Michael Gates

1 week ago | yukon-news.com | Michael Gates

Downtown Whitehorse has transformed so completely over the past 125 years it is difficult to find any vestiges of the early days. But they are there, and when you find them, they are a reminder of how the river was pivotal to the birth and growth of Whitehorse. First Nations people have occupied the land along the waterfront for thousands of years before Europeans arrived, but they were displaced by the occupation of colonial forces, especially after the discovery of gold in the Klondike.

3 weeks ago | yukon-news.com | Michael Gates

There have been many personal accounts told by people who joined in on the stampede to the Klondike, so many in fact, that the stories have become commonplace. But occasionally, I come across one that breaks the mould in intriguing ways. This was the case with the recently self-published book, From Cheechakos to Sourdoughs: Two Ivy Leaguers’ Quest for Yukon Gold, written by Steve Lundin, with John Willard Lundin III.

1 month ago | yukon-news.com | Michael Gates

Jim Robb walked into the restaurant of the old White Pass Hotel one day a long time ago, probably in 1957. He sat down with the others to have a cup of coffee when someone put some money in the jukebox and the music started playing. A man got up and started to dance to the music. “He could really dance,” said Robb, “and I had my camera with me, so I took a picture. I took a picture with my cheap $12 camera.” Using the photographs and his vivid imagination, he painted the scene of this man dancing.

1 month ago | yukon-news.com | Michael Gates

Students from all over the territory gathered at the Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre on May 1 to share their heritage projects with the public. The 2025 Yukon/Stikine Regional Heritage Fair is part of a national program to encourage students to explore Canadian heritage in both official languages.

1 month ago | yukon-news.com | Michael Gates

The Whitehorse Tim Horton’s is a great place to meet for friendly conversation, and that’s where I ran into Harold Cowx having a coffee. I had recently interviewed him and recorded his memories of 62 years of trucking, mainly in the North. Judging by those he greeted while I was there, this must be one of his regular haunts. Harold was born in Ontario 87 years ago. Along with a brother and a cousin, he enlisted in the Canadian army while the Korean conflict was raging.