Jack London in his element

Famous writer of the Canadian wilderness Jack London is immortalized as a statue in Whitehorse.

It’s very fitting that London’s statue is outdoors. In winter you can see he is frozen and covered in snow; the elements that shaped his life and added colour to his stories.

 

Elders in the schools

At Elijah Smith elementary school in Whitehorse, some recognition for community members who share stories with students.

 

Moose powdered with snow

Moose are strange in that they’re huge animals but still very sneaky.

You can be driving and almost miss one — despite the fact they’re as large as a Clydesdale horse.

 

7am, driving the Alaska Highway

Coffee out of a thermos and beautiful moonlit scenery.

The only sound is the engine idling, the occasional creak of a branch in the wind and the click of a camera shutter.

 

Special Olympics Development Games

The Canada Games Centre in Whitehorse recently hosted Special Olympics Development Games. which are for athletes with intellectual disabilities.

It was a great day full of teamwork and friendship.

Here’s a link to my CBC radio piece about it.  

 

Cold trucking in Watson Lake

When it’s -35 outside a truck needs extra maintenance. These large trucks were seen in Watson Lake; a stop on the supply chain to Whitehorse.

We’re a long way from getting electric vehicles that can run at this temperature and pull this much weight.

 

Unusual parka: Feathers on the outside

An unusual parka seen at the MacBride Museum of Yukon History. It is made from about 70 ducks and loons.

People wear goose-down parkas today but they are usually stuffed with loose down like a pillow. This design of a coat — with the feathers on the outside, the birds kept round and packed against each other — is very unique.

 

Whitehorse’s food bank fundraiser: A parking ticket becomes ‘meal ticket’

Whitehorse city council has a great holiday tradition. If you get a parking ticket during the holidays you can pay as a donation to the Food Bank.

Staff at City Hall tell me they love the policy because people paying their fines are more cheerful about it.

It’s even common for people to over-pay their tickets. You can’t say that about a regular fine.

A cowboy’s best friend in Lower Post, BC

  A picturesque scene in Lower Post, BC, just outside Watson Lake Yukon.

A group of horses was blocking the road. Suddenly a little black dog arrived without any owner present and herded them all off the road like a sheepdog.

By the way the horses were acting, I guess this little ranch dog is their daily boss. This happened at -35 celcius.

 

Many small birds on a grey day

All these birds were seen flying around Riverdale, moving from tree to tree in a cloud. They would set up a few minutes and then move all at once.