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Steeped in Gold Rush

July/August 2021

Colourful main streets celebrate Yukon’s past.

By Up Here

Photos courtesy Government of Yukon

The Main Street of Whitehorse

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The Yukon River and the historic White Pass rail station anchor one end of Whitehorse’s main street. The other end runs into a mini mountain with a flattened top. And in between there’s about five or six blocks for walking, browsing, lingering, buying, eating and drinking.

Long-time residents of the street like Mac’s Fireweed Books, Hougen’s and Murdoch’s, are joined by youngsters like Starbucks, Subway and Shoppers Drug Mart, and all work to make Whitehorse’s main street the prettiest in the North. Even the developers get in on the action. One of the oldest buildings on main street, overlooking the river, has been retrofitted into a sophisticated little mall with a collection of shops on the street level and offices above.

Dawson City Main Street
Photo courtesy Government of Yukon

Although there’s a bit of gold rush in downtown Whitehorse, Dawson’s main street is a walk through history. On wooden sidewalks. Storefronts and store names are drawn from the gold rush… and where else would you find a main street saloon with swinging doors straight out of a wild west movie?

Yukon takes its gold rush history very seriously...and this is certainly transferred to the two largest main streets in this territory.

July/August 2021

Back in the 1940s, Yellowknifers had a few favourites when it came to canned goods.

A Slice of the Past

Back in the 1940s, most northerners received food supplies once a year. A pantry favourite then was canned meat. Today fresh food from across the country arrives almost daily, but many northerners still want the security of a can or two
of Klik in the cupboard.   

By Dana Bowen

PHOTOS: (LEFT) JOLLY TIME GIANT YELLOW CORN, (CENTRE) COURTESY PWNHC/2015.13.5J, (RIGHT) ILLUSTRATION BY BETH COVVEY

July 8th, 2025 July 8th, 2025

July/August 2021

Zaul Blondin - National Museums of Canada photo

Legal Thievery?

On the 100th anniversary of Treaty 11, there’s little enthusiasm for a celebration. A descendant of two chiefs who signed the Treaty wonders if this was truly a Treaty, or just legalized thievery.

By Raymond Yakeleya

Zaul Blondin - National Museums of Canada photo

July 8th, 2025 July 8th, 2025

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Yellowknife, NT
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