KLONDIKE The
SUN $1.25
Wednesday June 1, 2011 • Vol. 23, No. 3 ONLINE Edition
"It ain't gold but it's close!"
Dylan Myerhoffer shows off what the sylish miner might have been wearing in Goldrush times at the Parks Canada Fashion Show. See more on the show on page 6. Photo by Evan Rensch
in this
Issue
KVA on the Web
11
Rachel Wiegers shows off the new trip booking software at the VIC.
What to See and Do Gold show a Success Uffish Thoughts: Baffled
2 3 4
Letters to the Editor YQII arrives Ferry Season begins
5 7 9
Marketing
8
John Caton says to find out what people want and give it to them.
DCMF Profiles Young Authors' Conference 20 Years Ago in Sun
Town Cleanup
21
RSS and Ground Truth work together to clean up the town.
10 CFYT Profile/Tara's Birds 11 Hunter Gatherer 18 London's Bust
19 20 21
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Wednesday June 1, 2011
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THE KLONDIKE SUN
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This free public service helps our readers find their way through the many activites all over town. Any small happening may need preparation and planning, so let us know in good time! To join this listing contact Tara Borin at klondikesun@northwestel.net.
How do you use electricity? Yukon Energy is conducting a survey to nd out how you use electricity in your home. By completing the survey, you are eligible to win a $500 VISA Gift card and one of two $250 Early Bird prizes. The information collected will help Yukon Energy, along with its partners Yukon Electrical Company Limited and the Government of Yukon, design energy conservation programs for the territory. Complete the survey online at: www.yukonelectrical.com www.yukonenergy.ca www.energy.gov.yk.ca Paper copies are available from: Energy Solutions Centre, 205A Lowe Street, Whitehorse Yukon Electrical Company Ltd., 100-1100 1st Ave., Whitehorse Yukon Energy, 2 Miles Canyon Rd., Whitehorse (Whitehorse dam site) If you would prefer to be mailed a survey, please contact: communications@yukonenergy.ca (867) 393-5333
Klondike Institute of Art and Culture (KIAC) Odd Gallery: Mon. - Fri. 11 am - 5 pm , Sat. Noon - 5pm. Visit www.kiac.ca for current exhibitions and programming information. Family Coffee House & Open Mic - Saturday, May 7th, 6:30 PM, ODD Fellows Ballroom. Dawson City Recreation Department Drop-in Badminton, Mondays in the RSS Gymnasium - 6:158 p.m. Kickboxing, Tues & Thurs, 5:30-7:30 PM in the Ancillary Room. For more information on these and other available programs, please contact the Rec Department, 993-2353
Recreation Department After School Programming Mon: Supervised Playground Time (Grades 1+) 3:30-5 PM, Tues: Girl Power (Grades 6-9), 3:30-5 PM, Wed: Kids Open Gym (Grades 2-5), 2:30 - 5 PM, Youth Weights (Grades 8+), 3:30 - 5 PM, Fri: Youth Open Gym (Grades 5+), 6:15 - 8 PM. Meet at they playground for all events except Friday. Please call the Rec. Dept. for more details, 993-2353. Westminster Hotel Barnacle Bob in the Tavern, Thurs. - Sat. nights, 4-8. In the lounge this month: Friday nights, the Greasy Band, Saturday nights featuring Harmonica George. Music starts at 10 p.m. Dawson City Chamber of Commerce Regular meetings 2nd Wed. of each month. Dawson City Community Library Open Mon - Fri, noon to 6:30.
Conservation Klondike Society Depot Hours: Sat, Sun, Mon, Wed: 1-5 pm, Tues: 3-7 pm. Donations of refundables may be left on the deck during off hours. Info: 993-6666. Dawson City Minor Soccer Dawson City Minor Soccer is hosting the 11 year old Cross Field Yukon Soccer Championships at the Crocus Bluff Soccer Field June 10 – 12. There will also be an adult game held with local players on Friday evening at 7:00 PM.
KVA Events Diamond Tooth Gertie's: Our unique Can-can shows have begun, 7 days a week, 3 times nightly: 8:30/10:30/Midnight Weekend On the Week: Tombstone Territorial Park: June 3-5, sponsored by Yukon Parks/Friends of Dempster Country. FREE. For more info, friendsofdempster@gmail.com / 993-8299
Commissioner’s Tea: June 11, 2-4 PM @ the Commissioner's Residence. Dress up, have some tea and meet the commish! Contact kva@dawson.net / 993-5575 for more info.
Commissioner’s Ball: June 11 @ the Palace Grand Theatre. Dress up, dance and have a grand old time! Cost, $75 per person. To purchase tickets contact the KVA at kva@dawson.net / 9935575.
Midnight Sun Gold Tournament: June 17 @ the Top of theWorld Golf Course. Put your team of 4 together for this solstice celebration! Tee offs start at midnight. $50 per person (includes breakfast). Contact 993-5888 for more info. Aboriginal Day Celebrations: June 21 @ the Dänojà Zho Cultural Centre. Celebrate native culture with music & a BBQ! For more info, call 993-7100.
Wednesday June 1, 2011 P3
THE KLONDIKE SUN
25th Gold Show Pronounced a Success Story & Photos by Dan Davidson Organizers of the 25th Annual Dawson City Gold Show could hardly have been more pleased with this year’s event. Arctic Inland Resources owner Bill Bowie, who first pitched this concept back in 1986, was fairly beaming as he surveyed the 70 plus display booths that lined the Art and Margaret Fry Arena and the parking lot across Fourth Avenue on Friday and Saturday. He felt there hadn’t been this much positive energy since the first show. Certainly the list of 52 sponsors on the colourful trade show program (itself a far cry from the plain handouts of recent years) bespoke a greater level of interest, as did the increase in exhibitors which had coordinator Evelyn Pollock renting extra booths just ten days before the show. On her weekly update to chamber members, Pollock has pronounced this year’s event a success. Aside from the trade show itself, the weekend included the annual general meeting of the Klondike Placer Miners Association, attended at the Yukon Order of Pioneers hall by some fifty members, and addressed by Yukon government ministers Archie Lang and Steve Nordick. The KPMA sponsored a gala Friday night social at the Palace
Grand theatre, with the draw of the evening being a highenergy performance by Gillian Campbell, her band, Motherlode, and the Gypsy Dancers. Campbell portrayed Klondike Kate at the PG back in 1967, and has kept that act as part of her repertoire ever since. With songs from a bygone era, several sessions of audience participation (humiliation), repeated shouts of “Is everybody happy?” and a finale that had middle aged folks playing with a room full of balloons, this was a show with a little something for everyone. Campbell moved her show to Diamond Tooth Gerties for a repeat performance on the Saturday evening. On the technical side there were eleven “lightning talks” grouped under three general themes: Demystifying the Roles of Various Boards Relevant to the Mining Industry, In the Field, and Looking Ahead. The show also included some industry relevant kids’ activities at the back of the arena, space for craft and home business sales, a concession area and booths where non-profit organizations could promote their activities. The outside displays were blessed with generally fine weather and included heavy equipment, building supplies and the ever-popular selection of growing things for the garden.
Balloon time finale with Gillian Campbell (center) the Gypsy Dancers and Motherlode.
Inside the arena the traffic around the booth seemed quite constant.
Dawson's yards and businesses will soon blossom, thanks to the plant zone.
This year's yard organization made the heavy equipment area much better for the vendors.
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Wednesday June 1, 2011
THE KLONDIKE SUN
uffish thoughts • opinions Things that baffle the mind by Dan Davidson
Things there are which baffle the mind and puzzle the will. Some of them are simple things. It's perfectly obvious that the town is trying very hard to get the waterfront area's new look ready for use as quickly as possible. Nothing could make that any clearer than the flimsy but clearly visible orange plastic fencing that encloses the area being worked on. The land has been reshaped, the gazebo stage re-oriented to the new seating area and a spacious wooden shelter erected as a bookend at the far end of the new landscaping. That being so, what species of idiot has to spend their time (and waste ratepayer's money) walking through the newly raked and seeded earth with hob nailed hiking boots (okay, perhaps there weren't hobnails; I didn't get that close) leaving footprints
Editor’s Note
several inches deep? Who knocks down fences and further retards progress by riding their bicycle all over the dirt? And then there are the beer cans. Don't get me started on the beer cans, because the rest of the mess more than slightly suggests that the motivating intelligence behind all of this was underage. And lest you think this is just me pickling on the kids, the person who really needs to give his or her head a shake and grow up is the person who bought it for them. On to other things, which are a little more complex.
When the local hearings for the Our Towns, Our Future task force came through town I attended the forum and spent a number of hours taking notes and sometimes contributing to the discussion. If you go to the Sun's web site (http://cityofdawson. com/klondike-sun-
december-15-2010.html) and read the story I wrote for the Dec. 15, 2010 edition, you will find the people in attendance speaking of concerns relating to sewer and water provision, the increasing costs of meeting new regulatory requirements in many areas of municipal responsibility, recreation, health care, the shortage of building lots and energy costs. A considerable amount of time was spent on the question of sustainable municipal land fills, with YTG (the preferred term these days is YG - but hey! Tradition is tradition. Just ask the folks in the capital who turned down the horse and kept the steamboat) officials talked about the advantages of having the territory take over the administration of all landfills. I really expected to see something along those lines in the OTOF report that came out last week. Instead we got an announcement, made out
of the blue at the recent Association of Yukon Communities meeting in Haines Junction, that the territorial government intends to move to centralized control and administration of all fire departments. You may search in vain through the Dawson City portion of volume 2 of the report (the part where the main discussion points from each community are recorded) to find any suggestion that this community is seriously concerned about the state of its fire department. We might be concerned about the cost of meeting some of the new regulations the government keeps writing (just as we have the same concern about landfill regulations) but these are matters of finance, not matters of performance. Since they are matters of finance it would be a simple matter to provide an
emergency services grant to cover the increased costs. I'm not saying for a moment that there are no communities and hamlets in the territory that would not benefit from this move, which I cannot easily place under any of the 18 headings in the report, but I gravely doubt that Dawson is one of them. Our current volunteer department ticks along just fine, as recently demonstrated, and considering the hash which two government departments have managed to make of the ambulance services in the territory (thinking here of inconsistencies in the centralized administration, not the performance of those who serve us in this organization) I'm not sure that's something I look forward to seeing imposed on our fire service.
Eagle-eyed readers will notice major changes in the look and layout of the Sun this issue. We have been trying a few minor experiments, but this issue Evan went wild: new banner, new section headings, complete layout. Let us know what you think. As usual, we invite you all to get involved. Have you got a great idea for a regular column? Interesting photos or stories from local events? Send it in to us and see your name in print! Check out our WEBSITE where you will soon be able to view archived Suns from 21 years ago! Webmaster Steins is slowly but surely filling in those early years. Check us out at http://cityofdawson.com/category/klondike_sun.
We want to hear from you! T
NEXT ISSUE: June 15, 2011
he Klondike Sun is produced bi-weekly. It is published by The Literary Society of the Klondike, a non-profit organization. Letters to the editor, submissions and reports may be edited for brevity, clarity, good taste (as defined by community standards), racism, sexism, and legal considerations. We welcome submissions from our readership; however, it should be understood that the opinions expressed herein may not always reflect those of the publishers and producers of the Klondike Sun. Submissions should be directed to The Editor, Bag 6040, Dawson City, YT, Y0B 1G0, e-mailed to uffish20@hotmail.com, directly to the paper at klondikesun@northwestel. net or dropped off in the drop-box at our office in the Waterfront Building, 1085 Front Street. They should be signed and preferably typed (double-spaced), or saved on digital media (CD). If you can give a phone number at which you can be reached, it would be helpful. Unsigned letters will not be printed. “Name withheld by request” is acceptable and will be printed, providing the writer identifies themselves to the Sun editorial staff. A Publishing Policy exists for more details.
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Wednesday June 1, 2011 P5
THE KLONDIKE SUN
letters to the editor
The apartments may not be demolished Ed. note: this is an open letter to Dawson City Mayor Peter Jenkins. I am not currently the minister responsible for the Yukon Housing Corp., and have stepped away from the portfolio during the leadership election. However, I am replying to your open letter of May 2 concerning housing in Dawson City, and in particular, the old Korbo Apartments. Firstly, I would like to correct the record and say the Yukon Housing Corp. was not proposing to demolish the old Korbo Apartments. This would seem a bit of speculation, and did not reflect any
future plans. It is difficult to make any decisions in the absence of data or information on the existing building, and collection of this information has barely begun. Much of the work would be quite disruptive to the existing residents, and will be done once the building is vacant. You should be aware that some plans might be subject to change due to the Yukon Party leadership election. You might want to discuss this with the current minister responsible. The Korbo Apartments have been “replaced” by a new and larger structure as federal funds became available, but it does not necessarily mean that the old
structure would be demolished. There may be sequestered asbestos, given the age of the building. It is extremely expensive to heat and maintain, it is poorly ventilated, and we have to deal with a fuel spill no matter what the future of the building. Potential renovations to the building that would keep it in service would have to be done in full accordance with current building codes. While some work would not trigger extensive building code requirements, others may cause expenses that would make simple renovations more expensive than demolition and replacement. The fuel was, fortunately,
Hello Dawson City! For the last six weeks I have been back at work in my Family Medicine Residency. Over the winter, I took a lovely break to be at home and get in touch with the reasons why I went into medicine in the first place. Mission accomplished. I am quite reenergized to tackle finishing the last year and a half of my residency. I also changed programs switching out of an urban-based site to a rural site. Anyone who knows me well might wonder why I went into an urban program in the first place. During medical school I got some advice from a few people that an urban program would provide me with the experience of seeing tons of patients and tons of really sick patients. And this, they reasoned, would set me in good stead to handle any medical situation that might come through the door. My experience with working in a big city hospital environment was that I most certainly saw tons of patients and a whole lot of them were extremely ill but there were so many of them that I could not do anything for them except maybe help them with only the most pressing symptoms. It was “knee-jerk” medicine and every day I felt like I was playing “bop ‘em gopher” instead of being a doctor. In contrast, in my new rural hospital setting, I am not managing a quantity of patients but I am able to focus on the quality of care they receive. This sooths my conscience at night when I lie in bed reviewing
the day’s events because, if anything, I am able to actually help my patients and I am developing a better foundation which can be applied to other situations. A mentor once told me that, “practice doesn’t make perfect; it only gives you a better repertoire from which to improvise.” In mid April I started a two week rotation in Palliative Care, which I loved. The ability to significantly improve the life of dying patients, help their families, and work within a team of professionals was inspiring and kept me bouncing out of bed in the morning to spend as many hours as I could on the ward. Being able to manage a wide range of distressing symptoms is hugely useful not only for palliative patients but broadly applicable in many circumstances. Tomorrow I finish a month of Psychiatry. This was also a good rotation and I have to admit that I like psych. It was plenty challenging but again an extremely useful rotation. I appreciate hearing patients’ stories; sometimes it is hard to hear the details but it is all part of being able to find help for the patient. I often come away in awe of what some people have endured and how they have managed incredibly well for so long despite some terrible situations. Sometimes, though, I have to repress a laugh. One woman, who wanted to work on her addiction to oxycontin, told me about her long struggle with opioid addiction following a series of back surgeries after a motor
mostly contained by a drainage system and cistern as well as permafrost which was, in this case, our friend. However, the problem must be dealt with, and how this remediation will occur is currently being investigated. Once residents are out, the building will be completely examined, and then we can determine what is involved in either renovating it, or replacing it. At that same time, alternative uses will be examined and, under my leadership, I can assure you that all possibilities would be carefully explored. While demolition and rebuilding might be the best way to proceed, to make any decision now,
in the absence of data and facts, would be poorly advised indeed.
Jim Kenyon MLA Porter Creek North Candidate for Leader Yukon Party Whitehorse
Ed Note: Since our MLA, Steve Nordick, is now in charge of Yukon Housing, it was noted at a recent town council meeting that peopl;e concerned about this issue should be approaching him. Mayor Jenkins indicated he would be doing this.
ATTENTION HUNTERS vehicle collision years before. She told me that her son had strongly encouraged her to seek help with the addiction and to get off the oxycontin. I asked if her son was a pharmacist or a doctor or nurse. Nope, she said, he is a drug dealer now in prison. Good advice is good advice no matter the source! In a couple of days I pack up and head north for a rural family medicine rotation. The community apparently has its share of emergency work and I thankfully completed a trauma course in early May. I am ever grateful for my time on our ambulance service; dealing with trauma is a little bit less daunting thanks to those years carrying the radio. Scooping a patient up out of a ditch and dropping them off at the nursing station is a little different to standing there in the trauma bay strategizing how best to help the patient from that point on, but knowing that first piece is still very important. Of course the experience I gained from doing the vet work in town has also paid off. It was interesting to note that in the trauma course, I was the only person there, aside from the surgeon instructor, to have received patients with gunshot wounds. Of course my patients were dogs but they were still patients no less and in need of help. “If you prick us, do we not bleed?” Yep. Take care, Dawson City. Until next time,
Aedes Scheer
Apply now for a Permit Hunt Authorization Apply early. Avoid the last minute line-ups. Submit your 2011 PHA application form in person, along with the appropriate fee, by close of business June 17 at your nearest Environment Yukon office. Game Management Subzone details for each species are on the PHA data sheet, which is available at Environment Yukon offices and on the department’s website at www.env.gov.yk.ca in the ‘Hunting & Trapping’ area. For more information contact Client Services at 667-5652 or 1-800-661-0408 ext. 5652.
Another busy work seAson into help DAwson City YWCHSB wants make it a safe one. An OH&S Safety Officer is stationed in Dawson until September 30th. The Officer is available to deal with any safety concerns or inquiries and can be reached at 993-3560. In an emergency situation where the Officer cannot be contacted, call 1-800-661-0443.
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Wednesday June 1, 2011
in our community
THE KLONDIKE SUN
Parks Puts on the Ritz – and other Duds
By Dan Davidson
It was noted that there was a great deal more Parks Canada is doing a variety in the women’s number of new things this wear category and that year to help celebrate its men’s wear did not change 100th anniversary, and the much over the years. Klondike National Historic An addition to the Site is pleased to have been costuming this year is a named one of the top five selection of clothing from Parks sites by the Canadian the late 1930s. This will aid Tourism Commission in the interpretation of the being included in the CTC’s SS Keno, which is actually new Signature Experience from that era rather than Promotion. the earlier time period. A As part of local number of costumes from celebrations, KNHS this period were displayed assembled a fashion show by staff. during the first week of No Dawson fashion this season’s operations show would be complete to coincide with the Gold without a display of the Show. The event, held at sort of formal wear that the palace Grand Theatre, appears annually at the was well attended. Commissioner’s Ball. In past years the In this case, the men’s costumes worn by Parks’ tuxedos were distinctly interpreters have tended different from their daily towards the Goldrush era attire. All the women’s to 1920 range and much dresses had something of the show featured in common: their creator. these costumes: women’s Debbie Winston has been daywear, miner’s and designing ball gowns for shopkeeper’s outfits, Dawsonites for many business wear, RCMP years and made all four of uniforms and even the gowns in this show. swimwear.
Photos from the top: * Fashion crew - The Parks Canada fashion model crew posed at the end ofthe show. Photo by Evan Rensch * Daywear from the Gold Rush to the 1920s.
Photo by Dan Davidson
* Men's formal wear differed from daily wear.
Photo by Evan Rensch
* Swimwear – Kicking up her heels for summer. * Traveller – An example of clothing from the last 1930s – a travel outfit. * Evening wear – Debbie Winston (third from the left) was the designer of all these gowns. Photos by Dan Davidson
Wednesday June 1, 2011 P7
THE KLONDIKE SUN
in our community Yukon Queen II Arrived in Dawson
The Klondike Institute of Art and Culture with Yukon Energy present
Story & Photo by Dan Davidson The Yukon Queen II arrived in Dawson on Thursday, on the same day as the first HollandAmerica coach arrived at the Westmark Dawson. Water in the Yukon River was so low on that day that the YQII could not get within three metres of the metal breakwater that is next to the Dawson dock when it is installed later in the season. Since its arrival the river level has risen considerably and the dock has been installed. While the YQII is normally a key part of a bus and boat tour that sees passengers go by coach over the Taylor Highway to and from Eagle, with a cruise to or from Dawson City as part of the package, that will not be happening until at least June, according to Holland America officials. This will be the third year in a row when normal operations have been delayed or disrupted for the company.
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DAWSON CITY INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM FESTIVAL THANK YOU! to...
In 2009 the Eagle flood damaged both the boat and their Eagle base and delayed YQII cruises for about a month. In 2010 the season began normally until heavy rains washed out portions of the road to Eagle. The company had to fly passengers to and from Dawson to make their circuit. The boat cruise portion of the tour was shortened to a cruise down and up the Yukon River. That is how the season for the YQII will begin this year, and will continue until the company is sure the road, which is narrow and precipitous in many places, has been completely repaired and is safe to use.
In the meantime Holland America has until June 20 to file documents with the Yukon Environmental and Socio-economic Assessment Board to address gaps in the proposal it gave the board early last winter. The boat does damage fish as it cruises the river and has to file a mitigation plan as requested by the federal Dept. of Fisheries and Oceans. In addition, it is further claimed that the high-powered craft’s wake contributes to erosion of the riverbank, and the company has to address that matter.
1596 people who attended events, 81 volunteers who put in 798 hours, 121 filmmakers, our sponsors... The Canada Council for the Arts Yukon Tourism and Culture Yukon Film and Sound Commission Community Cable 9 (Northwestel) Yukon Energy, CBC North, Air North, Canadian Heritage Klondike Visitors Association, NFVIA Yukon News, Yukon Brewing Downtown Hotel, Yukon Film Society Harper Street Publishing Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in, City of Dawson Bombay Peggy’s, Kodak Trans North Helicopters, JohnSteins.com Vancouver International Film Festival Arctic Star Printing, Dawson City Museum Bonanza Market, Back Alley Pizza Yukon Inn, Arctic Star Printing.
WWW.DAWSONFILMFEST.COM
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Wednesday June 1, 2011
THE KLONDIKE SUN
Café Daughter deals with issues of Ambition and Identity Story & Photo By Dan Davidson When Kenneth T. Williams offered a reading of an early draft of the first act of his work-inprogress to the Young Authors’ Conference in April 2009, I had no idea that the final play was going to be a one-woman show. There are about six character voices in that first act alone, as the young Yvette Wong travels with her Chinese father and Cree mother back to the reservation to obtain medical help for Yvette’s mother. Her grandfather is a shaman, a medicine man with a vast knowledge of healing herbs. Alas, he is also a slave to alcohol, and the family leaves without Yvette’s mother getting any help. This event leads to the central struggle in Yvette’s life. While she is subject to a certain amount of racial discrimination due to her Chinese features, her mother instructs her never, never to tell anyone she is part Indian and
never to have anything to do with her Cree family. PJ Prudat has the daunting task of portraying all these characters – easily a dozen different voices, accents and shifts of body language – during the 90 minute run of Café Daughter, a play loosely based on the life experience of Senator Dr. Lillian Dyck. She is a distant cousin of Williams’ and lived some of the story that is condensed in Williams’ play. We meet Yvette when she has graduated from university and is getting caught up in the memories of the some of the key events of her life. There’s that opening act, which so defines her life. There’s the year in elementary school, when a discerning principal realizes that she is not stupid and advances her to Grade 6 over the objections of a teacher who does not want a Chinese girl in her class. Ironically, this leads to Yvette being given the role of an Indian in a school play about Laura
Secord and the War of 1812. The death of her mother comes not long after this, a touching scene. In high school she has her first Indian friend, another half-breed, as Maggie puts it, with a British father. They get into some trouble at the other girl’s instigation and this leads a formerly sympathetic teacher to revoke his support for her dreams of becoming a doctor. She struggles with her father, who has taken up drinking since the death of his wife, and who wants to take them both back to China, where she would be completely isolated. She reconciles with her Cree aunt, who finally tracks her down in the city and convinces her that family ties are important. Prudat takes on all of these scenes skillfully and makes you feel like there are many people in front of you. The set and lighting are likewise protean, conveying a café, a pizza joint, classrooms,
Director Yvette Nolan, actor PJ Prudat and co-artistic director Patti Flather on the set of Café Daughter. an apartment and several other places with a minimum of alteration. The audience at the Dänojà Zho Cultural Centre was very impressed with the play and offered it the honour of a standing ovation when it ended. Café Daughter was brought to Dawson by Leonard Linklater and Patti Flather’s Gwaandak
Theatre and directed by Yvette Nolan, who is no stranger to either the Yukon or Dawson City.
Canada-US Border Opened Between Dawson and Tok on May 20 Story & Photo by Dan Davidson Word was received in Dawson on May 19 that the border station on the Top of the World/Taylor Highway route would be opening on Friday, May 20, between 9 am and 7 pm. This will be 8 am to 6 pm on the Alaska side of the border. The Klondike Visitors Association and the Dawson City Chamber of Commerce received word from US officials at Tok as well as in a letter from Canada Customs. Chamber president Helen Bowie said the letter she received from Canada Border Services Agency indicated that
Their Honours Doug Phillips and Dale Stokes The Little Gold-Poker Creek Border Station.
hours in Canada had been cut back to fall in line with a decision already taken by U.S, Customs. The Little Gold (Canada) and Poker Creek (USA) station will be open 2 hours less daily this year than in the past. The original decision had been to cut back the days of
operation as well, not opening until May 22. This was protested by Dawson’s chamber and town council, as reported here last issue. The question of daily hours of operation remains unresolved at this writing.
invite Yukoners to Dawson City to celebrate Yukon’s 113th birthday on Saturday, June 11, 2011
Commissioner’s Tea Commissioner’s Residence 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm Public event — everyone welcome — no tickets required
Commissioner’s Klondike Ball Palace Grand Theatre Receiving line at 7:00 pm — Group photograph at 8:00 pm Tickets are $75 per person Call 867-993-5575 or email kva@dawson.net Dress: Period formal or formal
Office of the Commissioner
Wednesday June 1, 2011 P9
THE KLONDIKE SUN
Ferry Season Begins in Dawson Story & Photos By Dan Davidson The George Black ferry launched on Monday, May 16, just before 1 pm, easing into the Yukon River with just a slight splash. The launch was witnessed by about 50 people - both locals and visitors. They began to gather around 11 am and some said they had cruised by the boat’s winter berth several times earlier in the morning. Launching the ferry down the wooden rails of its slipway is a complex task that requires half a dozen cats. It was further complicated by low water levels in the river - so low that the rails on the slipway had to be
extended to allow the boat to reach the river. Those rails were then lubricated with Crisco oil, much to the disappointment of the local ravens, which used to enjoy a quick smack when lard was used to grease them. With cables attached to two cats in order to make the initial pull that would help loosen the boat, two cats on the other side of the boat began to shove it from its level winter berth just outside the dyke. Things came to a halt when a tiny hole was discovered in the boat’s hull and had to be patched. Welding and checking the repair from both sides did not take long. While that was happening the two cats by the
river moved to positions at the other side of the boat, where they could be used to control the final slide into the river. The launch continued flawlessly and the boat hardly splashed as it entered the water. One cat pulled it around into its regular bow to stern orientation and the Dept. of Highways crew cleaned up the site while the boat crew got the George Black ready for business. By afternoon it had begun its regular rounds, chugging back and forth about every 15 minutes. The Highways Dept. advises travellers that “the ferry runs twenty-four hours per day from approximately mid May to mid September. Mid September
Some of the people to came out to watch the launch.
to mid October it runs twelve hours per day. The average ferry crossing is six to seven min-
utes with variations between morning and night traffic flow.”
* Cats get ready to make the first big push. * Wooden extensions to the slipway. * The George Black hits the water at last.
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Music Fest profiles still come P10 Wednesday June 1, 2011
THE KLONDIKE SUN
Over the coming months, the Klondike Sun will be featuring a number of artists appearing at the 2011 Dawson City Music Festival. To see this year’s complete line-up and buy your tickets, visit the festival’s new website: www.dcmf.com
Artist Profile: Rich Aucoin Artist Profile: Etran Finatawa Etran Finatawa’s musicians come from Niger, Africa,one of the three poorest countries in the world. It is a landlocked desert country in West Africa bordered by Mali, Algeria, Libya, Chad and Nigeria. The members of Etran Finatawa are members of two of Niger’s nomadic ethnicities: the Wodaabe and the Tuareg. The group was formed in an attempt to unite the songs and traditions of these two cultures as a symbol of peace and reconciliation. The literal translation of the name Etran Finatawa speaks to the guiding force behind the band: “the star of tradition.” Etran Finatawa is the first touring group to use the songs and music of the Wodaabe in a contemporary context. The traditional Wodaabe chants are a blend of choral polyphony and high tenor solos, backed by calabasse (gourd) drums. This vocal tradition is joined with the instrumental tradition of the Tuareg, a sound that is rapidly becoming known in world music circles, led by guitar-based touring musicians like Tinariwen. North Americans have described a “Tuareg sound” as “desert blues,” which, although perhaps an oversimplification, is a good way to begin thinking about to the melodic style of Etran Finatawa. Their songs tell tales from nomadic life, of isolation and liberty, of extreme hardship and poverty, of a harsh climate, of beautiful women and happy days, of life giving animals and handsome beasts, of festivities and families, of stars and desert storms. The tour that brings them to Dawson will also take them across the breadth of Canada over a month and a half, generously supported by the Canada Council for the Arts. Festival organizers have dubbed it the “Good Thing They’re Nomads” tour, as the routing takes them farther across Canada than most native Canadians will ever go. We’re excited to welcome them to Dawson City.
THE KLONDIKE SUN thanks our volunteers! chief writer & editor - Dan Davidson
webmaster/online assistance - John Steins proofreading - Betty Davidson, Miles Kenyon, Megan Graham & Colleen Smith
layout - Dan, Evan Rensch, Miles, & Megan subscription mailing/retailer deliveries -
Karen MacKay, Palma Berger, Colleen Smith, Judith Blackburn-Johnson
It isn’t every artist that can get an entire audience to bleat like a goat. But then Halifax, Nova Scotia’s Rich Aucoin isn’t just any artist. This is the man that wrote his first record to synch with Dr. Seuss’ “How The Grinch Stole Christmas”, the man who chose to undertake his first national tour of Canada by bicycle, running half marathons along the way to raise money for the Canadian Cancer Foundation. Rich Aucoin is special.
Public Publication, Aucoin’s latest album, was recorded to sync with a film Aucoin produced by editing together footage from over 40 sources. Travelling Canada once again, Aucoin collaborated with over 500 musicians before editing it together to form a euphoric electro-pop experience, melding vocoder disco, orchestral phases and children’s choirs and impeccable harmonies. Be warned: Aucoin’s enthusiasm for music and life in general is infectious, and his live show is no different. Less of a show than a collective experience, Aucoin plays the role of a ringmaster masterfully, melding his music with various projected images, edited videos, lots of audience participation and ensuring the whole room (and often the surrounding area) becomes one big inclusive party. Don’t miss your chance to be part of the action when Rich Aucoin plays the 2011 Dawson City Music Festival. Now bleat like a goat.
Ro Cemm is a freelance journalist and photographer whose work has appeared in the Toronto Star and the Guardian (London). He books the Unsigned stage at the End Of The Road Festival (the UK equivalent of DCMF – a “tiny, perfect” festival based in Brighton that that has helped launch the European careers of DCMF alums like Basia Bulat, Dan Mangan and the Acorn). He will be covering DCMF 2011 for his influential music website, The Line of Best Fit.
Birding can be an incredibly rewarding pass-time. It gets us out into nature and encourages us to make connections between an animal and its surroundings. The desire to see more exotic birds can bring us to places we’d otherwise never consider visiting, exploring new habitats and continents. Birding can also be very frustrating, especially when trying to identify a bird that doesn’t want to be seen, or that is not easily distinguished from others in its family. Thrushes fall in this category. The robin is one of our most recognizable thrushes, but there are a few others that have overlapping ranges, similar markings and elusive habits: namely the Hermit Thrush,
Swainson’s Thrush and the Gray-cheeked Thrush. All three of these birds are generally buffy brown in colour, with paler bellies and dark spots covering their throats and breast and they all breed here in the Yukon. Perhaps the best way to tell them apart is by song. Thrushes have very beautiful, melodic songs, each differing in length and pitch. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology has an excellent website with samplings of all three songs. Recently, I’ve been lucky enough to spot one of these thrushes in my yard: this fleeting observation, coupled with my familiarity with its song, has led me to identify it as Swainson’s Thrush. It is brownish above,
with a buffy eye ring. Its breast is also “buffy” in colour, with dark brown spots. Its song is described as “an ascending spiral of varied whistles” and is the only thrush whose song goes up in pitch: I most commonly hear this bird singing in the evening and early morning. Swainson’s Thrush is found in mixed coniferous forests, making its nest in low shrubs out of grasses and moss. They feed on both insects and berries, foraging mostly on the ground. In winter, this thrush makes its home in central and south America, preferring more mature forests. To hear of sample of this and other thrush songs, visit www. allaboutbirds.org.
Wednesday June 1, 2011 P11
THE KLONDIKE SUN
KVA Launches Web Bookings for Dawson Story & Photo By Dan Davidson
The Klondike Visitors Association held an official launch party for its new online reservation system during the recent Tourism Industry Association of Yukon annual general meeting. When the KVA went on to win TIAY’s Innovator of the Year award, it was the culmination of a project that has been two years in the making. The need for what was then being called a Central Point of Sales website was identified in an industry gaps study undertaken jointly by the KVA and TIAY
PR Services booklet about Dawson. At the launch KVA executive director Gary Parker was enthusiastic. “We think the launch of KVA’s online reservation system is a significant milestone in the ongoing progress of Yukon tourism. This little event is an occasion to celebrate a bit and share the success a lot.” The booking system is available through the web and can be called up on any computer, tablet or handheld device with web capability. For those who may have arrived in Dawson without a definite plan, a permanent workstation has been installed in the
Fête du patrimoine du
YUKON
Territorial Heritage Fair The 13th Annual Fête du patrimoine du Yukon Territorial Heritage Fair was held May 5, 2011 at the Yukon Transportation Museum in Whitehorse.
Participating Schools Included: Robert Service School, J.V. Clark School, St. Elias Community School, Selkirk Elementary School, Holy Family Elementary School, Christ the King Elementary School, Golden Horn Elementary School, and Elijah Smith School.
Congratulations to our finalists: Grades 4/5: Gavin Winter-Sinnott Greg Murdoch Lizzy Sparling,
Honorable Mention: Yovana Cooper
Grade 6/7: Emma Morin Jared Leary Nylan Zalitis Sarah Diment
Honorable Mention: Caelan Pangmon McLean
Congratulations to our award winners:
Rachel Wiegers (center, facing left) demonstrates the online booking project to interested business owners. and reported on here in Dawson in 2009. Working with Meridian Reservation Systems and with funding from the Canadian Northern Development Agency (CanNor), and the Yukon government the KVA, Yukon’s oldest tourist promotion organization, developed a reservation booking system which links from the KVA’s existing website (http://www.dawsoncity.ca/). There has been extensive consultation with local businesses and Paul Robitaille, KVA’s Events Coordinator, indicates that all the hotels and many other businesses have signed on for the two-year pilot project which will lead to the final version of the system. During this trial period there is no charge to businesses using the system. Each business has the ability to supply its own content for the site. Parks Canada has been very active in embracing the system, and all of its attractions are currently listed for booking on the site. The Book Now link on the KVA’s home page will presently allow a person to choose from two prepared packages (Arts and Culture or Goldrush theme) or to make up one of his or her own from the 21 activities currently listed. Internet users familiar with making hotel or travel bookings on the web will find this process very familiar and quite easy. The KVA website also contains a great deal of information about Dawson, promoting not only its own attractions and events, but also those of other organizations. There is also a link to the Yukoninfo.com website, where a person can either view or download that handy
Visitor Information Centre. “Getting to this point has been lots of work, and it’s quite exciting for KVA. Of course, it’s only beginning and we would not be here without a great deal of help. Thanks to TIAY, whose board and staff continue to represent and support the tourism industry so effectively. Thanks to Yukon government, in particular the minster, officials and staff of the Dept. of Tourism and Culture … whose investment in this project makes it possible. We also remain grateful to the federal folks at CanNor, for their ongoing financial contributions. “Locally, much credit belongs to Mark Wickham of Across the River Consulting and his very capable team. His commitment and abilities have kept us moving forward, especially when the way forward was less than clear. Even closer to home, I want to give credit to the KVA directors and other community volunteers, who have contributed many hours of their valuable time throughout the lengthy planning process en route to today.” Following this, Paul Robitaille and KVA Marketing Manager Rachel Wiegers provided some hands on demonstrations of the system, while some other examined it using the VIC’s workstation. Receiving the Innovator award at the TIAY conference the next evening Gary Parker couldn’t resist a triumphant note in his short speech. “I think we’ve started something new and exciting. And what’s new about Dawson leading the way?” See the website graphic on page 12.
People’s Choice: 4/5: Gavin Winter-Sinnott 6/7: Taiya Melancon
Genealogy Award: 1. Brenna Symanski 2. Lakeisha Quock
Best Research & Writing: Lizzy Sparling
Explore, Create, Discover Award: Tasha-Lee Schwantz
Canadian History Award: Mikaela Kruse
Heritage Figures & Events: Katelyn Vowk
Yellow Truck Award: Sya Berkman Arts & Culture Award: 4/5: Chris Sabio 6/7:Taiya Melancon
Sports & Recreation Award: Carl Knickle Best Graphic Design: James Meredith History Hunter: Rasina Amin Madison Betts
First Nations: 4/5: Destyn Aird 6/7: Lakeisha Quock
The Fête du patrimoine du Yukon Territorial Heritage Fair Steering Committee sincerely thanks the following for their generous support of the Heritage Fair: Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre, Yukon Transportation Museum, Drift Geomatics, Parks Canada, Michael Gates, Midnight Arts, Angellina’s Toy Boutique, Patricia Halladay Graphic Design, Yukon Arts Centre, Ta’an Kwach’an Council, First Nation of Na-Cho Nyak Dun, Sport Yukon, Owen Williams and Maggie Leary.
A huge thank you to our volunteer judges, helpers, teachers, parents and especially to the students who produced amazing history projects at the school fairs and the Territorial Heritage Fair. For more information about the heritage fairs program, visit the website at www.heritagefairs.ca.
P12 Wednesday June 1, 2011
THE KLONDIKE SUN
KVA Launches Web Bookings for Dawson from p. 11
Library Notes Storytime and More: Summer Programming at the Library by Mary Fraughton The birds and the bees are back for the season, the hills are green with leaves, and we at Dawson Community Library are starting up our summer programming. We have four different drop-in weekly activities going on over the next few months, so come on by (or send your kids) and see what’s happening. Storytime for preschoolers will be every Friday; bring your little one by between 12:00 and 2:00pm for an hour or more of poetry, stories, and games. Parents and guardians are encouraged (but not required) to stay, play, and read. Reading Club for 6-12 year olds will be from 2:00 to 4:00
pm on Friday; if you have children who love (or struggle with) reading, bring them by for some extra practice during the summer. There will be a Writing Group for teens and adults meeting from 4:30 to 6:00 pm each Saturday, either in the library or (weather permitting) in the school park. This group can be workshop-based or can center around writing exercises. All ages, types of writing, and levels of expertise are welcome. If the weather seems too nice for inside activities, stop by the library on a Thursday for a Nature Hike. Possible routes include part way up the Dome road, a historical walk around town, and the 9th Avenue Trail. As we walk we will take pictures and notes of things that interest us, and will then head back to the library to research our findings. This is a great chance
for Dawsonites to learn more about our home, for visitors to gain a little (free!) local knowledge, and for all of us to tap into the library’s Northern Collection material. For those of us who want to catch up on summer reading, but don’t know where to start, the Dawson Library will also be hosting a Book Club. This is a great way to meet new books and people, but we will need a core membership. If you’re interested in joining, please give us a call. If you have any questions or suggestions about our summer programming, you can reach us at 993-5571, or simply by dropping in and asking for Mary. We hope to see you soon!
Wednesday June 1, 2011 P13
THE KLONDIKE SUN
Give Customers what they want, says Clayoquot Resort Developer Story & Photo By Dan Davidson “The City of Dawson is near and dear to my heart,” John Caton told his audience at the Tourism Industry Association of Yukon on the first day of the weekend conference. In late psychedelic sixties a ponytailed Caton made his way from Jasper up the Alaska Highway, got press-ganged into fighting a forest fire near the Liard Hotsprings, and eventually arrived in Dawson. “I got a job while I was here, working for Texas Gulf on a survey crew. Spent the summer. Came back the following summer and spent my days off in Whitehorse that year.” He recalls winning the greased pig contest during Discovery Days. He ended up taking a Yukon puppy back to Ontario with him when he rescued a litter of six from a cabin downstream where the mother had been savaged by another of the owner’s dogs. Caton moved through a number of careers before settling into his present occupation at Clayoquot Wilderness Lodge on Vancouver Island. He has been a real estate developer, a farmer, and the music industry manager who promoted Blue Rodeo and Prairie Oyster. He had a lot of high energy, high stress occupations and they all caught up with him in 1989 when he had a major coronary. He told his audience that his move into wilderness tourism was at least partially an act of self-preservation. By 1999, with the financial backing of millionaire Richard Genovese, he was able to launch Clayoquot Wilderness Lodge, a highend resort which gives those who can afford it a wilderness experience in tents at $12,000 a week per person. These are very posh tents, with all the modern conveniences. They have fine crystal, Persian carpets, heaters and beds with duvets and now, after a few years with other arrangements, en-suite bathrooms. That might sound odd, considering that this is a resort where people ride horses, raft rivers and do all sorts of outdoors stuff, but Caton told his audience that his occupancy rate jumped from 50% to 80% the year that he finally got the message and spent the money to upgrade from communal to individual washroom facilities. This required the installation of a sewage treatment plant along with the facilities, but it’s paying off. It’s not that it’s all about toilets, he said, but it appears that the lack of toilets was, in
fact, holding his business back. “Everybody talks about being green, but nobody cares when it comes to toilets and showers.” Wilderness tourism requires land security and sustainability over a long term, Caton said. He and his financial partner have that in a 500-acre area adjacent to an 800,000-acre provincial reserve. A staff of 55 people makes the place comfortable and exciting for 40 to 60 guests from around the world in any given week during the season. “We realize that it’s people power that makes what we have extremely special. The bricks and mortar, as we say, the location, that’s all pretty spectacular, and it makes a big part of it, but what we’ve come to realize is that it’s the … staff that we have, it’s the service level that we give to these people who come to visit us from around the world, that’s extraordinary.” After 15 years experience in BC, Caton would now like to establish a similar, but different, resort in the Yukon, and is currently in negotiations with the Carcross/Tagish First Nation and the Yukon government over a possible site on Lake Bennett. He’s been investigating this possibility for the last three years. (More on this proposal in the next edition of the Sun.) He had looked at the territory back in the mid- 1990s when he and his wife, Adele, first began to get involved in this industry. “You have this majestic area up here that the world really does not know is here.” But when they looked at it then, and rated it against the twenty-point matrix for success that they had created (Adele used this as the basis for her thesis in a course in entrepreneurship) they found that the territory didn’t match enough of the points. They now feel that it does, that transportation, health care access and staffing potential have improved. “I hire local,” Caton said. “I’m looking for authenticity.” He feels that a Yukon resort of the type he has in mind would have no serious competition locally. Start up cost will be steep. It cost $25 million to establish Clayoquot Wilderness Lodge over the years, and would probably cost twice that to set up in the Yukon. Building name recognition of an area is a challenge. He expected that the struggle to preserve the rainforest in Clayoquot Sound would help to create a brand for the place, and he was wrong about that. “People have to be educated to know where Clayoquot Sound is, and the Yukon will need that
too. “Once you get them to come to your resort, you have to give them what they want. I’m going to say that again: what they want. It’s not what you want. It’s not what you like. It’s not any of those things.” Caton’s guiding principle for tourism marketing is to remember that it’s not about what you want to offer; it’s about what people want to pay for. As an example he offered his own preference for trail food in a wilderness setting. Kraft dinner and beans in a can would be fine with him, as would a wall tent with a sleeping bag and an air mattress, but it won’t work for his clientele. But it’s not what people will pay $1800 a day per person for. Instead Clayoquot Wilderness Lodge has those
John Caton believes in giving the customers what they want posh tents and a top quality chef poached from a major hotel in Vancouver. It offers its guests a range of settings, from a restaurant experience to meals in their individual quarters. While he’s happy not to have
cell phone access at Clayoquot, he sees free Internet and wifi as being essential. This allows people to get their email fix a couple of times a day and avoid withdrawal symptoms.
Meier Seeks NDP Nomination Press Release Jorn Meier is seeking the nomination to be the New Democratic Party candidate in the Klondike riding in the upcoming territorial election. During the 18 years he has lived in Dawson City, Meier has demonstrated his commitment to the Klondike as a sponsor, volunteer, and board member for various community organizations. He has a proven record of advancing and protecting the interests of Klondike residents. He is a former president of the Dawson City Chamber of Commerce, current chairman of the Klondike Visitors Association and organizer of
the referendum that saved Dawson from the Yukon Party Government’s ill‐advised plan to build a sewage lagoon at the entrance to town. “It is time for change.” Meier says. “As MLA I can provide the leadership that brings First Nation, City Council, YG and other interested parties to the table. As facilitator of community voices, I would receive the guidance and input to actively promote the interest of our riding in the legislature and my caucus. Together we can shape the future of our community and the Yukon.” The only territorial party offering a balanced, long‐term
For 111 years, the members of IODE Canada have dedicated their volunteer time and talents for a better Canada. Members from across Canada, including Dawson's Joyce Caley, will convene from May 27 to 28, 2011, at the Lord Nelson Hotel & Suites in Halifax, Nova Scotia. At the Opening Ceremonies on Friday morning, 27 May, National President Catherine Moore will welcome IODE delegates and guests to the Annual Business Meeting at which The National Chapter of Canada IODE (RCMP) Community Relations Award will be presented and The National Chapter of Canada IODE Violet Downey Book Award winner for 2011 will be announced. Following a Luncheon, MP for Halifax, Megan Leslie, will welcome members to the city. Renee Stevens,
Communications and Development Officer for HomeBridge will also speak on their organization's work with children and youth. During the afternoon session, members will learn of the work of TARGET 2010 … and beyond, IODE’s 110th Anniversary project aimed at poverty and homelessness; children and youth; or seniors. Each provincial chapter selected as their focus one of the three identified areas with the collective goal to contribute one million dollars to Canada. On Saturday 29 May, honoured members will be celebrated during presentations of National Life Memberships and chapters awarded for growth in membership. During a Working Luncheon, representatives from Team Canada Helping Hands will speak on their relief efforts in Haiti and the use of the donation
IODE Meeting in Halifax
approach for all Yukoners is the NDP, he says. Be it education, economy, environment or First Nation concerns, the Yukon Party has lost sight of the bigger picture. Sustaining healthy communities with adequate housing for everyone will help build a vibrant diverse economy. “I am seeking the NDP nomination for the Klondike with the hopes of representing my riding as a member of a NDP government under Liz Hanson to restore the voice of reason to territorial governance.” For more information on Jorn and his major election issues, contact Jorn at 993‐2480.
from IODE’s Canadian Disaster Fund. Saturday afternoon, Karen MacTavish from the Community Recreation Services and Community Development for Halifax Regional Municipality, will discuss healthy natural eating and healthy active living. At the National Chapter Dinner on Saturday 28 May City Councillor, Jennifer Watts will be in attendance and bring greetings from council on behalf of the Mayor. IODE Officers for the term 2011 – 2012 will be installed. Founded in 1900, IODE Canada is a national women’s charitable organization dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for individuals through education support, community service and citizenship programs. Please visit www.iode.ca.
P14 Wednesday June 1, 2011
THE KLONDIKE SUN
Dawson Sees First Fire of the Season By Dan Davidson
On the hottest day of the year so far (+25° C), there was a hot time in the YTG Campground in West Dawson when an overheated Ford car caught fire, sending black smoke billowing into the air. Fire Chief Jim Regimbal says the call came in shortly after 6 pm. The RCMP and the Dawson Fire Dept. were mobilized within ten minutes. The Mounties were first on the George Black ferry, which left the landing on the Dawson side just minutes before the fire truck rolled out
of the bays below City Hall. The ferry crew made a fast turnaround trip and the fire fighters were on their way across the river by 6:32. Arriving at the campground Regimbal said they found the owner of Nordique Fire Protection, who was camping there, already battling the blaze with an assortment of fire extinguishers he had brought with him to display at the Gold Show, which was to start the next day. The car was fully involved, as firefighters like to say, and had ignited some of the grass around it as well as scorching a
few trees. Thanks to everyone’s quick action it was extinguished with minimal damage to anything else. As of last night no one really knows how the fire started. Regimbal was full of praise for his crew, most of whom left meals on the table – some in restaurants around town – to answer the call promptly and professionally. The car was in such bad shape that no one could really tell what model it was at the time, but one of the volunteers suggested it might be a “Ford Fireball”.
CYFT 106.9 FM: Dawson City Community Radio
“The Spirit of Dawson” Thursday, May 5th 6:00-7:00 Steve and Nathan- Sports Talk Radio 7:00-8:00 Rosie and Capri- The Cat’s Meow 8:00-10:00 Ben- Party Time Machine Friday, May 6th
The black smoke came from the burning tires on the vehicle.
1:00-3:00 Jay- The Theme Scheme 3:00-5:00 John- On the John 5:00-6:00 Tara- Tara’s show 6:00-8:00 Logan - Fill-In Show 8:00-9:00 Sonny Boy Williams- Rockin’ Blues Show 9:00-10:00 Jim- Psychedelic Saturday, May 7th 10:00-12:00 Jason- Foxy’s Breakfast 12:00-1:00 Georgia - Money Where My Mouth Is 1:00-2:00 Simon- The Story Hour 2:00-3:00 Jenna- Spires and Spindles 3:00-4:00 Freddie- Howling Revivalists Hour Of Power 4:00-5:00 Tim and Megan- Nuggets 5:00-7:00 Molly- Fart Barfunkel 7:00-9:00 Jen- The Cave of Spleen Sunday, May 9th 12:00-1:00 1:00-2:00 2:00-3:00 3:00-4:00 4:00-6:00 6:00-8:00 8:00-10:00
The ferry crew waves the fire truck aboard.
Mike- The City Mic CKLB- Ends of the Earth Julie- Francopen Kerry & Jackson- Yukon SOVA Radio Program Aubyn +?- Diff’rent Strokes Kit- Meat and Potatoes Ben and Brendan- The Kings of Dawson City
Tune your dial to 106.9 FM or Cable Channel 11 (Rolling Ads) in Dawson City, or listen live over the internet at www.cfyt.ca!
Wednesday June 1, 2011 P15
THE KLONDIKE SUN
Hunter Gatherer By Allie Haydock
The Summer Side Dish
I know it’s summer when I remember how delicious hot dogs are and want to eat them every night for dinner. The only thing better than barbecued hot dogs for dinner is barbecued hot dogs with delicious picnic-style salads on the side. We’re talking pasta salad, cole slaw, potato salad and all the delicious varieties of each. I love the idea of an essentially complete meal in a giant bowl that you keep in the fridge until it’s gone, making all subsequent meals easier, and a great packed-lunch solution. What’s even better than a complete meal-in-one dish, is serving one on the side of an existing meal, or several other “summer sides”. Here is a great pasta salad recipe, that doesn’t have to be confined to pasta. I made it a couple of weeks ago with whole grain barley instead and last weekend for a camping trip with quinoa. If I am to use pasta, I like to use whole grain penne – the noodles are the perfect shape and the whole grain variety makes it healthier and more flavorful. Feel free to improvise with other ingredients to suit your own tastes and what you have on hand. You can use just one kind of herb, or several (it’s a great way to use up those packages about to spoil in your fridge), just make sure you use fresh. The chili flakes make the dish fairly spicy, so use them or don’t. This recipe is really just a template for a good, healthy and satisfying summer side dish that can easily be packed up and keeps well, so think of it for your next camping trip.
For the Salad: - 1 package cooked penne, quinoa or any other coarse grain - 2 tbsp olive oil - 1 – 2 cups mushrooms, thickly chopped - 1 red pepper, thickly chopped - 1 small head broccoli, cut into florets - 1 cucumber, chopped - 1 package grape tomatoes, chopped - 7 or so sun-dried tomatoes, chopped - ½ cup minced fresh basil, dill and cilantro - 1 avocado, chopped - lemon juice For the Dressing: - 1/3 cup olive oil - ¼ cup balsamic vinegar - Juice from ½ a lemon - 2 tbsp dijon mustard - 2 tbsp honey - 1 clove garlic, minced - 1 tbsp red pepper flakes (optional) - Ground black pepper - - - -
-
Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and add the mushrooms, sautéing until soft Add the red pepper and cook for a few minutes, until cooked slightly but still a bit crunchy, then set the mixture aside to cool In the meantime, make the dressing – I just combine all the ingredients in a jar with a lid and shake until combined Mix the mushrooms and peppers into the pasta and then add the rest of the ingredients (except avocado), including the dressing Sprinkle the lemon juice over the avocado and mix into the salad just before serving
North of Iskut By Tor Forsberg Caitlin Press 214 pages $24.95
Bookends
Tor Forsberg seems to have settled down these days. Watson Lake has been her home now since the early 2000s and the dozens of columns archived on the Yukon News’ website show that she has a real affection for the place and its people. After bouncing all over western Canada as a child, Watson Lake was the place where she came of age. She writes that it “provided me with a childhood so ideal that I remember thinking how good it was even while I was living it.” By her late teens, however, she seems to have acquired her father’s wanderlust. Marriage to a pilot interrupted her plans to go to art school, and could have taken her all over the world. It did take her to a fiveyear stay in Montreal before the marriage broke up and she returned to the place she thought of as home in 1971. A couple of years of town life trapped her in a cycle of too many parties and too much beer, although it also gave her a relationship with a caring older man named Tee. It was another much older man, Lynch Callison, who took her aside and suggested she visit his ranch for a while to get her head straight. She had no idea that this invitation would lead to a five year love affair with life in the bush, during which she would learn to trap, ride horses, build a log cabin, experience a number of epiphanies about herself, and finally, move on. Moving on seems to be a theme which reverberates through Forsberg’s life. She writes that she knew she had reached the end of her days at the LV Ranch all of a sudden one morning. It was the end of her second beaver trapping expedition and she just knew it was the end of an era for her. Even the thoughts of the comforts waiting for her back at her cabin, a twenty mile ride away, seemed to pale before all the work she knew she would have to do when she got there before she could actually enjoy them. Like many of the transitions
with Dan Davidson
in her life, this understanding seemed to come out of the blue. “Even now,” she writes, “ I don’t know how or why I made the decisions I did. My life underwent enormous changes without any trauma (at least to me) every few years, and it all seemed effortless.” Reading that, I wondered if her father’s peripatetic lifestyle had been driven by the same seemingly random choices. “In hindsight I am sorry for the carelessness, the youthful selfishness that informed my decisions; some people were hurt, and confused, by my actions, and it didn’t seem to matter to me.” At the age of 25 she relocated to the LV Ranch for five years, maintaining her relationship with Tee, learning how to live with less, and experiencing a lifestyle that was sometimes transcendent, sometimes scary, sometimes filled with adventure, sometimes routine and sometimes (usually at her own expense) funny. She plays down her own level of adaptation to life in the bush and seems to feel quite strongly that she made it through those five years because she had a great support group. Clearly
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she was valued by the people around her, who taught her and nurtured her through her trialand-error approach to life. She bought the wrong sort of boat and nearly paid the price for it. She built her cabin in what was likely the wrong place and paid an annual price for that. I don’t want to sound too critical of Forsberg. In this look back at her younger self she passes quite a few judgments on herself, and seems particularly remorseful about her treatment of Tee. Be that as it may, the book is an engaging read, and I found myself rooting for the personal growth of this person as I spent a couple of afternoons with her. Yes, it was a readable book, and I found myself making time to go back to it when I actually had a few other things I needed to do. Just about my only quibble with the book is that I wish it had had a map. Trying to figure out just where all of these events took place caused me to spend some time with Google Earth, and I’m still not satisfied that I got it. It’s not a vital omission though.
“From spill kits to wine kits!”
P16 Wednesday June 1, 2011
THE KLONDIKE SUN
London’s Bust Unboxed in Dawson
Exploration Crew Helps RSS with Annual Clean-up
Story & Photo By Dan Davidson Jack London has arrived in Dawson again. Well, his head has, anyway. Whitehorse sculptor Harreson Tanner presented the Klondike Visitors Association with the gun metal glazed original of the Jack London bust he made for display in Whitehorse in 2010. The sculpture was commissioned by Rolf and Margaret Hougen in January 2010 and was unveiled in Whitehorse in November of that year. Tanner explained the duplicate to the crowd at the Dawson Visitor Information Centre on May 5. “The sculpture of Jack London on Main St. in Whitehorse came from a ceramic piece and, as the artist, I get to keep the ceramic piece. This is the ceramic piece. “We got tired of looking at it at home because it didn’t really belong there. I love Dawson and my wife won’t move here, so I thought, ‘I’ll send Jack’.” Just exactly how the finished product would appear, Tanner hadn’t been sure. Opening the cardboard box was as suspenseful for him as for everyone else. “Yesterday morning it went into a kiln at Patrick Royle’s studio and I have no idea what it turned out to look like because it was unfinished clay when I left (to drive to Dawson) and Mike (Prochazka ) drove it up.” So saying, he pulled the bust out of the box, causing KVA executive director Gary Parker to exclaim that it was a Jack in the box, which pretty much brought down the room. “He’s really shiny,” Tanner said, “but he’ll look good in the sunshine.” The bust also has a plaque, the result of the original plaque in the city having been made with lettering too small to read or take pictures of from any distance. London biographer Dick North’s wording will look just fine up close. Jack London, January 1876 - November 1916 In the summer of 1897, at the age of 21, Jack London camped in the Whitehorse area after running Miles Canyon and the Whitehorse Rapids. He then went down river to spend fall through spring at Dawson City, Stewart Island and Henderson Creek. In August 1898 he returned to his Oakland California home. The influence of the North was evident in his 5 novels and 65 short stories. Two of his novels, “The Call of the Wild” and “White Fang” were bestsellers and drew world-
Story & Photos by Dan Davidson
wide attention to the Yukon. His short story “To Build a Fire” generally ascribed to contain the most poignant descriptions of the cold ever written. Gary Parker says the bust will probably have its permanent home in the VIC, along with Robert Service’s
typewriter. People seeing it in the centre will, he hopes, be moved to visit the KVA’s Jack London Museum and the cabin in which the famous American writer lived on Stewart Island. They are located at the corner of Eighth Avenue and Firth Street and are now open for business.
Confluence Members’ Gallery unveils summer exhibits
May 27, 2011 was Clean-Up Day in Dawson and two crews hit the streets to pick up some of the garbage that’s been strewn around over the winter and has been revealed by the now departed snow. The first crew came from the Robert Service School, for which this is an annual event set near the end of each school year. Classes, examinations and all activities at RSS end on June 3 this year, due to the two week March Break, so this was the week that a clean up could happen. The second crew was made up of the 70-80 members of Ground Truth Exploration Inc., who have been training for their work in the bush in Dawson for the last two weeks. Crew chief Mark Dauphinee says the new recruits have spent the last fortnight becoming bush worthy, receiving training in wilderness first aid, use of a chainsaw, use of their handheld computers and the proper way to collect and analyze the data from the soil samples and helicopter, use. Classes took place in the Yukon School of Visual Arts building and the new Yukon College campus next door. ‘We thought we’d lend a hand with the spring cleanup of the town before we headed out,” said Dauphinee. Ground Truth coordinated with the school, where a map of the routes the classes would take had already been prepared, and selected the dyke, part of the Front Street entrance to town (which is actually part of the Klondike Highway) and some of the ski/ walking trails up on the Dome. It was a hot morning, but lots of garbage bags got filled. * Grade 2 cleans up on Sixth Avenue.
Press release
The Confluence Members’ Gallery in Dawson City has announced its 2011 summer series of exhibitions. This year, the gallery will present five exhibitions and a workshop series devoted to art preparation and installation. Angela Bonnici, Rosie Butler and Rebecca Geddes’ exhibition New Works opened Thursday evening. The three emerging artists share recent two-dimensional works inspired by, or created in, Dawson City. The exhibition, on display through June 11, focuses on portraiture, painting, and life in Dawson. Every Day I’m Hustlin’, a group photography show curated by Megan Graham, will open at 8 p.m. June 16. The show features contemporary images of work and labour in the Dawson area created by local photographers, as well as historic images from the Dawson City Museum, the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in Heritage Department, and the Yukon Archives. The show is on display through July 10. In conjunction with the Dawson City Music Festival, the gallery will present Don’t Stop Believin’: Photographs of the Dawson City Music Festival from July 14 through July 17, with an opening reception at 5:30 p.m. on July 14. The exhibition profiles the countless volunteers and community members who have contributed their time and energy to facilitating the Dawson City Music Festival over its 33-year history. Evan Rensch and Aubyn O’Grady’s Solutions will open at 7 p.m. July 21 and run through Aug. 7. The interactive installation presents potential remedies to Dawson City’s perennial housing crisis. Merging video, found materials and artificial constructions, the project shifts playfully between fantasy and reality to explore alternative strategies to a longstanding problem. The summer exhibition series concludes with the Dawson City Arts Society’s Members’ Exhibition, opening at 8:30 p.m. on Aug. 11 a as a part of the Yukon Riverside Arts Festival’s Gallery Hop. The open call show features works of art in all media by all ages and abilities of Dawson City Arts Society members. As well, the Confluence Members’ Gallery will offer a workshop series on the preparation and installation of art. Participants will learn custom framing, mat cutting and hanging. These workshop skills can be applied to gallery settings, home or office decorating, and more. Dates and times for the series will be announced in July. For more information about the exhibitions and workshop series, visit http://www.kiac.ca
*
Ground Truth workers clean up the waterfront
THE KLONDIKE SUN
Receation Dept. News
Wednesday June 1, 2011 P17
RCMP Community Events
The City of Dawson would like to thank the students of Robert May saw both the detachment BBQ lunch ... Service School and the Ground Truth Exploration Crew for their efforts in helping to keep our community clean. Our afterschool programming will be finishing up with the school year. Please look for our Summer Leisure Guide in your mailbox later this week. First set of Swimming Lessons will begin on Monday June 6th. Please register between May 30th and June 3rd at the pool. Private Lessons are available on Saturdays between 1011:30, first set will start on June 11th. Please register between May 30th and June 3rd. Limited spots available so register early! Daycare Lessons will begin on June 14th, please registration and payment will be done through the daycare. Job Opportunities: The Recreation Department is seeking applicants for the ... and the Bike Safety Rodeo at the Robert Service School. following positions Summer Recreation Assistant, Lifeguards and a permanent part-time Custodian. Please contact Marta Selassie at 993-2350 for more information. We would like to remind people to please keep off the grass and out of the fenced in area on the waterfront.
sun cartoons Tundra by Chad Carpenter
We don't have permission to use Tundra online.
Roache’s Corner by Mike Roache
P18 Wednesday June 1, 2011
THE KLONDIKE SUN
sun classifieds Churches
Support
ST. MARY’S CATHOLIC CHURCH
ST. PAUL’S ANGLICAN CHURCH
Corner of 5th and King Services: Sunday mornings at 10:30 am, Sat. 5 pm, Tues. 7 pm, Wed. to Fri. 9:30 am. All are welcome. Contact Father Ernest Emeka Emeodi for assistance: 993-5361
Sunday Services 1st and 3rd Sundays, 10:30 am. Morning Prayer 2nd and 4th Sundays, 10:30 am. Holy Eucharist 5th Sundays - 10:30 am. Special service.
DAWSON COMMUNITY CHAPEL
Located on 5th Ave across from Gold Rush Campground. Sunday worship at 11 am. Everyone is welcome. Pastor Ian Nyland 993-5507
Klondike Outreach Job Board
Real Estate
FOR SALE BY OWNER 1 1/2 COMMERCIAL LOTS On 3rd Ave next to the Westminster Hotel. Call 993-5346
Many Rivers Counselling and Support Services Individual, couple, family, or group counselling. A highly confidential service located in the Waterfront Building. We are a non-profit organization with a sliding fee scale. To make an appointment call 993-6455 or email dawson@manyrivers. yk.ca. See our website at www.manyrivers.yk.ca/.
Alcoholics Anonymous New Beginnings Group meets Thursdays 8 pm, St. Paul’s R. Martin Chapel kitchen, Church St. North Star Group meets Saturdays 7 pm at the Community Support Centre, 1233-2nd Ave, call 993-3734 or 5095 for info.
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business directory
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Open Positions: Automotive Mechanic Bakery Assistant Chef Bank Cashier Barista/Front Counter Person Bartenders Carpenter Childcare Workers Clerks / Cashiers Clubhouse Attendant Commercial Sewing Machine Operator Cooks / Line Cooks Counterpersons / Cashiers Custodian / Janitor Custodian / Guide Dealer Deli Person / Cashier Dishwashers Door Staff Driver Guides Fleet Detail Front Desk Clerks Housekeepers/Room Attendants Housekeeper/Desk Clerk HVAC Technician (heating, ventilation, air conditioning) Journeyman Ice Cream Cone Maker Labourers Maintenance Workers Nanny (Live-in) Night Auditors Oil Burner Technician Painters Partsman Rock Truck Driver Servers Sessional Instructors Stock Clerks Tour Guide Positions w/ Closing Dates: Saturday Recycling Depot Attendant: June 1 @ 5 Director of HR & Community Training: June 3 @ 4 Lifeguard: June 3 Gallery & Residency Director: June 17 @ 4:30 Recreation Manager (1-year term): June 24 @ 4 Student/Youth Positions: Tour Guide Summer Recreation Assistant: June 3 Positions Out of Town: Enumerators Housekeepers Server Service Station Attendants Various Mining Positions
For more information on these and other positions, come into the Klondike Outreach office next to the Territorial Agent/Liquor Store. (853-Third Street).
Hours
Monday-Friday: 9-noon and 1-5 pm Closed weekends and Stat Holidays
Contact Info
Phone: 993-5176 ~ Fax: 993-6947 Website: www.klondikeoutreach.com E-mail: info@klondikeoutreach.com
Wednesday June 1, 2011 P19
THE KLONDIKE SUN
P.O. Box 308 (1336 Front Street), Dawson City, Yukon Y0B 1G0 Tel: (867) 993-7400 ~ Fax: (867) 993-7434 NEW WEBSITE: www.cityofdawson.ca (updated regularly)
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
Meeting Schedules
Recreation Manager (Temporary, One Year Term)
Council
The Town of the City of Dawson is seeking a qualified applicant to fill the position of Recreation Manager for a period commencing August 1, 2011 to July 31, 2012. Reporting to the CAO, this position is responsible for coordinating the effective delivery of all recreation programs and services. These duties include developing recreation facility and program schedules, liaising with community groups, managing recreation budgets, developing proposals, and delivering recreation programming.
City Council meets on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month at 7PM in Council Chambers. Council meetings are open to the public and we encourage you to attend. Please also note that Council meetings are now being aired live on channel 12.
Heritage
Heritage Advisory Committee meets on the 2nd and 4th Monday of each month at 7PM in Council Chambers.
Recreation
Qualifications: • Degree or Diploma in Recreation or related field; equivalent experience will be considered; • Ability to plan, direct, develop, implement and evaluate recreation programs, policies and procedures; • Experience in personnel management, event planning and community planning; • Valid Class 4 Drivers License or a Valid Class 5 with a willingness to obtain a Class 4; • Current First Aid and CPR Tickets or willingness to obtain If you wish to speak with someone about this opportunity, please contact Jeff Renaud, CAO at (867) 993-7400 or cao@cityofdawson.ca. A detailed job description is available upon request. Salary: Commensurate with qualifications and experience.
Recreation Board meets on the 1st and 3rd Monday of each month at 5:30PM in the Recreation Department Offices at the Art and Margaret Fry Recreation Centre. If you are applying to the Recreation Board please be sure to have your application submitted on the Thursday prior to the meeting.
Closing Date: A current resume and covering letter must be received at the City of Dawson Administration Building by 4:00 pm on Friday, June 24, 2011.
Property Taxes are due on Monday, July 4th.
City of Dawson Office 1336 Front Street Box 308, Dawson City, YT Y0B 1G0 Attn: Jeff Renaud, CAO
We thank all applicants, but only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.
Digital Cable is now available!
If you have not received your Tax Notice please contact the City Office immediately at 993-7400. Kindly note overdue property taxes will be charged a 10% penalty and interest.
Kindly contact the City at 993-7400 for details on packages and setting up accounts. Please also note the rates and channel line-ups have been posted on the City webpage (www.cityofdawson.ca).
DAWSON CITY – HEART OF THE KLONDIKE