PHOTO: Supplied by Matthew Lien
FINDING THE TIME
Despite family and career obligations, The Lucky Ones are still dedicated to making music together
Iincluding two slots at the Kluane Mountain Bluegrass Festival (KMBF).
t’s not often The Lucky Ones perform in the Yukon these days. They have other commitments — children, careers, those sorts of things — and as a band have been focusing more on playing outside of the territory, bringing their uniquely northern brand of rugged hillbilly country music to other corners of Canada.
This summer, Yukon audiences will get to see The Lucky Ones at a handful of local appearances,
“Last time we played there, three years ago, it was kind of old lifestyles catching up to us, wheels falling off, but we were also becoming parents at the same time or just became parents,” says bandleader, vocalist, mandolinist and guitarist Ryan West. “It was kind of a standstill, like, is this destroyed? Does the band fall apart or do we go forward?” Parenthood and sobriety turned things on a head for The Lucky Ones, forcing the members of the band to reassess their priorities. Playing music was still important and enjoyable for them, and they were committed to sticking together musically. In addition to West, and Ian Smith on vocals, guitar and mandolin, the group in-
cludes Kieran Poile on fiddle; Jeff Dineley on upright bass and Ryan McNally on banjo and pedal steel. It released a new EP, “A Nickel for the Fiddler” last year and is looking forward to another season of touring this year. By touring occasionally, instead of playing regularly in the Yukon, West says he and his bandmates are able to focus on their families and daily lives when they are at home.
“We decided to package things a little more professionally and maybe play a little less at home and focus more on doing little tours outside of the territory,” he says. “So that’s where we’ve kind of taken it.”
Describing his band’s sound with words like “hillbilly” and “honky tonk,” West professes that The Lucky Ones wouldn’t be around without late Yukon fiddler,
cont’d on page 4...
Manus Hopkins is a journalist and musician originally from Whitehorse.
with Manus Hopkins
Max Powers Photography
40 YEARS AFTER ITS INCEPTION, MATTHEW LIEN’S
KLUANE COMPOSITIONS PROJECT HAS TAKEN FLIGHT
In the realization of a decades-old dream, musician and producer Matthew Lien and singer Diyet van Lieshout have achieved a monumental feat for Yukon music
Forty years ago, Matthew Lien felt like he had failed.
The Yukon-based musician, composer and producer had the idea to transport a full-sized piano into the Kluane Mountain Range to create a monumental piece of music honouring the culture, scenery and artistry of the north.
But everything he wrote musically just seemed to fall short of his vision. It got to the point that Lien made the difficult decision to shelve the project, but his desire to bring it back to life never left the back of his mind.
“I wanted to celebrate that amazing wilderness, which I felt was unknown outside of the Yukon,” he explains, outlining his plan to record a video involving a
grand piano being played on King’s Throne Peak.
“Lots of people were excited about the idea. I got a letter of support from Parks Canada and I received a letter of support from the mayor and council of Haines
Junction. I applied for $5,000 for the recording of the song, and accomplished that, but for several reasons, the song did not meet my expectations due to my own youthfulness and lack of experience.”
It was such a disappointment to Lien that he thought his career was over. Though the song his idea spawned at the time, “Kluane,” would go on to be well-received, he knew it wasn’t the right song for his grandiose vision, but he
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Let Mallory’s Postering
Manus Hopkins is a journalist and musician originally from Whitehorse.
Piano at Kathleen with the Roli Seaboard 2
PHOTOS: Supplied by Matthew Lien
Joe Loutchan, in particular.
“We really like these people from around the north who were singing northern songs and telling northern stories about northern people,” West says. “We saw that as something that was dying off and we wanted to keep that tradition alive, so a lot of our stuff is really central to the Yukon and to the north.”
Gearing up to play the KMBF this year feels like something of a homecoming for West and his bandmates. The last time they played the festival was when they saw themselves come to a crossroads, and the new and improved well-oiled machine will finally get to be shown off to Yukon audiences this summer.
The KMBF takes place June 6-8, and The Lucky Ones will make other Yukon appearances June 10 at Arts in the Park in Whitehorse, June 12 at the ’98 Hotel and June 13 at the Village Bakery in Haines Junction.
“In addition to recording a new album, we’ve also got some real cool and exciting stuff lined up for the coming couple years around the Yukon, but I can’t really divulge too much on that yet,” West teases. “Perhaps another story in the future!”
After their run of Yukon shows in June, The Lucky Ones will head south for an Alberta tour, including an appearance at the Canmore Folk Festival. Because the music is uniquely northern, West says he
loves getting the chance to bring stories of the north to other parts of the country and the world.
“We have so many tourists up here, and we never really thought too much of ourselves — it’s kind of the tourists who made us decide to do that, because they were always talking about how much they enjoyed our music,” he says.
“No matter where we go, we always seem to run into people who have been to the Yukon, or that we’ve met in the Yukon or who have been to the ’98. But also, for people who haven’t been
up here but have always wanted to, to be able to share some stories and weave some yarn about the eccentricities of the colourful five per cent that are up here, it’s really special and it’s a privilege for sure.”
West candidly admits that being known as a travelling party band can take a physical toll on him and his bandmates, and now lives a sober lifestyle in favour of the longevity of his musical career.
“Now, living a sober life, it’s a real gift and a blessing to be able to be out there,” he says. “We’re still creating a party and still part of it, but we’re waking up in the morning feeling good and we’re able to have these conversations and meet these people and put our best foot forward and do it in a good way.”
With the recent news that some funding he had applied for has gone through, West is now looking forward to getting back into the studio to cut a new full-length album in the winter after his summer on the road. He already has plans for the new music, which he hopes to be able to start sharing early in 2026.
“It’ll be even more country and even more Yukon,” he says.
To keep up with The Lucky Ones’ touring schedule and stay on top of their releases, visit theluckyonesmusic.com. n
The Lucky Ones are Kieran Poile on fiddle; Ryan West on guitar, vocals and mandolin; Jeff Dineley on upright bass; Ian Smith on vocals, guitar and mandolin and Ryan McNally on banjo and pedal steel
Promotional shot of The Lucky Ones
Max Powers Photography
FREELANCE
UNMASKING THE EVERYDAY
arcel Proust wrote that
Yukon Artists at Work computer — is a reminder that art isn’t just an outpouring. It’s a process entangled with the mundane: patience, spreadsheets, funding applications, lunch breaks, discipline, and the eternal struggle to get a piece just right.
The idea emerged when the gallery was closed during COVID. “We were having a Zoom meeting, and Jeanine Baker said something about the artist in the window, and I was like, ‘Oh my god, that’s brilliant!’” Bauberger’s voice is animated with the memory. “We started doing these informal residencies where artists created art in the windows.”
M“the real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.”
In a small kitchen and work area that smells of coffee and paint, local artists Linda Leon and Doug Rutherford talk about their creative process, the various sources of light that the Hubble and James Webb Telescopes can receive, and the importance of taking breaks to gain a fresh perspective. It’s the kind of conversation that could only have begun with art. As they speak, their eyes seem to be both present and imagining, inward and elsewhere, seeing and revealing.
“I see something new every time I go anywhere,” says Rutherford, a retired archaeologist turned watercolourist, his face bright with enthusiasm. “Different light, different — oh look, that tree’s got more buds on it today.”
This tucked-away corner of Whitehorse’s Yukon Artists at Work (YAAW) gallery — with its desk, coffee maker, half-empty mugs, and the gentle hum of a
“I’m a big proponent of taking paintings and facing them against the wall,” says Leon, who serves as YAAW’s treasurer in addition to her work as a visual and theatre artist. “I wait so I can’t see them for a couple of days sometimes, especially if I’m stuck. As a writer you get stuck, but as an artist you get stuck too.”
This summer, from June 2 to July 14, YAAW will offer a series of downtown art experiences led by Whitehorse-based artists. “You get to meet an actual practising artist,” explains Nicole Bauberger, YAAW’s chair. Seated on a couch in her Hillcrest home, surrounded by art, books and yellow kitchen cupboards, we sip tea. Bauberger’s dog, Itsy, gnaws on a bone under a chair.
“You’re going to walk around with an artist whose practice lives here. They’re going to tell you the stories of these artworks based on their personal connection to them.”
The Monday evening workshops, running from 5-7 p.m., invite participants for “a spot of art before supper.” Seven artists will offer hands-on sessions in the closed gallery, beginning with tea, coffee, and a short gallery tour before diving into various media.
Linda Leon’s printmaking workshop will be on July 7. “Printmaking is really interesting,” she explains as she adjusts her posture in the office chair. “It forces your brain to work in a different way than it would if you were drawing or painting.”
When asked why black and white prints can express something that colour cannot, Leon leans forward. “Colour is seductive,” she says. “It’s like film noir. People still film in black and white because you can say things that you can’t say in colour. It becomes more metaphorical.”
Doug Rutherford will teach a northern lights watercolour workshop on June 30. “Watercolour works best for the northern lights simply because they’re both ephemeral,” he explains, his
hands mimicking the flow of paint across paper. “We will make the paint move.”
On Wednesdays from 1-3 p.m., artists will lead walking tours of the riverside and downtown. “Locals really love it,” Bauberger explains. “They say, ‘Wow, I’ve walked past this countless times. I’ve seen the mosaic mural on the Le Page park stage. I didn’t know it was Chris Sherbarth, and it’s got a beautiful arts community story behind it.’”
Another one of the highlights is a pair of bear sculptures created by Donald Watt and Jeanine Baker. “That’ll be one of them, for sure,” Leon says. “They’re such nice pieces. Everybody should see them.”
Like these hidden gems waiting to be discovered, artists themselves often travel unexpected paths. Rutherford shares how he used to paint in oil but “gave it up in 1976,” he says. In 2018 he “took a three-hour workshop and a half-hour lesson and said, ‘Well, I’m gonna try some YouTube vid-
eos and learn this on my own.’”
Now his daily practice — 1,899 consecutive watercolours and counting since March 2020 — has become a ritual of observation. Each piece of Rutherford’s art on the wall at YAAW’s gallery represents a moment when the ordinary was granted special attention. Likewise, the riverside walks invite participants to pause at the metal work that Paul Baker created for Antoinette’s — not just decorative mountains, but actual ranges translated from observational drawings into steel. “While people might kind of look at it,” Bauberger explains, “they wouldn’t necessarily know the stories behind it.” Art doesn’t just happen in galleries or studios. It is created behind the eyes, and out on the street, in the day-to-day as well as the extraordinary. It occurs in the quality of attention we bring to the everyday world — the world these artists are inviting us to see anew. n
column with Ben Charland
Ben Charland is a local writer and communications consultant. He also teaches creative writing, literature and theatre at Yukon University, and lives in downtown Whitehorse with his wife and two kids.
Doug Rutherford
PHOTO: Ben Charland Linda Leon
PHOTO: Ben Charland
Nicole Bauberger tells animated stories on Chris Scherbarth’s beautiful mosaic stage in LePage Park
PHOTO: Supplied by Nicole Bauberger
A KLONDIKE KORNER
DAWSON CITY HAS ITS MOMENTS
Every day, CBC’s The National ends with a short story called The Moment that they describe this way on their website: “In the middle of a busy news day it made us smile, laugh or celebrate the kindness in the world.”
Recently, there was the moment when a young boy became friends with a bird named Russell Crow. During another moment we watched a bull moose shed its antlers. On another night, we watched a brawl between a Canada Goose and a bald eagle, in
which the goose won. Three weeks ago we watched the moment that the legendary grizzly known as “the boss” came out of hibernation for the spring.
At the end of an hour often packed full of explosions, fires, natural disasters and conflicts, the show tries to end the day on a positive note.
In May, two of these moments came from Dawson City.
The ice bridge across the Yukon River to West Dawson closed officially on April 7. People were still
capable of crossing by vehicle or on foot for a while after that but, unless they had voted in the advance polls, that was no longer possible by the date of the federal election on April 28.
The solution from Elections Canada was to set up a remote polling station on the west back of the river, near the ferry landing. As reported in the Klondike Sun “Elections Canada workers were flown in by helicopter and an outdoor polling station set up from noon to 2:00 p.m. at the West side
ferry landing.”
Apparently about two dozen locals took advantage of the chance to vote.
And the next night this event was featured as the National’s Moment.
That was neat and unexpected, but it was even neater when they noticed us again, two days later.
Each year the IODE holds a Breakup Ice Pool contest in which people are asked to guess the day and time when the tripod, which has been placed on the river ice as a marker, heads off downstream as the ice in front of the town begins to break up. It’s a dramatic event and one that heralds the coming of our short spring before summer arrives.
Our flood dike has people walking up and down for days in advance, waiting for the tripod’s movement to pull the wire that will stop the clock attached to the
Dänojà Zho Cultural Centre.
There are so many people on site that, even if the clock doesn’t stop as it’s supposed to, which it did not this year, there’s never any difficulty in pinpointing the exact time, which this year was 10:56 a.m. on April 30 th.
One of the two winners of the prize this year was the town’s recreation manager, Paul Robitaille, and Paul was featured as part of The Moment on the next evening on the National, along with cell phone coverage of the moving ice and the people watching.
The water has since opened right up and the George Black ferry went back into service on May 12, 2025.
It was quite exciting to have our town make The National news two nights in the same week, but then those of us who live here know that Dawson has a good many Moments that are worth noticing. n
column with
Dan Davidson
Dan Davidson retired after more than three decades teaching in Yukon schools. He has continued to write for various publications, including two columns in What’s Up Yukon.
Chopper landing
PHOTO: Danny Dowhal
Photographer watching moving ice
PHOTO: Dan Davidson
wasn’t sure he had it in him to truly bring his ultimate dream to fruition.
“I kept the idea in my imagination over the following decades,” he says. “As a dreamer, I imagined what it should really be is something called “The Kluane Compositions,” and it should feature three movements, representing the ice fields, the glacier forefields and the front ranges, which are really three distinct personalities of Kluane.”
Lien also realized that to truly work, the project would need an indigenous collaborator. There was one obvious choice: local singersongwriter Diyet van Lieshout, a prolific and well-known musician who is also a member of the Kluane First Nation. Eventually, Lien had it all planned out. It was all coming together, at least in his head, should the opportunity to take another stab at the project ever present itself again. Finally, in 2024, it did.
“The Yukon Government was looking for projects to celebrate the 125th anniversary, and when I heard about that, I called Diyet immediately,” says Lien. “We both grew up at Kluane, but I am from a family that moved here, and she’s Indigenous, so we will forever have different perspectives of that place.”
When Lien presented the project proposal to Diyet, she loved the idea and was eager to put her own stamp on it.
“I got a call out of the blue from Matthew,” says Diyet. “He pitched this idea to me of composing new music, filming in the Kluane icefields and slinging a grand piano out there! I was super intrigued and I could visualize how that would look immediately.
“The more that we talked about this idea, the more I saw the significance of connection, conservation, understanding, and how land, words and music can be the foundation to tell an important story.
“Both Matthew and I are passionate about Kluane and we are passionate about storytelling that’s grounded in the connection of humans and land.”
The project was selected as
one of three recipients of the Yukon 125 prize, along with Yukon Alpine Climbing for the first ever ascent of Radelet’s Peak and Tedd Tucker and Amy Kenny for “It’s Weird Up Here: A celebration of small achievements,” a written and illustrated account of undertold Yukon stories.
The three movements of The Kluane Compositions became a 13-minute film, one Lien says is a downplay to call a music video.
“My role is that of an observer, and Diyet’s is the spirit of the water, the spirit of the land,” Lien says. “In the beginning, you see we’re never in the same frame; we appear to be in different locations, perceiving a different angle.”
Throughout the second movement, the two characters draw gradually closer together through some of the harsher glacial landscapes of the region, and the third movement flows with a feeling of harmony, giving a truth and reconciliation undercurrent to the
story, in a way Lien says is more meaningful than he could have imagined.
For Diyet, the film has also proved to be a way to send a message to viewers and listeners about climate-related issues.
“A big part of this work is to draw attention to ice to climate to human impact to truth telling and understanding,” she says. “Our territory is one of the last places on Earth where we can deeply connect to an ancient world while simultaneously living in a very modern one.
“But our planet is rapidly changing, and much of that impact is caused by us. We want Yukoners to feel that passion and compassion for this incredible landscape that we get to live in and take care of.”
After a lengthy collaboration period between the two musicians, the music, lyrics and film were written, but there were still some things that needed figuring out. Logistically, this was a very
difficult project to pull off.
The thought of using a helicopter to get a grand piano — and it had to be a grand piano — into the Kluane Mountain Range left Lien at times wondering if he’d bitten off more than he could chew, but he had come too far this time to turn back, and had the support of his excited and proud community behind him.
“Out of respect to the potential of what this should become, it required a number of shooting days and locations, and I’d have to undercut myself as an artist and a visionary of we were to restrict ourselves to a scope that only the government’s funding would have accommodated,” says Lien.
He admits having to sell a home to prevent bankruptcy in order to fund the project. “The first day of flying in the piano, even the pilot wasn’t sure if it would play nice in flight.”
Lien considered using a smaller piano, or a keyboard that fit into a grand piano prop, but those op-
tions just didn’t feel right — after all, the thought of getting a grand piano into the mountains was a huge selling point of the project, and Lien felt anything short of that would be cheating. The final result is Lien’s decades-old vision finally brought to life in a befitting way.
“You can imagine, 40 years later, to sit back and watch it and listen to it and have just met the mark in every way — I am just completely satisfied and thrilled with the result,” he says. “The excitement now is to share it, because as a creator, that’s always the endgame, is releasing something you believe is inspiring and hopefully seeing it ignite inspiration and passion.”
Yukon Minister of Tourism and Culture John Streicker is one of many who has praised the project, calling it “bold” and “imaginative,” and saying it “succeeds in interpreting and commemorating our shared Yukon history through an entirely unique medium and perspective,” while also commending fellow Yukon 125 prize recipients.
“The concept for The Kluane Compositions was certainly staggering in its ambition,” he says. “Matthew and Diyet’s dedication to their vision was unwavering, and the beauty of the final product speaks for itself.”
The Kluane Compositions will be publicly premiered at the Yukon Visitor Information Centre on May 27 and will be available to view online afterwards. To keep up with Lien, visit matthewlien.com and to keep up with Diyet, visit diyetmusic.com.
“These projects highlight the depth and diversity of who we are, and they show how culture helps connect us to each other, to our stories and to the places we call home,” says Streicker.
“The 125 prize has been an opportunity for Yukoners to achieve something extraordinary, to showcase the North and to highlight the Yukon’s spirit of adventure, artistry and innovation.” n
[Ed. Note: The video will go live on May 27th at 9 p.m. YST. You can tune in here: https://youtu.be/ Tn9DUBlM3SU?si=ye-Zq9f02hp8KTjp]
WUY 3x5 FC
Piano Airlift at Kaskawulsh
Matthew and Diyet at Upper Dusty Icefield
PHOTOS: Supplied by Matthew Lien
ART SHOWS
Until Jun 28 The AndoverHarvard Yukon Expedition: 1948 Arts Underground A series of photographs from The AndoverHarvard Yukon Expedition: 1948, presented by MacBride Museum
LIVE MUSIC
Sat Jun 28 Our Lady Peace –Free Concert 5:00 PM Shipyards
Park The Yukon Arts Centre is proud to partner with Lotteries Yukon to produce a series of free outdoor concerts throughout the summer of 2025. Our Lady Peace will perform in Shipyards Park, with a corresponding day-long festival of family activities and Yukon performers at the Frank Slim Building.
Wed, Jul 9 The Surfrajettes with special guests The Surfmasters 8:00 PM Catch The Surfrajettes live with The Surfmasters! Discover their unique sound and vibrant performances in surf rock. Kopper King Showroom. Doors open at 8pm, show at 9pm.
MONTHLY
Mondays Gray Jay Café 6:00 PM Tony’s Pasta & Seafood House.
Tuesdays
Live Music 8:00 PM Lefty’s Well
Wednesdays
Intermediate Jam - Bluegrass & Old Time 7:00 PM Whitehorse Legion bi-weekly Hosted by the Yukon Bluegrass Society
Karaoke 8:00 PM Lefty’s Well
Whitewater Wednesday 8:00 PM 98 Hotel
Thursdays
Muster Point 6:30 PM Baked Cafe Muster Point live and featuring a rotating lineup of local guest artists.
Ginger Jam 7:00 PM Lefty’s Well
Fridays
Live Music 6:00 PM Tony’s Pasta & Seafood House
Live Music 8:00 PM Lefty’s Well
Saturdays
Live Music at Whiskey Jacks
7:00 PM Whiskey Jacks Pub & Grill. whiskeyjacks.ca/
Live Music
8:00 PM Lefty’s Well
Sundays Open Jam 8:00 PM 98 Hotel
GENERAL EVENTS
Until Jun 12 Final Destination: Bloodlines Matinees + Nightly Yukon Theatre Plagued by a violent recurring nightmare, college student Stefanie heads home to track down the one person who might be able to break the cycle. https://yukonfilmsociety. com/schedule/final-destinationbloodlines
Mon May 26 Urban PlantersBuild a Garden Container 5:30 PM Pioneer Hotel at Shipyards Park In this workshop learn how to design your own small garden box, build a materials list and cut sheet, and finally assemble and enjoy all your hard work! Email mark. steudle@yukonliteracy.com for more info.
Mon May 26 YWITT Workshop:
Vehicle Maintenance + Road Trip Preparedness 5:30 PM Yukon University Learn basic vehicle maintenance and repairs, as well as how to prepare for long drives! Geared toward women and gender-diverse adults. Attendance is free and food will be provided.
Tue May 27 The Kluane Compositions World Premiere 6:00 PM Yukon Visitor Information Centre Free - one night only, film features original music by Diyet and Lien, and a grand piano airlifted into Kluane National Park and Reserve in Canada’s Yukon Territory.
Thu May 29 Yukon Sheep Hunting Workshop 6:00 PM Yukon University Learn proven hunting strategies to boost your success rate, and we’ll give you a realistic perspective on what you can expect on a Dall sheep hunt.
Thu May 29 & Fri May 30 Art
From the Heart: Sleeping Beauty & Alien Unknown 7:00
PM YAC Yukon Arts Centre 7:00 PM Composed of four different performances: Alien Unknown, Sleeping Beauty, Give a Dog a Donut, Mary Poppins, performances throughout the weekend.
Thu May 29 Joke Signals - The Lateral Vibrance Tour 7:00 PM The Guild Hall Comedy show featuring the comedic talents of Chad Anderson (Cree), Clifton Cremo (Mi’kmaw), and Dakota Ray Herbert (Dene). https://www. guildhall.ca/shows-and-events.php
Sat May 31 Art From the Heart: Give a Dog a Donut YAC Yukon Arts Centre 1:00 PM Composed of four different performances: Alien Unknown, Sleeping Beauty, Give a Dog a Donut, Mary Poppins, performances throughout the weekend. https://yukonartscentre. com/whats-on/art-from-the-heartgive-a-dog-a-donut/
Sat May 31 & Sun Jun 1 Art From the Heart: Mary Poppins Jr 5:00 & 7:00 PM YAC Yukon Arts Centre Composed of four different performances: Alien Unknown, Sleeping Beauty, Give a Dog a Donut, Mary Poppins. https:// yukonartscentre.com/whats-on/artfrom-the-heart-mary-poppins-jr/
Sat May 31 Square Dancing 7:00 PM MacBride Copperbelt Mining Museum A boot-scootin evening of square dancing with music by Sarah Hamilton and Friends, and called by Marlon Davis. An outdoor and all-ages event. https://macbridemuseum.com/ visit/macbride-copperbelt-miningmuseum
Sat May 31 Annual Legion Spring Clean Up Fundraiser 10:00 AM Whitehorse Legion Branch 254 Annual Legion Spring Clean Up, clean up the streets and the City of Whitehorse will pay us a grant for our help in cleaning up Whitehorse.
Tue Jun 3 Whitehorse Connects 10:00 AM Kwanlin Dun Cultural Centre A welcoming space where people can connect with resources, meet friends and family and build relationships with service providers. https://yapc.ca/ programs/whitehorse-connects
Tue Jun 3 Plasma Table Orientation 5:00 PM Yukonstruct Makespace Orientation is required for members to use the plasma cutter independently, but nonmembers are welcome to join as well.
Until Jun 5 Mission Impossible - The Final Reckoning Matinees + Nightly Yukon Theatre Our lives are the sum of our choices. Tom Cruise is Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. https://yukonfilmsociety.com/ schedule/mission-impossible-thefinal-reckoning
Fri Jun 6 & 7 2025 Ride for Dad Yukon 5:00 PM Shipyards Park .The 15th Anniversary of Ride For Dad Yukon will be back again this year June 6/7th. Bike Games and registration night on Friday night, ride the Tagish Loop on Saturday
with breakfast and registration and kickstands up at 10:30 am sharp! https://ridefordad.ca/chapter/yukon/ Sat, Jun 7 solstice haiku discussion group 2:00 PM
MONTHLY
2nd Monday Ukulele Group 6:00
PM Golden Age Society salvin@ northwestel.net
2nd Monday Whitehorse Slow Jam 7:00 PM Golden Age Society 2nd & 4th Wednesdays Whitehorse Photography Club - Meetup 7:00 PM Yukon University - Whitehorse Campus Held in Rm A2204. Discuss photography, share your work, learn new tips and tricks. http:// whitehorsephotoclub.ca/
First Thursdays QYS Craft Night 7:00 PM Queer Yukon Society The Cache This is a great place to gather and meet other queer crafters. And there will be tea of course. Regular drop-in is still available.
2nd Thursday QYS Movie Nights 5:00 PM Queer Yukon Society The Cache
Last Thursdays Repair Cafe 6:00
PM Yukonstruct Makespace Bring it in and see if it is fixable using soldering irons, multimeters, and other tools. This easy introduction to electronics and small home appliance repair is a useful evening of DIY learning that you can take home.
2nd Thursday Music Trivia 7:00
PM Whitehorse Legion Branch 254 Come on out and test your music knowledge! Teams of no more than 6 people.
Last Friday Pioneer Women of Yukon 12:00 PM Golden Age Society
2nd & 4th Sundays Grade 8 –12 High School Youth Group 6:00 PM Mountainview Church A positive place for your teen to hang out on the weekend. Take part in games and activities, learn about the Bible, and deepen faith. https:// mountainview.church/connect/ youth Monthly
WEEKLY
Mondays
Common Threads Prayer Shawl Ministry 9:30 AM Church of the Northern Apostles. Mtg: Competitive Commander 6:00 PM Titan Gaming and Collectibles
Women’s Bible Study 6:00
PM Women’s Bible Study. Refreshments are served followed by the study. For more info check out www.mountainview.church or email rachel@mountainview. church.
Ukulele Group 6:00 PM Golden Age Society
Euchre - For Members and Signed in Guests 6:00 PM Whitehorse Legion Branch 254 Euchre a trick-taking card game for four players, two on each team, As a member you
Beginner ASL Class & Social Hang 6:15 Queer Yukon SocietyThe Cache Tuesdays
Common Threads Prayer Shawl Ministry 9:30 AM Church of the Northern Apostles.
Bridge 12:00 PM Golden Age Society Café de l’amitié 2:00 PM Association franco-yukonnaise (AFY) Le Café de l’amitié est un rendez-vous hebdomadaire et une occasion de rassemblement pour les francophones de 50 ans et plus.
QYS Drop-in 2:00 PM Queer Yukon Society The Cache Language Skills for Ukrainians 5:15 PM Yukon Learn A discussion group workshop provides a relaxed and friendly environment where learners can practise and learn English conversation skills. Weekly Shuffleboard Tournament 6:00 PM Whitehorse Legion Branch 254 For members and signed in guests. A double knockout style competition and games are limited to 6 ends or 15 minutes
Chess Club 6:00 PM Titan Gaming and Collectibles Love Chess? Want to learn? Looking for Competition? Join us!
SuperSmash Bros, Mtg: Commander 6:00 PM Titan Gaming and Collectibles
10 Card Crib - Members & Signed In Guests 6:00 PM Whitehorse Legion Branch 254 Whether you are a seasoned crib player or a beginner, come play! Learn tips and tricks and have some fun! https://bit.ly/3KP0B5s Wednesdays
Multicultural Connection Group 11:00 AM Multicultural Centre of the Yukon – MCY Connect with other parents and caregivers,
WHITEHORSE EVENTS...
learn about parenting in different cultures. A free lunch program for immigrants and refugee families. Lunch and transportation provided. Call 332-1803 for more info.
Spanish Conversation 12:00 PM Whitehorse United Church Call 333-6081 for more info.
Sew & Tell All – Elders Hangout
1:00 PM Kwanlin Dun Cultural Centre Facilitated by Kwanlin Dün Elder-in-Residence Shirley Smith, everyone welcome. Feel free to join and start a beading project or work on something that you’ve already started! For more info email culturalprograms@kdcc.ca
QYS Drop-in 2:00 PM Queer Yukon Society The Cache
Texas Hold’ Em 6:00 PM Whitehorse Legion Branch 254 For signed in members and guests.
Bragging rights!
Mtg: Modern, Warhammer Age of Sigmar 6:00 PM Titan Gaming and Collectibles
Writing Things DOWN(town)
6:30 PM A regular, free drop-in writing group at the Whitehorse Public Library. This is a space to start writing your memoir or finish that article. Writing prompts will be provided to generate ideas.
Thursdays
Public Speaking TrainingToastmasters 12:00 PM Decora Guests are always welcome. There are many roles to learn at Toastmasters. Practice 2 minute table topics
Pathfinder Role-Playing Game for Youth 3:30 PM Whitehorse Public Library Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. Find out what role playing games are all about! Registration is encouraged, but drop-ins are always welcome.
Mtg: casual Commander, Warhammer 40k & Kill Team 6:00 PM Titan Gaming and Collectibles
Mountainview Church Community Group 7:00 PM 16 years or older? Mountainview Church Community Group! We’ll share some snacks and talk about what the bible has to say about discipleship.
Fridays
Coffee & Chat 11:00 AM Golden Age Society Coffee and chat is a way to connect with your community, develop friendships, and have fun.
Mtg: Pioneer, YuGiOh Casual 6:00 PM Titan Gaming and Collectibles
Saturdays
Yukon Amateur Radio
Association Coffee Discussion Group 8:45 AM A&W Restaurant
Hams from outside the Yukon and those interested are welcome to join us in this casual event.
Cribbage - Members and Signed in Guests 2:00 PM Whitehorse Legion Branch 254 Masks are mandatory. Members must have a valid 2021 membership and they may sign in 2 guests MAX.
Pokemon, Mtg: Youth Magic, Lorcana 6:00 PM Titan Gaming and Collectibles
Sundays
Mountainview Church Sunday Service 9:30 AM Church In The Building 9:30 AM, 11AM or Church At Home 7 AM, 9:30 AM, 11 AM Mountainviewwhitehorse.ca/Watch
Anglican Worship Service 10:00
AM Christ Church Cathedral.
Clothing Room 10:00 AM
Whitehorse Church of the Nazarene Free of charge to anyone and everyone
Whitehorse United Church Worship Service 10:30 AM A caring community of faith, based on a foundation of Biblical teaching and spiritual truth
Secondhand Clothing Bizarre
2:00 PM Whitehorse Seventh-Day
Adventist Church Clean clothes needed and donations accepted if in good condition. Please call before dropping clothes off and for more info 633-3463.
Sunday Gatherings 3:00 PM The Northern Collective Church The Gathering (Anglican Indigenous Service) 5:00 PM Christ Church Cathedral A celebration of faith, reconciliation, and hospitality.
KIDS & FAMILIES
Until Jun 12 Lilo & Stitch
Matinees & Nightly Yukon Theatre
A lonely Hawaiian girl befriends a runaway alien, helping to heal her fragmented family. https:// yukonfilmsociety.com/schedule/ lilo-stitch
Sun Jun 8 Midnight Sun Moppets
Children’s Festival 10:00 AM YAC Yukon Arts Centre Fun & free family activities: Cardboard castle building, T-shirt tie dye, Arts & Crafts, Sunflower planting station, Tiny Islands Brass Band show and much more.
MONTHLY
1st & 3rd Saturdays Grades 5 - 7
Junior Youth Group 7:00 PM
Mountainview Church Passionate about giving kids opportunities to have fun & make new friends, while teaching them about Jesus & His great love for our world https:// mountainview.church/connect/ youth
2nd and 4th Saturdays Grade 8 - 12 High School Youth Group 7:00 PM Mountainview Church A positive place for your teen to hang out on the weekend. Take part in games and activities, learn about the Bible, and deepen faith. https:// mountainview.church/connect/ youth
WEEKLY
Tuesdays
Story Time 10:30 AM Whitehorse
Public Library Join us for stories, songs & rhymes! A free drop-in program for children ages 0-5 and caregivers at Whitehorse Public Library
Parent-Child Mother Goose
10:30 AM The Child Development Centre Celebrates the power and pleasure of songs, rhymes and oral stories. Bonding time with your little one or to learn for later.
Wednesdays
Community Connections 1:30 PM Yukon Family Literacy Centre An intergenerational story time and craft program. Meet local elders, have a coffee, do some crafts, and make a friend!
Thursdays
Transformations Along The Chu
Nikwän 1:30 PM Yukon Visitor Information Centre Join Amber for a free walking tour every Thursday along the Whitehorse waterfront to learn about the Yukon First Nations people and the history of the Yukon.
Pathfinder Role-Playing Game for Youth 3:30 PM Whitehorse Public Library Youth 11-17 are invited to join, no experience necessary.
Saturdays
Science Saturdays 11:00 AM
Whitehorse Public Library Free Drop-In Science and STEM Activities - no need to register - For children to compete with a parent or guardian!
MEETINGS
Thu May 29 Hospice Yukon AGM 7:00 PM Sport Yukon Learn about Hospice Yukon’s activities over the past year, and hear a brief financial review. All are welcome to attend. https://hospiceyukon.net/
en/2022/04/03/agm2025/
Sat May 31 Yukon Quest AGM 12:00 PM White Pass & Yukon
Route Train Depot Attend in-person or by video - a virtual link can also be provided to those who are not able to attend in person. https:// www.yukonquestshop.com/
Mon Jun 2 Hidden Histories
Society Yukon AGM 6:30 PM Whitehorse Public Library Join us as we reflect on the remarkable achievements of the past 25 years!
Sun Jun 8 Yukon Trappers
Association AGM 10:00 AM Yukon Trappers Association Join a progressive and growing association. Get involved in a positive, dynamic and constructive group of volunteers! All interested welcome!
Tue Jun 10 Yukonstruct’s 2025 AGM 5:00 AM NorthLight Innovation Discover what is happening at Yukonstruct’s 2025 AGM. Connect with innovative makers, entrepreneurs, and enjoy great food.
WEEKLY
Tuesdays
Rendezvous Rotary 6:30 PM Tony’s Pasta and Seafood House Meets the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month at Tony’s Pasta and Seafood. Come and join us for fun, and fellowship.
Thursdays
Toastmasters Decora 12:00 PM Sundogs Toastmasters Club. Club is open to all interested parties and we provide constructive feedback to help develop public speaking skills.
MONTHLY
First Monday Klondike Snowmobile Association Board Meeting 7:00 PM Sport Yukon https://ksa.yk.ca/coming-events/ First Monday Yukon Amateur Radio Association Monthly Meeting 7:00 PM EMO Building Discussion of club business. Prospective hams are welcome. Third Thursday Yukon AntiPoverty Coalition Monthly Meeting 5:00 PM ZOOM Yukon Anti-Poverty Coalition for regular meeting. Everyone is welcome. Call Kathy 334-9317 or info@ yapc.ca for a zoom link or join us in person. https://yapc.ca/actions/ detail/yapcs-monthly-meetings
Third Thursday ASAY board monthly meeting 7:00 PM Sport Yukon
ONLINE EVENTS
Sat Jun 7 YukonU Convocation 2025 - Live Stream 11:00 AM Online Please join us virtually to celebrate our 2025 Graduates as they cross the stage and receive their degree parchments (diplomas). https://www.yukonu.ca/currentstudents/convocation
Fridays
AA Yukon Unity Group 1:30 PM Online For Zoom Room address Contact 334-7693
Saturdays
AA Detox Meeting (OM, NS) 1:00 PM Online For Zoom Room address call 334-7693.
Tuesdays
Restorative Online Healing Circles 7:30 PM Online Check-in, Q&A, connect and feel the results. No experience necessary. Register online, or call 335-0078 or email alison@alisonzeidler.com for more info.
Anglican Men’s Remote Chat 10 AM Zoom don_cheeseman@ msn.com for the link. Regular churchgoer or just curious, this is a welcoming, no-pressure time for conversation
THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF YUKON FRANCOPHONE WOMEN
Angélique Bernard is a translator, communications specialist and community volunteer. She was the Commissioner of Yukon from 2008 to 2023.
2025 marks the 30th anniversary of Les Essentielles. For this occasion, short biographies of Yukon francophone women will be presented throughout the year in the pages of our paper. Thank you to l’Association francoyukonnaise, l’émission Rencontres, and l’Aurore boréale for their collaboration in this project.
Françoise La Roche
Françoise La Roche was born in 1953, in Arvida, Quebec.
Her mother, a skillful artist, shared the language of thread and fibres with Françoise: knitting, sewing, crocheting, weaving and embroidery.
Françoise received a certificate in linguistics and, a few years later, a Bachelor of Arts degree.
She arrived in the Yukon in 2007. The North had always exerted a mysterious fascination for her. She was the communications director at the Association franco-yukonnaise, a teacher of French as a second language and a freelance journalist and proofreader at l’Aurore boréale.
As a member of the Yukon Artists at Work, she took part in numerous group exhibitions, created a solo exhibition showcasing her tapestries and gave numerous workshops.
With the collective La Bête à cinq têtes, she contributed to the exhibition La Chasse-galerie. She also took part in two major community projects with the Yukon Francophone community: Piquée par le Yukon, a collaborative quilt, and De filles et d’audace, another collective quilt highlighting inspiring Yukon francophone women. She collaborated on the Stitches in Time: Yukon History Makers project.
A member of Les Essentielles for the last 17 years, she twice sat on the Board of Directors as secretary and treasurer. For Françoise, living in the Yukon means living in nature. She moved into a cabin on Annie Lake Road 15 years ago. She has set root in this territory that has become hers and where she will stay until the end of her days.
Josée Fortin
Josée Fortin was born in 1980 in the small town of Saint-Henri-de-Taillon in Lac-Saint-Jean, in Quebec. She grew up between the forests, the water and the fields. As early as eight years old, she was driving four-wheeled vehicles on her own and spending her days outside without adult supervision.
After a college degree in arts and literature from the Cégep de Jonquière, Josée moved to Montréal and obtained a cumulative bachelor’s degree (literature, literary creation and screenwriting), a certificate in cultural animation and a certificate in psychosocial intervention.
She visited the Yukon in 2008 and came back permanently on July 1, 2009, with her backpack and tent. She was a substitute teacher for the francophone school and French immersion schools, in addition to completing a part-time contract as a teacher assistant at École Whitehorse Elementary School.
She also accepted the role of supervisor of the Montessori School summer camp, which only had one Casa class (for children aged 3 to 6). She has been there for 15 years! She teaches French and arts.
Josée had a nice career in the performing arts in the fields of circus dance (fire and lights) and writing, in addition to exhibiting her work throughout town, including on the walls of the Association franco-yukonnaise and during the opening of the new offices of Les Essentielles. Over the last seven years, she has pursued her passion for body art.
Josée likes the Yukon, as she enjoys saying she exchanged one North for another.
Manon Aubert
Manon Aubert was born in Pintendre, in the Lévis region, in Quebec. She spent her childhood playing outside and pursuing various sports with her two brothers and children from the neighbourhood. She also took dance classes for 10 years and taught jazz dance in small regional towns.
Manon has a background in kinesiology. After returning to Quebec to study to become a physical education teacher, she worked in this field for four years in North Vancouver.
Manon arrived in the Yukon in August 2001 with her husband and their two young children. They were attracted to nature and the possibility of a calmer lifestyle.
In September 2002, Manon started a part-time contract with École ÉmilieTremblay as a physical education teacher at the secondary and primary levels. She wrote articles on sport in the l'Aurore boréale and was also a spin instructor.
In all the projects she put forward, teamwork involving the community, school, parents and francophones was important for Manon. She put on the play Le Petit Prince, a flash mob and the 30th anniversary event of the École ÉmilieTremblay.
Manon got involved as soon as there was an occasion to live a moment in French with students at school, such as the Souliers dansants dance group, a choir to sing in French at various community events and the gathering of food items for the Whitehorse Food Bank.
In the Yukon, Manon was able to slow down and discover a larger-than-life territory!
Paige Galette
Paige Galette was born in 1990 in Montréal, Quebec, and grew up in London, Ontario. She did her elementary, secondary and post-secondary studies in French.
Paige arrived in the Yukon in May 2017 for the mountains and the tranquility of the territory.
She worked at the University of Yukon (2017-2018) as student life coordinator, Gwaandak Theatre (2019-2020) as general manager, and the Public Service Alliance of Canada as a regional organizer and union officer (from 2021).
One week after her arrival in the territory, Paige was elected president of the Board of Directors of Les Essentielles, from 2017 to 2019. She is the cofounder of Northern Voices Rising, a BIPOC & QTBIPOC collective in the Yukon working towards safety, liberty, and fulfillment for communities through immediate and meaningful action. She also offers antiracism and anti-oppression workshops in French and English.
Paige was a columnist for Francopresse (2020-2021) and published articles in The Toronto Star, Yukon North of Ordinary, The Monitor and Briarpatch. She wrote an article on life in the North in the book Until We Are Free: Reflections on Black Lives Matter in Canada, published in 2020. She was a social justice columnist for the Panorama radio show on Radio-Canada Vancouver (2021 to 2023).
Paige was part of the programming team of the Available Light Film Festival for three years.
In the Yukon, Paige discovered a passion for nature, gardening and, more recently, bees. Her life is filled with love, strong friendships and awesome adventures.
PHOTO: Françoise La Roche
PHOTO: Christian Kuntz
PHOTO: Manon Aubert
PHOTO: Paige Galette
FROM VEGAS TO MAYO
Bringing Magic to the Yukon
Magician Scotty Swan traded the glittering lights of Las Vegas for the Northern Lights in the Yukon Territory. He just wanted to visit his partner in Mayo but fell in love with the place. He likes that the territory is not as fast-paced as where he comes from.
“There’s more space to breathe and be creative. People take their time here, and there’s a real appreciation for the arts and community programs,” he says about his love for the Yukon.
Coming from a hot and dry desert climate in Nevada, he says that he likes the weather in the Yukon, “especially when it’s under 120 degrees Fahrenheit,” he jokes and adds, “There’s a special kind of charm here, and a sense of community that’s hard to find elsewhere.”
Community is what he likes to build. He says his focus has always been on working with young people and bringing magic to communities without access to programs like his.
His passion led him to found the “Yukon Magic School.” The program will be launched in September. “We’re using the time until then to align with the community schedule and make sure it fits into the rhythm of life here.”
When Swan first came to
es the program using Discover Magic. Discover Magic is a nationally-recognized curriculum designed to boost kids’ confidence, communication, and creativity through the art of magic.
“It’s more than just tricks — it’s character-building disguised as fun,” Swan explains. He first launched the program online in 2021 during the pandemic. With support from other Discover Magic presenters, he built
something that could reach kids anywhere via Zoom. The magic workshops using the Discover Magic curriculum have a show that incorporates custom puppets and owns a magic shop, he says. He wants to bring his program to Whitehorse, Dawson and other communities in the Yukon, so children can access it. With the launch of his Yukon Magic Academy and his love for the terri-
tory, Scotty Swan is bound to stay in the Yukon.
People can learn more about the Yukon Magic Academy programs, sign up for classes or reach out to bring Swan to their school: amazekadabraschoolshows.com.
Swan also runs a magic shop (Swan’s Magic & Toys) that features fun tricks and supplies for aspiring young magicians and seasoned pros. n
Mayo, he performed at the school there. When he saw that there was a lack of arts classes, he realized that he wanted to start a magic club, especially for kids who are not into sports.
Swan can relate to that, because when he was a kid, he wasn’t that interested in sports. He watched magicians like David Copperfield on TV. “Back then, there were only three magicians on TV,” he recalls. But when he was eight years old, his mother hired a magician named Sky. It changed his perspective.
“Sky was the first African American magician I had ever seen. He completely blew my mind. That’s when I knew I wanted to be a magician.” Swan states how important role models are for kids in the arts and magic.
“Seeing someone who looks like them succeeding creatively is inspiring. This is especially true in disciplines like magic, music, puppetry, and visual arts, which often lack representation from marginalized communities.”
Swan has been a full-time magician for 28 years now, starting in 1997. After moving to Los Angeles in 2001, he worked at the world-famous Hollywood Magic Shop and performed at special events all around the city. He put all his experience into his program.
But it isn’t just about magic. It’s about getting life skills for kids. Swan says that he teach-
Elke Reinauer is a freelance writer based in Germany with strong ties to the Yukon.
Scotty Swan performing on the street
PHOTO: Ed Cohen
Doing a trick for some youngsters
PHOTO: Scotty Swan Scotty performing his magic
PHOTO: Scotty Swan
Summer starts with Skagway softball tournaments!
Sluggers south of the border invite Northern softball squads to set sights on Skagway’s sandy shores or at least our softball fields! The Skagway Softball Association is organizing 2 weekends of softball shenanigans at the Seven Pastures ballfields. Windball Men & Women’s Softball tournament is set for June 13-15. The 4th of July Co-ed Softball Tournament runs July 4-6.
Deadlines to register are rapidly approaching, so swing into action & sign up your team today at skagwaysoftball@gmail.com
YUKONER’S SPECIAL
We believe that running brings people together! To show our appreciation and dedication to sharing this event with our Northern Neighbors we’re offering $25 off registration this year for Canadian participants! Use code CAN25 at check out to receive your discount! We can’t wait to run alongside you! Saturday, June 28 skagwaymarathon.org
check out all the new merchandise we have on Sale at the
For more information, contact us at (907) 983-2854 or visit skagway.com/events
Celebrate “Pride without Prejudice” at the Skagway Pride Festival
On Saturday, June 7 at Dedman Stage, the 6th annual Skagway Pride Celebration features an evening of music, magic and drag performances by local and visiting artists. The highlight of the event is a 2-hour drag show by the Queens and Kings of Skagway Drag with featured performances by Gigi Monroe and other Juneau Drag cast members.
This year’s theme is “Pride without Prejudice” with logo artwork by Tlingit artist Beau Dennis. The festival is tailored to be an all-ages event, offering a wonderful introduction to the art of Drag for those not familiar with the art form.
Food and drink will be available from the Skagway Brewing Company. A children’s game space will also be featured. Additional Pride events are scheduled in June and throughout the summer at various Skagway locations.
Explore details on the Skagway Pride Celebration website. https://www.skagwaypride.com/
BACON WRAPPED SCALLOPS
As fabulous as these tasty morsels are to eat, they are incredibly easy to make
What do you think of when you think of bacon wrapped scallops? A fancy meal out? A nice appetizer at a corporate function or buffet? A main course meal? A quick and easy snack? Think — all of the above!
My wife loves seafood. Every ‘special’ meal in our house usually involves some sort of seafood or shellfish. Crab, lobster, salmon, scallops, prawns ... scallops are a shellfish.
My Mom is deathly allergic to shellfish. Even the smallest amount of a bisque mixed into a consume, for a slight aftertaste by a well intentioned chef, would make her violently ill within a couple of hours. She would usually take a couple of days to fully recover.
Obviously, I did not grow up eating any shellfish at all. Now, since I’m older, we can indulge in all of the wonderful tastes, textures and sauces of a variety of shellfish. Quite often we try to fool ourselves that we’ll have bacon wrapped scallops as an ‘appetizer’ before a spectacular meal. We’ve come to realize that by the time the ‘appetizer’ is done, we’re full!.
As Monty Python famously portrayed, ‘I’m full! Not another bite!’ So, yes. If you are entertaining a group of people, these will make a tasty impression as an appetizer to a main course. But, if you are just a couple or three people, these are fine as a standalone meal.
Fresh scallops usually come in a package of 12–14 for around $20 lately, and they are becoming increasingly hard to find in Whitehorse. Most North American scallops are harvested on the East Coast of Canada and the northern US. My preferred grocer told me today that they don’t think they’ll be bringing any more in. I was fortunate to find these at another store in town.
The most important thing when purchasing the scallops is to pick ones that are the right shape. If you are wrapping them in bacon, you need robust ones. If you are
Ready for the oven
Quick, easy and tasty
using a Gordon Ramsey recipe for pan searing, the little flat, silver dollar shaped ones are perfect.
This awesome arrangement cost us about $6.50 per plate and was on the table, start to finish, in about 20 minutes. Here’s how I did it.
INGREDIENTS
▫Fresh scallops
▫Bacon
▫EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
▫Salt
▫Pepper
▫Garlic powder
▫Lemon juice
▫White wine
METHOD
1. Preheat your oven to 425 F. Lightly spray a baking pan with veggie spray and then line it with parchment paper. Spray down the parchment paper as well, lightly as we don’t want it to burn.
2. Wash your scallops and pat dry. Wrap each scallop with a
piece of bacon and use a toothpick to seal. You will probably need to cut the bacon strips in half, depending on the size of your scallops. You don’t want more than a single wrap of bacon as it will take too long to cook. Manipulate your scallops and bacon into a nice round shape.
3. Place your wrapped scallops on the baking tray. Drizzle some lemon juice, white wine and EVOO on them and season lightly with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Put them into your pre-heated oven.
4. Depending on the size of your scallops and the thickness of your bacon, cook for 10-12 minutes. Thicker bacon and larger scallops may take up to 15 minutes. Be sure that the bacon and scallops are fully cooked before serving.
There are as many dipping sauces out there as there are recipes on the internet. Some are pretty fancy, check it out. We
Perfectly done
opted for our go-to favourite shellfish dipping sauce: melted butter. Sometimes I wonder if my wife, (and I), love seafood and shellfish, or just the chance to
drink butter without any guilt?
Less than 20 minutes, start to finish, and an absolutely wonderful—and simple—recipe, for any occasion. Enjoy! n
The Unknown Chef has fed you at many local restaurants, for years, and has decided to share some recipes he has developed and others he has stolen from other chefs
PHOTOS: The Unknown Chef
Getting ready to wrap
Check out ALL EVENTS at whatsupyukon.com
ENTER YOUR EVENTS ON-LINE
ACTIVE LISTINGS
Tue May 27 Sailing Drop-In
Night - Tuesdays 6:30 PM Yukon Breeze Sailing Society Explore the beauty of Yukon Sailing with evening dinghy sessions. Join Yukon Breeze Sailing Society for fun and recreation on the water. https://www.yukonsailing.com/ drop-in-sailing
Wed May 28 Almost Summer at Quartz Road Wetlands 5:30 PM Boston Pizza Join Jim Hawkings for a family-friendly stroll at the Quartz Road wetlands. Meet at the back of the Boston Pizza parking. (1.5hrs).
Thu May 29 Marsh Forest Flight Bird Walk 6:00 PM Pumphouse at Middle McIntyre Creek A guided walk - we’ll be looking in the creek and marshes, and walk through the adjacent forest to spot everything from flycatchers to swallows to warblers! Everyone is welcome.
Fri May 30 - Sat May 31 Helmet Grunberg Yukon Birdathon 5:00 PM Whitehorse Beginners to experts of all ages are encouraged to observe and identify as many bird species as possible over the 24-hour period. Afterwards, all are welcome to join the Birdathon BBQ potluck https://yukonbirds.ca/birdathon/ Sat, May 31 Sunshine ShuffleBackyard Ultra 9:30 AM In this race participants will run a 6.7km once every hour starting on the hour, the race goes until only one runner is left!
Sat May 31 The Ball & Chain Challenge - Hybrid golf for a good cause! 11:00 AM Meadow Lakes Golf Club Golf meets disc golf - A one-of-a-kind day of sports, food, fun, and fundraising. BBQ dinner, 8 drink tokens, games, prizes & live music! https://www.yukondisc.com/
Sat May 31 Yukon Learn’s 31st Annual Golf Tournament Mountain View Golf Club https:// yukonlearn.com/PGI
Sun Jun 1 Kidney Walk 2025 - Whitehorse 11:00 AM Robert Service Campground Walk begins at noon. Come and enjoy McDonald’s egg McMuffins, coffee, juices, snacks, live entertainment and lively warm-up before walking 2.5 kms on the picturesque Millennium Trail.
Tue Jun 3 Explore McIntyre Creek 6:30 PM Yukon University Explore McIntyre Creek with Katie Aitken, expect some steep hill climbing on this 2 hour walk. https://yukonbirds.ca/ Wed, Jun 4 High School Rugby Champs and Senior Club Competition 12:00 PM Get ready for the high school rugby
tournament! Find out how to register for high school and senior rugby games.
Sun Jun 8 2025 Canada Summer Games Trials For Athletics 9:00 AM FH Collins High School Canada Summer Games Trials for Athletics at FHC Track and Field Facility. Must be an AY member and pre register. Age 16+ priority will be given to athletes 18-23 years old.
Sat, Jun 14 Whitehorse Brain Tumour Walk 9:00 AM Register as an individual, join a team or create a team for the community brain tumour walk.
Fri, Jul 4 3rd Annual BSC Golf Classic with Arctic Winter Games 12:00 PM This annual golf classic goes beyond the game—it strengthens community bonds, supports youth sports, and celebrates the rich cultural heritage of the North.
Fri, Jul 4 Rugby Fest and Yukon Rugby Champs 4:00 PM Don’t miss Rugby Fest this July! Enjoy a full weekend of rugby skills competitions and tournaments for all skill levels.
Sat, Jul 5 The Ultimate Midnight Sun HAT Tournament (frisbee) 2 full days of frisbee, food, and fun with a Saturday night party under the midnight sun! For more info email email yukonultimate@gmail.com.
Sat, Jul 5 The Raven 50 Ultra and Relay 6:00 AM A Run for Life sponsored event, 50 miles or 50 km of raw, rugged alpine beauty. Email raven@runforlife. ca for more info.
Mondays
Judo For Jiu Jitsu 6:00 AM Eight Days Martial Arts
Strength & Conditioning 7:30 AM Northern Strength Academy
Elderactive CGC Flexihall 9:00 AM Canada Games
Centre Yukon Elderactive has the Flexihall is Booked for you! Some activities get your heart pumping, while others get your mind engaged
Elderactive Pilates level 1
9:30 AM Northern Lights School of Pilates tailored for seniors. Elevate wellness with gentle movement
Tai Chi Kung Form (Seniors)
10:00 AM Golden Age Society
Babynastics with Coach Libby 10:30 AM Polarettes
Gymnastics Club A stimulating environment tailored to your child’s developmental needs. www.polarettes.org/babynastics
Elderactive Pilates level 2
10:40 AM Northern Lights School
Academy Join our supportive running community and hone your technique, speed and pace with the Yukon’s top endurance coach. Inclusive for all levels.
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu - drilling 12:05 PM Eight Days Martial Arts
Strength & Conditioning 1:00PM Northern Strength Academy
Kids Brazilian Jiu Jitsu 4:45
PM Eight Days Martial Arts
Indoor Cycling 5:00 PM Northern Strength Academy northernstrength.ca/
of Dance Energizing Level 2 Pilates tailored for seniors. Elevate wellness with gentle movement!. http://cuts2.com/ jiacg
Noon Strength & Conditioning
12:00 PM Northern Strength Academy
Elderactive Pilates level 1
12:00 PM Northern Lights School of Pilates tailored for seniors. Elevate wellness with gentle movement
Indoor Cycling 12:05 PM Northern Strength Academy northernstrength.ca/ Muay Thai Kickboxing Eight
Days Martial Arts 12:05 PM
The art of 8 limbs, Muay Thai Kickboxing has proven itself to be the go to striking style of many martial arts champions.
Kids Muay Thai 4:45 PM Eight Days Martial Arts KIDS MUAY THAI a dynamic and engaging martial art that can be traced to the middle of the 18th century. Open to ages 8 - 12.
Strength & Conditioning 5:30
PM Northern Strength Academy
Ladies Kickboxing 6:00 PM Eight Days Martial Arts
Tai Chi Qigong / Meditation 7:00 PM Jack Hulland Elementary School
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu 7:30 PM Eight Days Martial Arts
Tuesdays
Strength for Endurance
6:00 AM Northern Strength Academy Join our supportive running community and hone your technique, speed and pace with the Yukon’s top endurance coach. Inclusive for all levels.
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu 6:00 AM
Eight Days Martial Arts
Ladies Lift 7:00 AM
Northern Strength Academy opportunities for women to find community, learn to lift, improve performance, and build strength.
Lifting for Longevity 10:00 AM Northern Strength Academy Specifically designed for the retired population, but open to anyone.
Yoga with Barbara 10:00 AM
Whitehorse United Church Drop-in, no registration required, everyone is welcome. Call 3351996 for more info.
Babynastics with Coach
Libby 11:15 AM Polarettes Gymnastics Club A stimulating environment tailored to your child’s developmental needs. www.polarettes.org/babynastics
Strength for Endurance
12:00 PM Northern Strength
Ladies Lift 5:30 PM Northern Strength Academy opportunities for women to find community, learn to lift, improve performance, and build strength.
Kids Brazilian Jiu Jitsu 6:00
PM Eight Days Martial Arts
Tai Chi Traditional Form, Section 2A 6:30 PM Jack Hulland Elementary School
Whitehorse Archery 6:30 PM
Takhini Elementary Whitehorse Archery is a non-profit club for the recreational shooter, hunters, and those who just want to work on their skills. www. whitehorsearchery.com/schedule
Stretch & Stabilize - Functional Conditioning 7:00 PM Grace
Space Purposeful movement with our Functional Conditioning non-yoga movement class. http:// amitieyoga.ca
No-Gi Jiu Jitsu 7:30 PM Eight Days Martial Arts
Wednesdays
Muay Thai Kickboxing 6:00
AM Eight Days Martial Arts Muay Thai Kickboxing full body workout.
Indoor Cycling 6:30 AM Northern Strength Academy northernstrength.ca/
Morning Strength & Conditioning 7:30 AM Northern Strength Academy northernstrength.ca/
Elderactive CGC Flexihall 9:00 AM Canada Games Centre Yukon Elderactive has the Flexihall is Booked for you! Some activities get your heart pumping, while others get your mind engaged
Elderactive Pilates level 1
9:30 AM Northern Lights School of Pilates tailored for seniors. Elevate wellness with gentle movement
Tai Chi Essential Form continued 10:00 AM Heart of Riverdale
Keep Fit 10:00 AM Church of the Northern Apostles Come stretch and breathe with us - only $5.00
Elderactive Pilates level 2
10:40 AM Northern Lights School of Dance Energizing Level 2 Pilates tailored for seniors.
Elevate wellness with gentle movement!. http://cuts2.com/ jiacg
Noon Strength & Conditioning
12:00 PM Northern Strength Academy northernstrength.ca/
Elderactive Pilates level 1
12:00 PM Northern Lights School of Dance Energizing Level 2 Pilates tailored for seniors. Elevate wellness with gentle movement!
Ladies Kickboxing 12:05
PM Eight Days Martial Arts Muay Thai Kickboxing full body workout.
Move & Meditate - Slow Vinyasa Yoga 12:10 PM Grace Space Movement and mindfulness with our Moving Meditation - Slow Vinyasa Yoga. http://amitieyoga.ca
Elderactive Intermediate
Hiking 1:00 PM ElderActive
Recreation Association Leisure
Walking is similar to Nordic walking but is suitable for those who prefer a slower, more relaxed pace
Strength & Conditioning 5:30
PM Northern Strength Academy
Functional strength class teaches compound multi-joint lifts that improve athleticism, strength, coordination, power and more.
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu 6:00 PM
Eight Days Martial Arts Introduction to Tai Chi 6:00 PM Elijah Smith Elementary School.
Tai Chi Traditional Form, Section 1 refinements 7:00 PM Grey Mountain Primary School
Indoor Range Night 7:00 PM Whitehorse Rifle and Pistol Club
Tai Chi Traditional Form, Section 3 continued 7:15 PM Elijah Smith Elementary School. Muay Thai Kickboxing 7:45 PM Eight Days Martial Arts The art of 8 limbs, Muay Thai Kickboxing has proven itself to be the go to striking style of many martial arts champions.
Thursdays
Strength for Endurance 6:00
AM Northern Strength Academy
Join our supportive running community and hone your technique, speed and pace with the Yukon’s top endurance coach. Inclusive for all levels
Winter Power Hour Series 6:00
AM BrittyFit 95 Lewes Blvd Ignite your fitness regime in 50 minutes with Brittyfit
No-Gi Jiu Jitsu 6:00 AM Eight Days Martial Arts
Ladies Lift 7:00 AM
Northern Strength Academy opportunities for women to find community, learn to lift, improve performance, and build strength.
Tai Chi for Seniors 10:00 AM Golden Age Society Come early, bring water, and wear comfortable, smooth soled indoor shoes.
Lifting for Longevity 10:00
AM Northern Strength Academy
Join our supportive running community and hone your technique, speed and pace with the Yukon’s top endurance coach. Inclusive for all levels.
Strength for Endurance 12:00 PM Northern Strength Academy Join our supportive running community and hone your technique, speed and pace with the Yukon’s top endurance coach. Inclusive for all levels
No-Gi Jiu Jitsu - drilling 12:05
PM Eight Days Martial Arts
Strength & Conditioning 1:00
PM Northern Strength Academy
Babynastics with Coach
Naomi 3:30 PM Polarettes Gymnastics Club A stimulating environment tailored to your child’s developmental needs. www.polarettes.org/babynastics
Kids Brazilian Jiu Jitsu 4:45
PM Eight Days Martial Arts
Ladies Lift 5:30 PM
Northern Strength Academy opportunities for women to find community, learn to lift, improve performance, and build strength.
Kids Brazilian Jiu Jitsu 6:00
PM Eight Days Martial Arts
Whitehorse Archery 6:30 PM
Takhini Elementary Whitehorse Archery is a non-profit club for the recreational shooter, hunters, and those who just want to work on their skills. www. whitehorsearchery.com/schedule Tai Chi Essential Form
continued 6:30 PM Hidden Valley School
No-GiJiu Jitsu 6:00 AM Eight Days Martial Arts
Tai Chi Yang Hand Forms refinements 7:45 PM Hidden Valley School
Fridays
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu 6:00 AM
Eight Days Martial Arts Indoor Cycling 6:30 AM
Northern Strength Academy
northernstrength.ca/ Morning Strength & Conditioning 7:30 AM
Northern Strength Academy northernstrength.ca/
Strength & Conditioning 12:00
PM Northern Strength Academy
Muay Thai Kickboxing 12:05
PM Eight Days Martial Arts
The art of 8 limbs, Muay Thai Kickboxing has proven itself to be the go to striking style of many martial arts champions.
Kids Brazilian Jiu Jitsu 4:45
PM Eight Days Martial Arts
Strength & Conditioning 5:30
PM Northern Strength Academy
Muay Thai Kickboxing 6:00
PM Eight Days Martial Arts
Muay Thai Kickboxing full body workout.
Saturdays
Flow & Fly – Vinyasa Yoga 8:30
AM Grace Space A dynamic and invigorating practice to awaken your inner strength. http:// amitieyoga.ca
Ladies Lift 9:00 AM
Northern Strength Academy opportunities for women to find community, learn to lift, improve performance, and build strength.
Strength & Conditioning 10:00
AM Northern Strength Academy
No-Gi Jiu Jitsu - drilling 11:00
AM Eight Days Martial Arts
Open Mat 12:00 PM Eight Days Martial Arts
Sundays
Free drop-in Tai Chi practice 10:00 AM Takhini Elementary
Tai Chi Sword Form 10:30 AM Whistle Bend Elementary School
WELLNESS LISTINGS
Tue May 27 Dementia
education: Introduction to brain health 10:00 AM https:// alzheimer.ca/bc/en/whatshappening/events/yukon-eventintroduction-brain-health
Wed May 28 Dementia
education: Dementia and progression 1:00 PM Golden Age Society Free event, discuss understanding different types of dementia, what to expect as dementia progresses, and how to manage communication and behaviour changes. Register today: Call First Link® Yukon Dementia Helpline 1-888-8522579.
Fri May 30 The Four Sacred Hearts 5:30 PM Nàkwät’à Kù Potlatch A powerful group of reformed gang members who are using their lived experience to guide youth toward healing and resilience. Call 336-2787 for more info.
Wed Jun 4 Tea & Talk 5:00 PM Victoria Faulkner’s Centre Share a meal and learn communication skills together. Drop-in.
Elder and Counselor available Emotional and Spiritual
support, free to Indigenous women, girls, 2 spirited in Yukon, Northern BC: Phone, video appointments or in person. Call Toll Free 866 667 6162 or visit www.yawc.ca for info.
Monthly
Every other Tuesday Sharing Circle 12:00 PM Old Justice Building KDFN Every other Tuesday for recovery focused sharing circles. Connect, share challenges and gains, and access support and wisdom. Snacks and refreshments served. whatsupyukon. events/4en
Mondays
Sally and Sisters 11:00
AM Salvation Army 311 Black St Yukon Aboriginal Women’s Council A welcoming environment where women and their children can enjoy a hot meal.
AA “Joy of Living Group” (O) 12:00 PM 305 Wood St. Captain Martin House Infant Feeding Mondays 1:00 PM Yukon Midwifery Program - Yukon Health and Social Services
AA Life Ahead (O, A) 7:00 PM 509 Hanson St. Held in person or by zoom – ID 251-363-5766, call 778-907-2701 for more info.
AA New Beginnings Group (OM, NS) 8:00 PM Sacred Heart - Rear Entrance - basement
Tuesdays
Sally and Sisters 11:00
AM Salvation Army 311 Black St Yukon Aboriginal Women’s Council A welcoming environment where women and their children can enjoy a hot meal.
VFWC - Drop-In 11:00 AM
Victoria Faulkner Women’s Centre Drop-In includes Laundry and Shower.
AA “Joy of Living Group” (O) 12:00 PM 305 Wood St. Captain Martin House
TOPS (Take off Pounds Sensibly) 6:00 PM 100 25 Firth Rd Want to improve or maintain a healthy weight? Join us! Every Wednesday morning. Call or text 867-334-1725 for more details
AA UglyDuckling Group (C/M, NS) 8:00 PM Christ Church Cathedral New members always welcome, this is a non smoking group.
Ugly Ducklings Group (O,A) 8:00 PM Christ Church Cathedral Held in person or by zoom – ID 251-363-5766, call 778-907-2701 for more info.
Wednesdays
TOPS (Take off Pounds Sensibly) 8:00 AM Closeleigh Manor Common Room Want to improve or maintain a healthy weight? Call or text 867-3341725 for more details
VFWC - Drop-In 11:00 AM Victoria Faulkner Women’s Centre Drop-In includes Laundry and Shower.
Community Kitchen 11:30
AM Victoria Faulkner Women’s Centre Hot nutritious meals togo, a free, low-barrier, program for women identifying individuals and children. Call 667-2693 for more info
AA “Joy of Living Group” (O) 12:00 PM 305 Wood St. Captain Martin House
Al-Anon 12:00 PM 407 Black Street, downstairs Al-Anon is a mutual support program for people whose lives have been affected by someone else’s drinking.
AA No Puffin (C, A) 7:00 PM Christ Church Cathedral (Hellaby Hall)
AA Porter Creek Step Meeting (C) 8:00 PM Our Lady of Victory
Thursdays
Sally and Sisters 11:00
AM Salvation Army 311 Black St Yukon Aboriginal Women’s Council A welcoming environment where women and their children can enjoy a hot meal.
VFWC - Drop-In 11:00 AM Victoria Faulkner Women’s Centre Drop-In includes Laundry and Shower.
AA “Joy of Living Group” (O) 12:00 PM 305 Wood St. Captain Martin House
Polar Group (O, A) 7:30 PM 311 Elliott St. & 4th Ave. Held in person or on zoom, Zoom ID 251-363-5766, call 778-907-2701 for more info.
Fridays
Moth & Flame - Bright Light
Morning Meditation Series 9:00
AM Queer Yukon Society - The Cache
AA “Joy of Living Group” (O) 12:00 PM 305 Wood St. Captain Martin House
AA Yukon Unity Group (O) 1:30
PM Online Zoom ID 482-5189588 PC 334796 call 778-9072971 for more info.
VFWC – Drop-In 1:30 PM
Victoria Faulkner Women’s Centre FREE! Drop-In. A safe welcoming space. Drop-in includes laundry and shower access.
Community Kitchen 5:00 PM
Victoria Faulkner Women’s
Centre Hot nutritious meals togo, a free, low-barrier, program for women identifying individuals and children. Call 667-2693 for more info.
AA Whitehorse Group (C, A) 7:00 PM Christ Church Cathedral
Saturdays
AA Detox Meeting (O, A) 1:00
PM 609 Steele St.1:00 PM
AA Yukon Unity Group (O) 1:00
PM Online Zoom ID 482-5189588 PC 334796 call 778-9072971 for more info.
VFWC – Drop-In 1:30 PM
Victoria Faulkner Women’s Centre FREE! Drop-In. A safe welcoming space. Drop-in includes laundry and showers.
Community Kitchen 5:00 PM
Victoria Faulkner Women’s Centre Hot nutritious meals togo, a free, low-barrier, program for women identifying individuals and children. Call 667-2693 for more info.
AA Hospital Meeting 7:00 PM #5 Hospital Rd. Room 1212
Sundays
AA Detox Meeting (O, A)1:00
PM 609 Steele St.
AA Yukon Unity Group 1:00 PM Online By zoom – Zoom ID 482518-9588 PC 334796 For more info call 778-907-2971
AA Hospital Meeting (O, A)
7:00 PM #5 Hospital Rd. Room 1212
THE TRAPPER'S LIFE
SNACKING WHILE HIKING
Back when, as a tourist, all I saw when driving the Alaska Highway was forest …
That bush, I knew, had trees; but which ones?
There are spruce, pine, poplar, aspen and willows. The only flower a tourist will probably be able to name is the fireweed which will colour the ditch pink. But once you start propelling yourself forward with your own two legs, time slows down and you realize that there’s more to Yukon’s flora than just the above-mentioned.
The middle to end of June is a great time to assemble a
wildflower bouquet. It always amazes me how many different flowers will grow north of 60; right now my bouquet consists of 23 different plants! As lovely as a bunch of flowers is, they can also subdue your cravings while on a hike: my all-time favourite is the mighty dandelion – more about the goddess later.
The other day I nibbled on bedstraw leaves, one bluebell leaf (they taste fishy), fireweed shoots (the flowers were not out yet) and a juniper berry. Most of the plants out there can also be used for tea, but today we’ll just talk about which ones you can eat off the plant with a few other interesting uses.
The Rose (Rosa acicularis)
Nibble on a petal — it’s velvety soft and sweet. Put some
in your water — so refreshing! The roses look splendid on a cake!
Fireweed (Chamerion angustifolium)
The official flower of the Yukon Territory, its shoots are high in Vitamins A and C. Make jelly of the flowers.
Lungwort, also known as bluebells (Mertensia paniculata)
The name says it: this is a plant that assists your respiratory system. Eat the leaves, and only the leaves, raw, steamed, in soups and stews.
Red clover (Trifolium pratense)
When the plant’s leaves come up dense and strong, one is tempted to stop and look for the lucky four-leaf clover! Suck the sweet nectar out of the
flower.
Goldenrod (Solidago species)
The young leaves taste like spinach; use the flowers in muffins and other baking.
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
My second favourite plant; it also grows, like the dandelion, profusely. Chew some of the fern-like leaves and even flowers, it might help with your headache (I know that the tea will!). Yarrow is a women’s herb: rich in iron, magnesium and zinc, among others. Make a spit-poultice out of the leaves to put on cuts and scrapes. Dry the leaves and use in a spice blend.
Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)
If those flowers were dif-
ficult to grow, they’d indeed be welcome in many a garden. Dents de lion is the French name because the jagged edges of the leaves resemble the jaws and teeth of a lion. The perfectly round flower head contains Vitamin D. Chewing a few stalks a day will put your body into spring-cleaning mode. The white juice of the stalk can be put on warts. The leaves help purify the blood and liver, and contain calcium and Vitamin C, among others. Make jelly of the flowers.
Now don’t forget to give your cake some colour by arranging the edible flowers of roses, goldenrod, fireweed and red clover on top.
Are trees any good? You bet
column with Sonja Seeber
Sonja Seeber and her husband Paul are Yukon trappers who live in the Pelly Mountains and have developed a lifelong passion for the trapping lifestyle in the North.
Rose petals are shaped like hearts
PHOTOS: Sonja Seeber
Dandelions are pure sunshine
Garbling (cleaning and separating) juniper
cont’d on page 22..
• T-shirt tie-dying • Cardboard-castle building
Arts & crafts
Parade
Performers
And more...
Caregiver & Tot
Recreation Centre This is an unstructured hour for You and your Littles to get social and run wild. This IS NOT a drop off, all children must be accompanied by an adult. Call or email 993-4102 atlinarc. coordinator@gmail.com for more info.
Yukon Communities:
Wednesdays AA Yukon Unity (OM) 3:00 PM Online Yukon Health Centers, Live Video Meeting Beaver Creek, Carcross, Carmacks, Dawson City, Destruction Bay, Faro, Haines Junction, Mayo, Old Crow, Pelly Crossing, Ross River, Teslin, Watson Lake. Online users’ sign in info: yukonbcdistrict52@gmail.com
CARCROSS
BATTERY
Batteries store energy that is needed to start your vehicle, there are a few things to remember about batteries.
Regular maintenance #1 is making sure the battery is secured properly so it doesn’t vibrate, keeping connections clean and tight at the terminal, with loose connections you may run into problems like vehicles won’t start, alternator not charging properly and could cause battery and alternator failure.
Making sure your battery is ready for the colder weather we see in the Yukon like adding a battery pad or battery blanket to keep it warm when the vehicle is not in use; by keeping the battery warm in colder weather you will get the most power out of the battery on start up. Here is a side tip: if you don’t drive your vehicle on a regular basis and are experiencing battery problems, you could ask you local mechanic to install a low amp battery maintainer; this will keep your battery fully charged even when the vehicle is parked for a long time.
Sat Jun 7 Discover Aviation (former COPA for kids) 11:00 AM Carcross Kids aged 8-17 have the opportunity to experience flight. Event takes place at Carcross Airport. Sat Aug 23 Fly-In to Carcross and meet with Klondike Cruisers classic cars 11:00 AM Carcross
Second Sunday of Every Month St. Saviour’s Church Services 2:00 pm St. Saviour Church 867-668-3129
First Friday of the month Mother Goose Group 11:00 AM Haa Shagóon Hídi (Our Ancestors House) Carcross/Tagish Learning Centre Learn stories, songs, and rhymes, lunch provided. Suitable for babies and children 5 and under. Please bring along a water bottle and blanket to sit on. To register, call 332-2389. https://whatsupyukon.events/ jwf
Wednesdays Yoga with Richard Mueller
12:00 PM Carcross Firehall Free for everyone some fitness required. Thursdays Yoga with Jess Ghùch
Tlâ Community School Beginners welcome, all equipment provided. Dropin, Free admission! For more info email yogajessyukon@gmail.com.
CARMACKS
Pick up your copies of What’s Up Yukon at:
Sunshine Restaurant Carmacks Rec Centre
CDC / CIBC Bank Tatchun Center General Store
First & Third Tuesdays of Every Month
Carmacks Regular Council Meeting 7:00 PM Carmacks Municipal Building
Mondays Carmacks
(O) 1:00 PM Haines Junction Health Centre
Sundays Anglican Church Service 10:30 AM St. Christopher’s Church Anglican Church Service at St. Christopher’s Anglican Church in Haines Junction https://anglican.yukon. net/services.html
DAWSON CITY 9 9
Pick up your copies of What’s Up
Yukon at:
Dawson City General Store
Tue, May 27 Dementia Education: Introduction to Brain Health 10:00
AM Free event. The Downtown (Coast Hotel) - Conference room Register today: Call First Link® Yukon Dementia
Helpline 1-888-852-2579.
Tue May 27 – 30 Spring Aquatics
Workshop Dawson Swimming
Pool Learn safe and effective pool operations, lifesaving and water safety skills and more to help you feel prepared and confident heading into the season.
Sat May 31 Crocus Kickoff Disc Golf
Tournament 2:00 PM Crocus Bluff
Disc Golf Course Open to ages 7+ and all skill levels are welcome. Entrance fee includes a 3 disc player pack, CTP prizes, and automatic entry into the ace pot. https://www.cityofdawson.ca/p/ crocus-kickoff-disc-golf-tournament Thu Jun 12 - Sun Jun 15 25th Annual
Yukon Riverside Arts Festival
Dawson City, YT
Thu Jun 12 Gallery Hop 7:00 PM
Dawson City, YT Sat Jun 14 Hän Ghả Chukėt
Träätätsey Artist Market 11:00 AM
Front Street Picnic Shelter A diverse selection of art created by local crafters, artists and artisans. A great place to pick up local gifts, souvenirs and artwork. https://kiac.ca/ MONTHLY
1st Saturday of every month Coffee House & Open Mic Night Klondike Institute of Art and Culture (KIAC) 7:00
PM family-friendly open mic night at KIAC. Admission by donation with all funds raised donated to a different community group each month. Last coffee house of the season May 4 to resume in the fall of 2024.
Weekly
Mondays Handbuilding Pottery Drop-in 6:30-9
PM Self-guided group studio time for
those who have some knowledge and experience with pottery. Newcomers are welcome, though little instruction is provided. KIAC Classroom, back door
Drop-In Pickleball 5:30 PM Robert Service School Adult Drop-In Basketball 7:45 PM Robert
Service School Ages 16+ - Free - Call 9937400 ext 299 for more info.
Tuesdays
St Paul’s Anglican Church Morning
Prayer 9:00 AM St Paul’s Anglican Church
Join us in person at the church, or online
(Facebook Live)
St Paul’s Anglican Church Evening
Prayer 5:00 PM St Paul’s Anglican Church
Join us in person at the church, or online (Facebook Live)
Hand-Building Pottery Drop-In 6:30
PM Klondike Institute of Art and Culture (KIAC) Self-guided group studio time for those with some experience with pottery. Newcomers are welcome, little instruction is provided.
Wednesdays
St Paul’s Anglican Church Morning Prayer 9:00 AM St Paul’s Anglican Church
Join us in person at the church, or online (Facebook Live)
St Paul’s Anglican Church Evening
Prayer 5:00 PM St Paul’s Anglican Church
Join us in person at the church, or online (Facebook Live)
Welcome Wednesday Supper and Games 6:00 PM St Paul’s Anglican
Church QYS Drop-in 1:00 PM DCMF Office
Screen Printing Drop-in 6:00 PM
Klondike Institute of Art & Culture KIAC
Classroom (enter via backdoor) Selfguided group studio time for those who have some knowledge and experience with screen printing.
DCMF Film Selections 7:00 PM Dënäkär
Zho The best committee ever! Just watch movies! Help us select the films for the 2025 film festival. Come once, twice, or all the time! To get on our mailing list, email: filmfest@kiac.ca Dawson City Disc Golf League 8:00 PM
St. Luke’s Church Service 11:00 AM St. Luke’s Church 867-993-5381
PELLY CROSSING
ROSS RIVER
Tuesdays
Sewing Night 7:00 PM The Hope Centre
Wednesdays
Family Bible Study 8:00 PM The Hope Centre
Pick Up 7:00 PM Mount Lorne Community Centre Join us to help keep our community clean and green!
1st Tuesday Monthly LAC Meeting Lorne
Community Centre
Club 6:00 PM Lorne Mountain
Centre Yoga with Jess 6:00 PM Mount Lorne Community Centre Beginners welcome, all equipment provided. To register or for more info email yogajessyukon@gmail.com.
Yoga 7:00 PM Lorne Mountain
Centre By donation all levels
Fun Fitness Class - Drop In 6:30 PM Mount Lorne Community Centre
your balance, flexibility, strength and endurance in this indoor class led by Colleen Ennis. Drop in, admission by donation. Suitable for mature youth & adults. https://whatsupyukon.events/fhm
Thursdays Community Drop In 11:00 AM Mount Lorne Community Centre Run Club 6:00 PM Mount Lorne Community Centre
OLD CROW
Mondays Men’s Night At The Rec Centre 6:00 PM John Tizya Centre & Old Crow Community Centre
Tuesdays
Kids Gym 3:00 PM John Tizya Centre & Old Crow Community Centre
Adult Sewing 6:00 PM John Tizya Centre & Old Crow Community Centre
Youth Gym 6:00 PM John Tizya Centre & Old Crow Community Centre
Wednesdays
Stroller Walks 10:00 AM Kih Tsal
Parent and Tots 4:00 PM Old Crow
Community Center Call 966-3015 for more
info.
Adult Card Game Night 6:00 PM John Tizya Centre & Old Crow Community Centre
Sundays
Fridays Family Game Night- Coffee House 9:00 PM The Hope Centre
Sundays Church Service 12:00 PM The Hope Centre TAGISH
First Monday of every month Carcross
Tagish Renewable Resources Council 1:00 PM Tagish Community Centre
First Monday of every month Tagish Advisory Council 8:00 AM Tagish
Community Centre First Tuesday of every month Tagish
Community Association 7:00 PM Tagish
Community Centre
Second Thursday of every month Tagish Local Advisory Council 7:00 PM Tagish Community Centre
Wednesdays Tagish Library 12:00 PM Tagish Community
LIbrary Tagish Library is an active and bright addition to our community. What’s Up Yukon, discover what’s happening around the Yukon Yukon Learn at Tagish Library 2:00 PM Tagish Community LIbrary Targeted literacy programming by Yukon Learn at the Tagish Library. What’s Up Yukon, discover what’s happening around the Yukon. Coffee And Chat 2:00 PM Tagish Community Centre
Thursdays
Carpet Bowling 10:00 AM Tagish
Community Centre
Tagish Library 12:00 PM Tagish Community LIbrary Tagish Library is an active and bright addition to our community. What’s Up Yukon, discover what’s happening around the Yukon Tagish Local Advisory Council Meeting 7:00 PM Tagish Community Centre .
Saturdays Tagish Library 12:00 PM Tagish Community LIbrary Tagish Library is an active and bright addition to our community. What’s Up Yukon, discover what’s happening around the Yukon TESLIN Thu May 29 Community Art Night with Ayla 6:00 PM Teslin Recreation Centre Mon Jun 2 Slo-Pitch League 6:30 PM Teslin Recreation Complex Teslin Adult SloPitch league, 4 teams, 12 weeks, sign up with rec. Free to play
Crocus Bluff Disc Golf Course simple, welcoming league for all skill levels
Thursdays
CDC Toddler Program 10:00 AM
Klondike Institute of Arts & Culture KIAC Free drop-In for kids 5 & under with parent/guardian Story time & free play!
Drop-in Volleyball 7:30 PM Robert Service School Ages 13+ - Free
Fridays Cards & Conversation 1:00 PM Royal Canadian Legion Branch 1 Dawson City Free! Drop-In! No registration necessary. whatsupyukon.events/ dawson-legion-8336c3
Open Studio Drop-in 1:00 PM Klondike Institute of Art and Culture (KIAC) Enjoy KIAC’s bright, air-conditioned space to create and focus on your artistic practice. Even better- we’ve waived the drop-in fee this day. Drop-in Bouldering 6:00 PM Robert Service School Free - drop-in - all ages
Saturdays Youth Parkour Tumbling 12:30 PM Robert Service School All Ages - Free –Drop-In. Children 10 and under must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Open Studio – Drop In 1:00 PM Klondike Institute of Art & Culture KIAC Classroom (enter via backdoor) Space to create and focus on your artistic practice. AA North Star Group Dawson City 7:00 PM Royal Canadian Legion In person or Videoconference option available Call 867-993-5095 or 867-9933734 for more information
Mondays Teslin Tigers Cross Country Ski Club 3:15 PM Teslin Recreation Centre Co-Ed Curling League 6:30 & 8:00 PM Teslin
— they’re so versatile. You can build stuff with them (cabins, book shelves, chairs, baskets, canoes), they shelter you from the weather and give you medicine.
Spruce (Picea glauca)
Get some Vitamin C from the light green new tips; they’re also antiseptic and good for your respiratory system. Some people chew the sap like chewing gum (I sometimes put a piece in the roof of my mouth for a few minutes, then spit it out).
Juniper (Juniperus communis)
A shrub with a berry (actually, it’s a seed cone) that’s available not only in the fall! The berry needs three summers to mature. A ripe berry looks dark blue and some are covered in a dusty white powder (it’s a yeast that can be used to make bread rise). Juniper is valued due to its antiviral, antibiotic and antifungal properties.
But don’t pick them all –leave some for the robins for next spring, when there’s still snow on everything else. Many hunters use them as flavouring in their endeavours of smoking wild meat. This trail nibbler aids digestion, is full of iron and Vitamin A and is also called “purifier of the blood.” The seeds can be irritating to the kidneys, so use in moderation.
Now from which trees can you eat the catkins (high in protein) and the cambium (the thin layer between the outer bark and inner sapwood)?
Enter Balsam Poplar (Populus balsamifera) and Trembling Aspen (Populus tremuloides). The cambrium can be your survival food until help arrives. The catkins contain Vitamin C. The Aspen, additionally, has a white powder on its bark which you can use as sunscreen.
Which trees give you the natural medicine “salicin” (instead of taking an Aspirin)? It’s the Alder (Alnus species),
Trembling Aspen, Balsam Poplar and Willow (Salix species)! Nibble on the leaves and bark for pain relief, but tea is the preferred choice for most people.
Now, what’s going to be in your next bowl of salad? Rose petals and leaves, a few spruce tips, fireweed flowers, shoots and young leaves, dandelion flowers (without the green bracts and receptacle), their young leaves, also goldenrod and bluebell leaves.
When picking flower petals, always leave at least one so that the flower can be pollinated. You might get distracted by all the food ahead of you, so look up once in a while to check-in with yourself and make sure you still know where you are located.
This is also good practice, since bears might have the same idea as you — devouring dandelions! Most importantly, make sure you know what you’re picking — better safe than sorry. Talk to your medical practitioner if you take medications and have a chronic condition, as plants have powerful properties that might interfere with your medication.
All Yukon wild plants are full of minerals and vitamins — one is left to study Beverley Grey’s book “The Boreal Herbal” and find natural remedies for scraped knees, digestive problems or heartburn. Most of the above information is taken from Beverley’s book. Be sure to watch for her nature walks on beverleygray.com or aromaborealis.com or the business’s Facebook page.
The Government of Yukon might put on “Wild Discoveries” events this summer wild-discoveries#Naturenerds
Find out if the most popular Miles Canyon Nature Hikes will happen this year at yukon. com.
Be safe, and nibble consciously. n
• Specializing in servicing Yukon’s exploration and mining industries
Logistic, transportation & supply chain support
• Camp crew change & grocery delivery
• Pick-ups & drop-offs
• Available evenings, weekends & holidays
• Fast, efficient & secure
Bluebells – eat the leaves, never the flowers (most times blue flowers are not edible)
A gorgeous display of alder catkins
Goldenrod, a natural antihistamine
Your medicine awaits in a willow!
PHOTOS: Sonja Seeber
Performances:
Rising Sun Singers + Lianne Cranfield + Taiko Drummers + Jasmine Netsena + John from Dawson + Boyd Benjamin & Kevin Barr
