Introduction
For a couple of year or more, I have wanted to lead a Habitat for Humanity trip to Whitehorse, Yukon. I traveled there many times in my career with the CBC and was last there in Dec. 2012 to visit my daughter who lived in Whitehorse at that time. Following discussion with Habitat's Global Village program followed by the creation of a new program called "Canada Builds," the trip fell into place. It was a great feeling to go back to a place I like so much and to be doing so with an organization that does such important work.
HFH Project
Our project was located in a new subdivision about 10-12 minutes drive from downtown Whitehorse. In the Whistle Bend subdivision, a few lots have been allocated to the local Habitat affiliate for the construction of duplex housing. Most of our efforts were dedicated to the final stages of one half of the duplex that will be ready for the new owners to occupy it in the late summer or early September.
Our tasks covered a wide range - sanding and painting walls, trim and a seemingly countless number of doors; installing insulation, set-backs and trim for windows; shoveling gravel, sand and crushed rock; laying down and covering landscaping carpet; measuring, cutting and installing siding. We kept busy throughout our five work days and left feeling a sense of accomplishment knowing that we had helped make the house close to being ready for the family to move in.
Habitat Yukon is very well organized and certainly was prepared to take advantage of the extra hands available to them for the week. In addition to the executive director's excellent organization and hospitality, we had great support from two tradesmen/supervisors (Jean-Marc and Stephan) at the site. They assigned tasks, ensured we paid attention to safety and worked along side us. In addition, they always made sure we had coffee first thing in the morning and for our breaks. One of them led us in stretching exercises each morning, which always was good for a few laughs. The local HFH director (Stu) was the perfect host and took care of us extremely well; and we were graciously hosted twice for dinner by he and his wife (Cindy).
The owners of the house (partner family) came to the site on a few occasions to either bring us lunch or simply to ensure we had the opportunity to spend some time with them. They are a family of six with four young children. We also met the single mother who will be the owner of the other half of the duplex when she brought us lunch one day; and, we got to see her again on our cultural day. August 20 update - the family has moved into the unit we worked on and enjoying their new home. The new owners of the other unit will move in on September 2.
Speaking of lunches - they were fantastic. A different person brought lunch to the site every day and we were treated to hot, tasty food that more than satisfied our appetites. Lunch breaks were good also for spending time with a few people from the community and the Habitat Yukon board. Through various conversations and dialogue, we learned a great deal about the cultural environment and history of the Yukon, economic development via various First Nations initiatives and how the work of Habitat fits into the housing mix of Whitehorse and beyond.
I was blessed with a great team of people - positive, hard working, lots of fun, interesting life experiences, excited about what comes next in their life and openness to the experiences at hand. While I put lots of time and effort into planning and leading the team, the success of these trips ultimately comes down to the people on the team and, once again, I fared very well. Three people had been on previous trips with and it was great to renew those connections. The others were people I met in person for the first time with this trip and some of them also had Habitat trip experience. One of the important things for me was having a number of younger people on the team as their first exposure Habitat and seeing them have a very positive experience.
Our team is featured in the HFH Yukon June newsletter.
http://www.habitatyukon.org/sites/default/files/users/News/HFHY-Newsletter-Jun14.pdf (copy link into your browser)
Cultural Experience & Trip to Haines Junction
An important feature of Habitat trips, internationally and domestically, is the local culture experience. While we certainly were exposed to some aspects of this during our build days, we were immersed in it on the day after completing our work.
Heading west from Whitehorse on the Alaska Highway, our destination was Haines Junction with a couple of stops on the way. This is about a two-hour drive through an area of spectacular scenery with the mountains (St. Elias range) increasing in elevation as you get closer to Haines Junction.
Our first stop was at the Takhini River Subdivision, where HFH Yukon has its first new house project. Just a few things are left to be completed before families will be able to move in the triplex. It was interesting to see the differences between this house and the duplex we worked on. One important similarity is the beautiful settings in which both are located.
Whitehorse
The capital and largest city in the Yukon has a population of about 28,000 and covers a large area geographically (greater Whitehorse comprises about 8,500 square km with the city boundary encompassing 420 square km). It is the transportation, economic, government, educational, tourism and service centre of the Yukon. The downtown area is built along the Yukon River and many buildings have had their heritage structure and appearance maintained dating back to the period of the Klondike Gold Rush. Whitehorse played a key role as a transportation and distribution centre for prospectors and others seeking their fortune in the gold fields near Dawson City.
It doesn't take much time in the city before becoming aware of its colourful history and some of the characters that contributed to this such as Skookum Jim, Tagish Charlie, Sam McGee, George Carmack and Samuel Steele (check them on Google). Some of this history is displayed through murals scattered about the city.
In addition to having a significant historic feel and look, the city has a full array of modern facilities and services including the impressive Canada Games Centre - a multi-use community facility for sport, recreation and wellness , Yukon College, territorial and federal government buildings, airport, museums, several hotels, "big box" stores, shops/boutiques and galleries. These few photos provide a sense of the city's downtown.
One side of the CBC building, a place where I spent lots of time in the early part of my career.
Interestingly, I know most of these people on the mural and have spent quite a bit of time with some.
In having pretty much any service one could want, Whitehorse is particularly well served by several very good restaurants, especially for a city of its size. We had great meals (food and service) at the Klondike Rib and Salmon BBQ, Sanchez Cantina (Mexican), Burnt Toast Cafe and, our favourite, Antoinette's. If you're ever in Whitehorse, try at least one of these. There are others too and a nice selection of coffee shops such as Baked, Java Connection, the Chocolate Claim and Alpine Bakery.
In addition to great eateries and coffee shops, Whitehorse is also the home of a craft brewery - Yukon Brewing. They make quality products and do an excellent job with their marketing. All their bottle labels are from designs of local artists, reflecting their strong community connection and commitment.
Obviously, Whitehorse has much to offer as does the rest of the Yukon. If you've not been there, a trip is well worth it.
Day Trip to Skagway
There is a long historic relationship between Skagway and Whitehorse as the Alaskan coastal town was where thousands started their arduous 800 km journey to the Klondike gold fields around Dawson City. For many, the journey started with the long, steep climb up and through the Chilkoot Trail, often referred to as "The Trail of 98." The Klondike Gold Rush shaped the development and way of life in this part of North America starting in 1896 and for decades thereafter. In fact, the influence of the gold rush era is still widely evident in Skagway, Whitehorse and the small town of Carcross located between the other two places. One of the great features of Skagway, in particular, are the many heritage buildings which are either the original facade or have been restored to their original look.
By June 1898, the population of Skagway was estimated to be 8,000 to 10,000 with about 1,000 prospectors passing through Skaway every week. At the time, Skagway was the largest city in Alaska. Today, about 800 people live in Skagway year round, but the number of residents increases substantially during the summer tourist season as many temporary workers come to town to support services required by thousands of cruise ship passengers.
The history of the Klondike Gold Rush is well documented and the town of Skagway continues to have a strong gold rush flavour. In addition to being a destination stop for the Alaska cruise ship business, it also attracts many people traveling the Alaska Highway as it makes for an easy day trip from Whitehorse. From our first stop at Emerald Lake, just a bit south of Whitehorse, we were treated with spectacular scenery as the Klondike Highway goes through beautiful mountain passes and then drops down into what is essentially a coastal rain forest at Skagway.
While we drove to Skagway, it is possible to travel part of the original route (Whitehorse to Skagway) during the summer season from Carcross to Skagway by the White Pass and Yukon Railway. The narrow gauge railway was started in 1898 after the gold rush had started and, after its completion in 1900, it became the primary means of getting to the Yukon interior and on to the gold fields; replacing the Chilkoot Trail.The trail is still popular, however, with backpackers who are looking for a bit of challenge while not having to content with the heavy gear and equipment that prospectors took from sea level through the 1,067 metre Chilkoot Pass and beyond.
The pictures below will give you a good idea of the atmosphere in Skagway. Also posted are a few photos of Emerald Lake and Carcross.
At Watson's General Store in Carcross, you can get just about anything!
For a couple of year or more, I have wanted to lead a Habitat for Humanity trip to Whitehorse, Yukon. I traveled there many times in my career with the CBC and was last there in Dec. 2012 to visit my daughter who lived in Whitehorse at that time. Following discussion with Habitat's Global Village program followed by the creation of a new program called "Canada Builds," the trip fell into place. It was a great feeling to go back to a place I like so much and to be doing so with an organization that does such important work.
HFH Project
Our project was located in a new subdivision about 10-12 minutes drive from downtown Whitehorse. In the Whistle Bend subdivision, a few lots have been allocated to the local Habitat affiliate for the construction of duplex housing. Most of our efforts were dedicated to the final stages of one half of the duplex that will be ready for the new owners to occupy it in the late summer or early September.
Our tasks covered a wide range - sanding and painting walls, trim and a seemingly countless number of doors; installing insulation, set-backs and trim for windows; shoveling gravel, sand and crushed rock; laying down and covering landscaping carpet; measuring, cutting and installing siding. We kept busy throughout our five work days and left feeling a sense of accomplishment knowing that we had helped make the house close to being ready for the family to move in.
Habitat Yukon is very well organized and certainly was prepared to take advantage of the extra hands available to them for the week. In addition to the executive director's excellent organization and hospitality, we had great support from two tradesmen/supervisors (Jean-Marc and Stephan) at the site. They assigned tasks, ensured we paid attention to safety and worked along side us. In addition, they always made sure we had coffee first thing in the morning and for our breaks. One of them led us in stretching exercises each morning, which always was good for a few laughs. The local HFH director (Stu) was the perfect host and took care of us extremely well; and we were graciously hosted twice for dinner by he and his wife (Cindy).
The owners of the house (partner family) came to the site on a few occasions to either bring us lunch or simply to ensure we had the opportunity to spend some time with them. They are a family of six with four young children. We also met the single mother who will be the owner of the other half of the duplex when she brought us lunch one day; and, we got to see her again on our cultural day. August 20 update - the family has moved into the unit we worked on and enjoying their new home. The new owners of the other unit will move in on September 2.
Speaking of lunches - they were fantastic. A different person brought lunch to the site every day and we were treated to hot, tasty food that more than satisfied our appetites. Lunch breaks were good also for spending time with a few people from the community and the Habitat Yukon board. Through various conversations and dialogue, we learned a great deal about the cultural environment and history of the Yukon, economic development via various First Nations initiatives and how the work of Habitat fits into the housing mix of Whitehorse and beyond.
I was blessed with a great team of people - positive, hard working, lots of fun, interesting life experiences, excited about what comes next in their life and openness to the experiences at hand. While I put lots of time and effort into planning and leading the team, the success of these trips ultimately comes down to the people on the team and, once again, I fared very well. Three people had been on previous trips with and it was great to renew those connections. The others were people I met in person for the first time with this trip and some of them also had Habitat trip experience. One of the important things for me was having a number of younger people on the team as their first exposure Habitat and seeing them have a very positive experience.
Our team is featured in the HFH Yukon June newsletter.
http://www.habitatyukon.org/sites/default/files/users/News/HFHY-Newsletter-Jun14.pdf (copy link into your browser)
Cultural Experience & Trip to Haines Junction
An important feature of Habitat trips, internationally and domestically, is the local culture experience. While we certainly were exposed to some aspects of this during our build days, we were immersed in it on the day after completing our work.
Heading west from Whitehorse on the Alaska Highway, our destination was Haines Junction with a couple of stops on the way. This is about a two-hour drive through an area of spectacular scenery with the mountains (St. Elias range) increasing in elevation as you get closer to Haines Junction.
Our first stop was at the Takhini River Subdivision, where HFH Yukon has its first new house project. Just a few things are left to be completed before families will be able to move in the triplex. It was interesting to see the differences between this house and the duplex we worked on. One important similarity is the beautiful settings in which both are located.
Our second stop was at the "Long Ago People's Place" where we learned a bit about the history and culture of the Champagne and Aishihik First Nation. We were welcomed by Harold, Meta, and Shawana (owner of one of the duplex units in Whitehorse) and her children. Harold guided us through a number of sites and talked about aspects of traditional life such as camping, mechanisms for catching animals, set-ups for drying meat and fish, and people even took turns at throwing a spear. This stop was topped off with lunch of tasty soup/stew and bread.
After a bit more time in the vans, we arrived at the Da Ku Cultural Centre in Haines Junction, where the centre's expert (John) told us about the historical transportation and trading routes of First Nations in the immediate area and as far away as coastal Alaska. There were many displays of traditional clothing and other items to add to the experience. We also spent a bit of time in the adjacent Kluane National Park Visitors' Centre. The highest mountains in Canada are located in Kluane - St. Elias Mountain Range.
Next - a necessary stop for coffee and snack refueling before hitting the road again. Our return trip to Whitehorse had two stops - one planned and the other not planned. Our unplanned stop was to see a Grizzly bear at the side of the highway. It was not much interested in us and continued to eat grass and generally ignored us. Despite being ignored, we took pictures from inside the vans!
Our planned stop was
about a kilometre or so off the highway, where we were treated to a
spectacular view of the Takhini River with a backdrop of mountains and
blue sky sprinkled with a few clouds. It doesn't get better than this!
The capital and largest city in the Yukon has a population of about 28,000 and covers a large area geographically (greater Whitehorse comprises about 8,500 square km with the city boundary encompassing 420 square km). It is the transportation, economic, government, educational, tourism and service centre of the Yukon. The downtown area is built along the Yukon River and many buildings have had their heritage structure and appearance maintained dating back to the period of the Klondike Gold Rush. Whitehorse played a key role as a transportation and distribution centre for prospectors and others seeking their fortune in the gold fields near Dawson City.
It doesn't take much time in the city before becoming aware of its colourful history and some of the characters that contributed to this such as Skookum Jim, Tagish Charlie, Sam McGee, George Carmack and Samuel Steele (check them on Google). Some of this history is displayed through murals scattered about the city.
In addition to having a significant historic feel and look, the city has a full array of modern facilities and services including the impressive Canada Games Centre - a multi-use community facility for sport, recreation and wellness , Yukon College, territorial and federal government buildings, airport, museums, several hotels, "big box" stores, shops/boutiques and galleries. These few photos provide a sense of the city's downtown.
Interestingly, I know most of these people on the mural and have spent quite a bit of time with some.
In having pretty much any service one could want, Whitehorse is particularly well served by several very good restaurants, especially for a city of its size. We had great meals (food and service) at the Klondike Rib and Salmon BBQ, Sanchez Cantina (Mexican), Burnt Toast Cafe and, our favourite, Antoinette's. If you're ever in Whitehorse, try at least one of these. There are others too and a nice selection of coffee shops such as Baked, Java Connection, the Chocolate Claim and Alpine Bakery.
Bathrooms at the Klondike
Good advice in the bathrooms of the Klondike
In addition to great eateries and coffee shops, Whitehorse is also the home of a craft brewery - Yukon Brewing. They make quality products and do an excellent job with their marketing. All their bottle labels are from designs of local artists, reflecting their strong community connection and commitment.
I won't argue with this!!
Day Trip to Skagway
There is a long historic relationship between Skagway and Whitehorse as the Alaskan coastal town was where thousands started their arduous 800 km journey to the Klondike gold fields around Dawson City. For many, the journey started with the long, steep climb up and through the Chilkoot Trail, often referred to as "The Trail of 98." The Klondike Gold Rush shaped the development and way of life in this part of North America starting in 1896 and for decades thereafter. In fact, the influence of the gold rush era is still widely evident in Skagway, Whitehorse and the small town of Carcross located between the other two places. One of the great features of Skagway, in particular, are the many heritage buildings which are either the original facade or have been restored to their original look.
By June 1898, the population of Skagway was estimated to be 8,000 to 10,000 with about 1,000 prospectors passing through Skaway every week. At the time, Skagway was the largest city in Alaska. Today, about 800 people live in Skagway year round, but the number of residents increases substantially during the summer tourist season as many temporary workers come to town to support services required by thousands of cruise ship passengers.
The history of the Klondike Gold Rush is well documented and the town of Skagway continues to have a strong gold rush flavour. In addition to being a destination stop for the Alaska cruise ship business, it also attracts many people traveling the Alaska Highway as it makes for an easy day trip from Whitehorse. From our first stop at Emerald Lake, just a bit south of Whitehorse, we were treated with spectacular scenery as the Klondike Highway goes through beautiful mountain passes and then drops down into what is essentially a coastal rain forest at Skagway.
While we drove to Skagway, it is possible to travel part of the original route (Whitehorse to Skagway) during the summer season from Carcross to Skagway by the White Pass and Yukon Railway. The narrow gauge railway was started in 1898 after the gold rush had started and, after its completion in 1900, it became the primary means of getting to the Yukon interior and on to the gold fields; replacing the Chilkoot Trail.The trail is still popular, however, with backpackers who are looking for a bit of challenge while not having to content with the heavy gear and equipment that prospectors took from sea level through the 1,067 metre Chilkoot Pass and beyond.
The pictures below will give you a good idea of the atmosphere in Skagway. Also posted are a few photos of Emerald Lake and Carcross.
If you're ever in Whitehorse, reward yourself with a day trip to Skagway and a stop in Carcross!
