Whitehorse – Close to Nature

Capital city of the Yukon Territory and thriving hub of the Canadian North, this place is still rooted tangibly in its spectacular landscape and storied history. The 27,000 people who live here are a heady mix of First Nation, Gold Rush descendants and more recent arrivals who fallen in love with the Yukon. They all have stories to tell, as I am finding out easily: Yukoners are as open and loquacious as Maritimers! Getting here is easy: after an early flight from Toronto to Vancouver and a perfect connection, I was in Whitehorse by early afternoon.

The Beringia Centre is a perfect first stop to get an overview on how the Yukon came to be so central to the peopling of the Americas. I was able to try my hand at the atlatl, an ancient throwing spear used for hunting – there need be no concern for Yukon wildlife on my account!

Next stop: the MacBride Museum, which uses a fun and folksy approach to telling the history of the Yukon, both natural and human. The Yukon River runs centrally through the history of the Territory as it does through downtown Whitehorse – a magnificent and swiftly flowing river, steps from the shops and hotels. Riverboats used to churn the waters of this river and the S.S. Klondike is a well-preserved example and national Historic Site of Canada. My guided tour was effective in helping me visualize the days not so long ago when the wharf in Whitehorse was festooned with riverboats large and small en route to the goldfields.

The city is lively again with visitors in this last week of summer. One-of-a-kind local craft shops offer good shopping; hotels are full ( I am staying at the Westmark – recommended); and there are many surprisingly good restaurants – I have enjoyed excellent meals at several fine restaurants.

But my most marvelous Whitehorse moment so far has been an early morning jog along the trail beside the Yukon River as the sun rose above the eastern mountains. Steam was rising from the river and mixing with early morning mist rolling up the valley. The mountains and forests floated above the broiling river, the scent of pine was in the air, a beaver swam through the shimmering waters and a bald eagle caught the first sun’s rays in the top branch of a fir. What a start to a day - this is some city!