broken free from
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Celebrate Our Supporters
As I write this column, my partner has been a recent victim of homophobic slurs in her work place. As well, there is a furor
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But Can We Get There from Here?
“Okay, sure. You’ll be flying into Fua’amotu International Airport.” “We’re actually interested in the direct flight from LA to Tonga.” “Yes, it only flies direct
But Can We Get There from Here? Read More »
Dear Mr Ed
My golly goodness Ed, I hope I can make it to the end of this here letter in one peace. Truth is my nerves is
The Question: 3-D or not 3-D?
The wonderful ArtsNet list serve is many things: a notice board, a trading post, a soapbox. I’ve never posted anything on it, but the ArtsNet
The Question: 3-D or not 3-D? Read More »
Travel & Fireworks
I’ve been thinking that the classic image of friends gathered in a living room, politely yawning through someone’s 300 vacation slides, hasn’t really gone away.
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A Kinder, Gentler kind of Non-believer
I like to think I’m a gentler, kinder sort of atheist. In my two years out of the territory, I took a lot of time
A Kinder, Gentler kind of Non-believer Read More »
Heavenly Florence and the Road to Hell
Ijust had the most divine ravioli in butter and sage sauce, followed by a coconut gelato that feels like pure sin. I love Italy! I’m
Heavenly Florence and the Road to Hell Read More »
Dear Mister Ed
I mite of messed up the sendin’ of my last letter, so if you did’nt get it, dont bother to read it. Y’see I was
Under a Venetian Spell
Venice has enchanted me. Maybe it’s the gondolas, the canals snaking under the stone bridges, the decaying buildings and flooded steps, the shiny carnival masks
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Is it Really Greener on the Other Side?
The grass always seems greener on the other side of the fence. When living in the north, it is easy to look at how things
Is it Really Greener on the Other Side? Read More »
A passion for piglets
Last spring, we took both Kali and Sienna to visit Boris, the boar. So this fall we were waiting with bated breath for them to
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A Time to Be Thankful
Summer ended abruptly this year. When the first snowfall came, I was very thankful that all of our veggies had been harvested. Harvesting is backbreaking
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Eat Your (Northern) Broccoli!
This past September, I was privileged to attend the seventh annual Circumpolar Agricultural Conference in Alta, Norway. Alta lies just below the 70°N latitude, which
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A Spill Doesn’t Have to Mean a Bad Day
I’m sitting on the ground beside my bike. I’ve tried to stand up – twice – but the ground kept tilting to a 45-degree angle.
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A Yukoner’s Journey to Starfest
Friday was day two at Starfest, Canada’s most amazing astronomical gathering [Aug. 12-15, 2010], and we were not due to be on stage till 7
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Love Thy Roaster
Well, winter is on its way, and with it comes the coffee season, the one I love best. Not only because all my favorite beans
Exposing Myself to Serenity
Meditation: not my strong suit. In fact, I suck at it. Sampling various techniques in the past led me to the conclusion I was destined
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It’s Here! Are You Ready?
Winter has finally come. At the Whitehorse Cross Country Ski Club, this is cause for great celebration (we were getting tired from all that snow
It’s Here! Are You Ready? Read More »
APTN News to Broadcast Special Report on Aboriginal Health Care
In past columns, we’ve focused on a variety of genres of APTN programming, such as comedies, documentaries and blockbuster movies. But did you know that
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How Do You Snorkel Backwards?
Neiafu, ‘Uta Vava’u, Kingdom of Tonga The first swimmer sprang from a standing position at the back of the boat into the warm, calm waters
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Reap What You Sow … Now!
The sun is shining, the snow is melting off of the roof and it is starting to feel like spring. But we are still in
Reap What You Sow … Now! Read More »
I Love the Smell of Camping in the Morning
The first camping trip of the year is unique in many ways. For one thing, there’s the anticipation of finding out which critical thing you
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The low of coming home
I don’t like to admit it, but I hate the feeling I get coming back home after a long motorcycle trip. There is so much
The low of coming home Read More »