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Freelance with Selene Vakharia
Selene Vakharia is a Whitehorse-based contributor who writes freelance stories on a variety of subjects.
A
new Yukon film
invites audiences to reconnect with nature and what it’s trying to teach us
Dennis Shorty shares his story of transformation through nature in Northlore
from digital overload.
It seems like every day our lives become busier and more digital. With the proliferation of social media, artificial intelligence (AI), and smart everything, it can often feel as if we are constantly wired. If you’re like 46 per cent of newspaper readers, you may even be reading this article online right now.
As our lives become increasingly online, we see a growing body of research pointing out how detrimental this is for our physical and mental health. One study tied social media use to decreased, disrupted, and delayed sleep, which is associated with depression, memory loss and poor academic performance. Another study labeled a phenomenon called Digital Burnout among office workers, which exhibits as fatigue or depression stemming
Confronted with this reality, two local filmmakers are choosing to refocus our minds and energy back on the natural world – in the mountains, out on the river, and literally anywhere that’s far away from our screens.
Melaina Sheldon and David Hamelin are the creators of Northlore, a hybrid documentary that will have its world premiere at the 2025 Available Light Film Festival. Through this film, which was co-produced by the National Film Board of Canada, five Yukoners who were transformed by their experiences with nature will share their very real, largerthan-life stories.
“We live in such a technologically-driven world these days,” said Hamelin, “that it’s really important for us to unplug and go back into nature. There are deeper things going on there that affect not only your mental health but your spiritual health.”
The film began with a seed in the form of a story from Yukoner Gary Sidney Johnson about his first moose hunt. Johnson’s story is one of the five featured in the film that shares connections forged between the people and the magic of the Yukon.
After hearing Johnson’s story, Sheldon and Hamelin knew there was something deeper that they wanted to explore.
“We knew there were some other stories that are similar to this,” said Melaina. “We know that other people have had these kinds of epic journeys of healing and growth and awakening and transformation. And experiencing that ourselves – like my own experience growing up in the Yukon, Dave growing up in the Yukon – it’s just inherent in our lives.”
While Yukoners may feel these experiences are just an ordinary part of their lives – nothing to get too excited about, Sheldon
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Lakes and other bodies of water promote a sense of calm and wellbeing
and Hamelin knew there was something more to them that needed to be celebrated and shared.
“There are all these magical elements within your journey out into nature,” said Sheldon. “It’s something about being here –being on the land – that is going to transform you. When you go out into the wilderness, you’re going into the unknown, regardless of what you’re going for. It’s this brave step into the unknown and you’re not sure what you’re going to be met with there. But it’ll transform you, and it’ll probably make you feel good.”
As we continue our immersion into the digital world and it becomes harder to tease apart what is human and what is machine, Sheldon and Hamelin feel that this is the perfect time to be reminded of the powerful relationship that exists between humans and nature.
“With artificial intelligence and as we go further into technology, [we need] to be reminded of that spiritual element, that spiritual capacity of, of human beings,” said Sheldon. “[In Northlore], each one of these people was somewhere either before technology or vastly separated from it. There’s a very symbiotic relationship between the natural world and humans.”
“It should be an integrated part of our lives,” shared Hamelin, “and not just something that we go to when we need it. it should just kind of be there as part of our everyday lives. I feel like that’s what makes us more healthy, more happy, more in tune with ourselves and the world.”
While Hamelin has been making films since he was a junior high student in Whitehorse, Northlore is Sheldon’s first film. She’s excited to share these uniquely Yukon stories and feels that they offer important insights that everyone can learn from.
“These are like the new legends,” said Sheldon. “We have legends from this land from the
First Nations people here. But it’s time for some new ones and this is how I feel legends are born. You take these magical, realistic stories and over 20 years it’s going to get even grander and bigger. Within these stories are so many teachings and knowledge. Just like a legend, you have to pay attention, and you will learn something.”
For both filmmakers, it was a lengthy and organic process full of learning, re-imaging, and creative problem solving. The project was full of unexpected twists and turns and evolved every step of the way. With so many Yukoners being involved in the project – from Gary Sidney Johnson, Elisabeth Pilon,
Melissa Matheson, Michael Code, and Dennis Shorty, who each shared their stories in the film to Jeremy Parkins who composed the score and much of the camera crew, the Available Light Film Festival felt like the perfect place for the world premiere.
“ ALFF has grown into such a prominent film festival here in Yukon and every year it just continues to grow and lots of people from across Canada covet this festival because of its location and the allure of the Yukon,” said Hamelin. “To have a film made in the Yukon by Yukoners playing for a Yukon audience.... It’s a great honour, and I couldn’t think of a more suitable place for it to start going out into the world.”
“The film and all of our storytellers are Yukon-based,” added Sheldon. “It just makes sense for it to be at home.”
Northlore will be opening the 2025 Available Light Film Festival on Friday, February 7 at 6:30 pm at the Yukon Arts Centre. It will be premiering with another Yukonmade film, Saturday, directed by Jessica Hall and co-produced by the National Film Board of Canada. ■
Animation blends with live action to bring stories to life in this hybrid documentary
Let
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From my first day as a cheechako placer gold miner in 1972 working for Art Fry at the Grand Forks’ confluence of Eldorado and Bonanza creeks in the heart of the fabled Klondike goldfield, I began hearing stories of a mythic nature about the massive placer gold deposits in Siberia just on the other side of next door Alaska.
neighbour until I found Sophy Roberts under the tree on Christmas morning, 2024 with an invitation to read her first book: “The Lost Pianos of Siberia.” She was 46 when it was published in 2020. She is now preparing her second book, which is about schools for elephants.
possibly, her self-confident smile while cranking out fear and loathing copy.
This woman is either a literary genius or has the best copy editor since Maxwell Perkins.
And because it needs to be said before we run out of inches, there are hundreds of pianos in this book – possibly thousands – but the one she really wanted to find is the one the Romanov family owned just before the rebel murderers gunned them down and sent their bloodline to eternity.
family owned just before the eternity.
Fry himself was fond of saying the entire Klondike was just “a drop in the bucket” compared to the rich goldfields the Russians had hidden away in Siberia. Such stories had been told in the Yukon since the next rush after Dawson, to Nome in 1903, where the gold was so plentiful and easy to find, nuggets were said to be lying on the beaches and could be picked up like popcorn in a movie theatre, which was actually true for a while until it all got picked up and they had to start digging or dredging to find more.
The lost piano was never located and only partial remains of the Romanov massacre victims, which included the Czar, his young male heir and his five beautiful, well dressed daughters who looked like they were on their way to a piano recital.
As it turned out over the 20th century, you could find gold just about anywhere in Alaska along the route of the meandering Yukon River from its headwaters upstream of Whitehorse to St. Michael’s on the Bering Sea, a little southeast of Nome.
But the stories from Siberia just kind of dried up and went dark in a mythical way, hastened by the publication of Alexander Solzhenitsyn’s “Gulag Archipelago” in 1973, which detailed the horrors of the Stalin death camps in the Kolyma goldfields which were mined by forced labour.
For the next 50-plus years Siberia became a long-forgotten
Roberts was born and raised on the west coast of Scotland, daughter of a fisherman. She says if she had to pick just one, her favourite writer would be Joseph Conrad but I kept finding myself thinking of Steinbeck while reading her long flowing sentences about horrible places as if she was reading a wine menu and ordering a decanter of the “Grapes of Wrath” with her light lunch. She also reminded me of gonzo guru, Hunter S. Thompson, but I can’t find the right sentences to explain why. There is nothing remotely gonzo about her except,
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In passing comments written in simple Geospeak, Sophy even explained why Siberia was so gold-blessed by nature and was the source of over half the world’s gold production during WWII. To oversimplify, Nazi Germany was ultimately defeated by Kolyma gold and U.S. industrialists made so much money they had to make it all Top Secret until years after the war ended in 1945.
Is there anything about Siberia, Sophy Roberts does not know? Every sentence is like a quick education in geography, history, gold mining, politics, pianos or the inhumanity of the human race. It was almost too much to attempt a review, but I loved every word of it and can’t wait for the elephants to come to town.
You probably won’t find “The Lost Pianos of Siberia” in fancy bookstores with trendy names but Well Read Books in Whitehorse would be worth a look. ■
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Soprano Rachel Fenlon brings Schubert (and Daniel Janke) from Berlin to Whitehorse
When multi-faceted
Yukon musician Daniel
Janke was seeking a female vocalist for a project he was working on about three years ago, he approached a soprano with a “unique, refreshing” approach to singing opera.
Unfortunately, Rachel Fenlon wasn’t available at the time. But not long after, Janke was working on an opera in Berlin, where Fenlon happened to live. He sent her some samples from a cycle of
art songs he was composing. The rest, as they say, was kismet.
On February 5, Fenlon will perform three of Janke’s songs at the Yukon Arts Centre (YAC) as part of the 2024-2025 Whitehorse Concerts season. Later this spring, Centrediscs, the record label of the Canadian Music Centre, will be releasing her album of Janke’s complete song cycle.
The main item on the Whitehorse Concerts menu, however, will be Fenlon’s presentation of die Winterreise, one of the all-time masterworks in the genre known in German as lied (plural, lieder).
Austrian composer Franz
Schubert based the 24-song cycle for voice and piano on texts by minor German poet Willhelm Müller. It was published in 1828, a few months before Schubert’s death at the age of 31.
The cycle is linked thematically by the narrative of a young, rejected lover who leaves his home in the middle of the night, seeking solace and, if possible, meaning in a life of isolation and loneliness.
His journey takes him to a charcoal burner’s hut, a village, and a cemetery. Along the way, he renounces his faith and encounters both ominous ravens and a derelict musician, to whom he poses the question, “Shall I go with you? Will you play your hurdy-gurdy as I sing my songs?” just before the cycle ends.
“Schubert was such a pioneer in the form that we now call art songs,” Fenelon says. Despite being dead for just shy of 200 years, she adds, “There’s something about Schubert that feels contemporary.”
Fenlon’s visit to Whitehorse is part of an extensive tour that begins January 21 on Saltspring Island. Besides being the subject of an album that came out last September, die Winterreise has been at the core of her concert repertoire for more than a year.
“I feel that it’s always changing. The beautiful part about performing live is that you’re living with the music, and often it reveals itself to you in different ways every night.”
Her favourite pieces in the cycle may vary from time to time, but Fenelon admits a fondness for Number 7, Auf dem Flusse (On the River). She also loves the final four lieder, especially the last, der Leiermann (The Hurdy-gurdy Player), which she terms “extremely effective and haunting.”
This shift in preferences may
come from the connection with a particular audience (“We’re inside something special.”), or “because I understand the character of what I’m saying in a different way.”
During a recent concert in Brazil, for example, one of the most “unassuming” pieces in the 70-minute cycle suddenly revealed itself in a new light.
“The incredible thing about masterworks, like Winterreise, or Shakespeare, is that different aspects can come alive onstage, in the moment.”
Besides being a classicallytrained opera singer with a lyric soprano voice that Janke considers “beautiful,” Fenlon also accompanies herself on the piano, something not very common on the concert stage.
Just as any soloist and accompanist can sometimes clash due to a sudden shift in tempo, or volume, or a fluffed entry, Fenelon admits that the relationship between Rachel the singer and Rachel the accompanist can sometimes get a little testy.
“Totally. Absolutely, they can,” she laughs. One time recently, she admits, she found herself frustrated when the piano’s pace made her drag her voice down and sing really slowly.
“‘Rachel, don’t slow down so much. You won’t make it through that verse,’ she cautioned herself silently. So, it’s a constant.”
Fenlon’s Whitehorse performance will open with three of Janke’s songs, although she hasn’t told him which ones. Later, he says, she’ll be touring with the full cycle. Unlike the Schubert work, the songs in this as-yet-unnamed collection will be in English, not German.
It took Janke two or three years to finish the cycle, whose overall theme is different aspects of love, such as parental love, or brotherly love, he explains. “Triangulating in on those, trying to understand
the big picture. Trying to get at the notion of whether or not we actually experience love in our lives.”
Along the way, Janke discovered that he’s good at writing songs.
“I enjoy it. It’s like a paperback novel; you connect a certain narrative and just write to it.”
While some of the songs are modernist, or have a modernist sound to them, “they’re not necessarily atonal,” Janke says.
“They’re not traditional lieder at all. They’re more modern songs. They have a lot of folk song elements to them. I borrowed a lot from folk songs; they had a big influence on me.”
As for Fenlon, the B.C.-raised lyric soprano thinks of herself as “sort of a singer-songwriter more than a traditional recitalist.” Berlin has been her home for the past 10 years, but she comes back to Canada as much as she can. While she considers herself a country girl at heart, she says the German capital has helped her expand her view and her imagination.
“Berlin is one of the great cities with regard to culture,” she says. “It’s just a fantastic city. It’s sort of a rite of passage as a musician.
Fenlon’s Whitehorse Concerts recital at the YAC begins at 7 pm on Wednesday, February 5. ■
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.
ngélique Bernard was born in Brossard, on the south shore of Montréal.
When she was in grade 5, her school welcomed an explorer who skied from Northern Quebec to Alaska via the Northwest Territories and the Yukon. This ignited her curiosity about the Canadian North and she wrote a four-page essay on the topic.
Angélique studied translation at Concordia University. As part of her cooperative program, she did her last work term at the Yukon French Language Bureau in the winter of 1995. After two weeks, she knew that this is where she wanted to live. She went back to Montréal to finish her degree and came back to Whitehorse in the fall of 1995.
Angélique was the first development officer of Les Essentielles, worked as a court recorder and launched her translation business in 2000. In March 2018, she was appointed as the Commissioner of Yukon, the first francophone in the history of the territory. Her mandate ended in May 2023, and she relaunched her translation business in the fall of that year.
In addition to representing the Yukon on various national boards of directors in the fields of women’s health, francophone issues, education and women’s issues, she was the president of the Association franco-yukonnaise. She was a host of the Rencontres radio show, an actress in francophone plays and the president of the Whitehorse Women’s Soccer Association.
In the Yukon, Angélique has found a place where she can carry out her motto of “Being open to all opportunities.”
Danielle Bonneau was born in SaintCharles de Bellechasse in Québec.
Danielle studied leisure management and intervention at the Cégep de Rivièredu-Loup. From 1988 to 2002, she worked at Charlesbourg High School as a school recreation technician.
In January 2002, Danielle, her husband Jean-Marc, and their two children Jérôme (9) and Francis (7) decided to move to the Canadian North. They drove and took the time to visit Canada.
Danielle worked as the cultural integration coordinator at École Émilie-Tremblay from 2002 to 2007. She was a language assistant from 2008 to 2012 and finished her career as the French Cultural Partnerships Officer at the French Language Programs, Yukon Department of Education, from 2012 to 2024.
Danielle was a founding member of the a cappella groupe Les Ceusses-qui-ont-dufun-quand-y-chantent (from 2002 to 2024). She was a member of the Whitehorse AllCity Band’s Senior Band, where she played saxophone for 16 years.
Danielle volunteered at the sugar shack, was a volunteer host of the francophone radio show Rencontres, was a member of the Board of Directors of Les Essentielles for two years and conducted a children’s choir for the francophone Constellation show in 2017. She co-hosted a francophone gala with her son Jérôme, took part in several francophone shows and became a referee for the Northern Improvisation League in 2024.
Danielle is now a grandmother to four grandchildren.
For Danielle, coming to the Yukon represented the discovery of another francophone community, the experience of solidarity and applying the principle that “anything is possible.”
Émilie (Fortin) Tremblay was born on January 4, 1872, in the Lac Saint-Jean region, in Quebec.
When she was 15, her family moved to Cohoes, New York. This is where she met her future husband, Pierre Nolasque (Jack) Tremblay, who was visiting from the Klondike where he had been prospecting since 1886. The couple married in December 1893 and set out for the Klondike on their honeymoon.
The couple lived in Miller Creek in a small log cabin. They were known for their generosity. On their first Christmas in the territory in 1894, they invited all the miners in the area to Christmas dinner.
They had no children but adopted two nieces. Émilie was godmother to 26 children. The couple often visited family in Cohoes and Saguenay. It was during one of their absences from the Klondike that gold was discovered. By the time they returned, all the rich concessions had been taken, so Jack prospected on various creeks.
In 1913, Jack and Émilie moved to Dawson and Émilie opened a women’s clothing store. Émilie was widowed in 1935 and in 1940, she married Louis Lagrois. She was very involved in the social life of the area with the Ladies of the Golden North, the Yukon Order of Pioneers Auxiliary and the Imperial Order Daughters of the Empire. She died in Victoria in 1949 after a battle with breast cancer.
Émilie Tremblay was an example of the French-Canadian spirit. Today, the French elementary school in Whitehorse bears her name.
Virginie Hamel was born in the City of Québec. She divided her time between crafts and piano lessons.
Virginie studied and worked in the field of scenography. She arrived in the Yukon in 2007 and joined the Arts and Culture team at the Association francoyukonnaise (AFY) as a contractor for some events and then as an employee in various positions. Her work as an arts and culture manager and then as director led her to collaborate daily with professionals from the arts industry across the country. Since 2023, Virginie has been working for the Government of Yukon as an arts advisor. She stays in contact with artists and artistic organizations.
The last few years have been filled with visual arts. Since 2022, exhibit projects such as La Chasse-galerie and her collaboration with the project Look Up have kept her busy. Between the spring and fall of 2024, she worked on an illustration project for the online magazine À ciel ouvert (based in Saskatchewan) and prepared an exhibition for the Francophone Manitoban Cultural Centre in Saint-Boniface in collaboration with Françoise La Roche and Michel Gignac. Virginie spent most of the 2024 holiday season preparing 20 works for an exhibition at La Manzanilla on the Pacific coast of Mexico.
For Virginie, moving to the Yukon has translated into acquiring a national and even international artistic experience. She had the opportunity to participate in an artistic festival in Myanmar and artist residences in India and Banff. These connections impact her art.
or email them to: events@whatsupyukon.com
Please visit whatsupyukon.com for up to date event details. Some events may be postponed or cancelled after we print.
ART SHOWS
Until Feb 2 Celestial by Yukon Art Society Members Arts Underground
Until Feb 2 Glorious Isolation: An Invitation to the Landscape by Leslie Leong YAAW Yukon Artists at Work See Leslie Leong’s beautiful photography show held in the solo gallery.
Fri Feb 7 Exhibit Opening: Maux & Merveilles by Association franco-yukonnaise 5:00 PM Arts Underground Featured artists: Aurore Favier, Cécile Girard, Françoise La Roche, Joe La Jolie, Karen Éloquin-Arseneau, Maryne Dumaine.
Fri Feb 7 Exhibit Opening: It’s Weird Down Here by Amy Kenny & Tedd Tucker 5:00 PM Arts Underground Highlighting 10 of the 100 stories interpreted by the collection. A sort of exhibition-y amuse-bouche to give you a taste of the particular brand of shenanigans you’ll find in the pages of It’s Weird Up Here.
Until Feb 20 The Land Speaks to Me by Jackie Olson YAC Yukon Arts Centre Gallery A rare glimpse at her collected works-in-process: Olson makes works that want to be returned to the land, and many of her works have already been curated back.
Until Feb 20 Land Mass by David Curtis YAC Yukon Arts Centre Gallery Dawson City-based artist David Curtis presents a compelling series of film and multimedia sculpture installations in his latest solo exhibition.
Until Mar 1 Maux & Merveilles by Association franco-yukonnaise Arts Underground Featured artists: Aurore Favier, Cécile Girard, Françoise La Roche, Joe La Jolie, Karen Éloquin-Arseneau, Maryne Dumaine.
Until Mar 1 It’s Weird Down Here by Amy Kenny & Tedd Tucker Arts Underground Highlighting 10 of the 100 stories interpreted by the collection. A sort of exhibition-y amuse-bouche to give you a taste of the particular brand of shenanigans you’ll find in the pages of It’s Weird Up Here
Until March 1 Growing Up With the Yukon - The Van Bibber family Arts Underground Showcases selections from almost two thousand photographs taken by the Van Bibber family between 1919 and 1965
LIVE MUSIC
Wed Jan 29 Alex Cuba 8:00 AM YAC Yukon Arts Centre Grammy and Juno-winning singer, songwriter, producer, and musician. Alex has a unique confluence of tradition and global influences.
Fri Jan 31 The Damn Shames & Sarah Hamilton 8:00 PM Lefty’s Well The Damn Shames with Sarah Hamilton and Friends - Upbeat drunken Honky Tonk
Sat Feb 1 Kim Rogers & Gemini Fire 8:00 PM 98
Hotel Kim Rogers & Gemini Fire are back at it to light up the 98 Hotel Stage. Rockin’ dance floor included.
Tue Feb 4 Tuesdays with Tentrees 6:00 PM 98 Hotel A different secret special guest every week! A no rehearsal spontaneous combustion magic train crash filled affair with someone I have never played with before!
Wed Feb 5 Rachel Fenlon 7:00 PM YAC Yukon Arts
Centre Featuring a world premiere by local composer, Daniel Janke. Drawing from a singer-songwriter approach, Rachel performs song recitals as both singer and pianist accompanying herself.
Thu Feb 6 Jazz in the Hall - Elaine Schiman 7:00 PM Old Fire Hall ‘Learn, listen & jam’ returns with featured performer vocalist Elaine Schiman, educational vignette with Steve Gedrose - Q & A with the featured Artist.
Sat Feb 8 Destroyer Music Video Release Party 8:00
PM Lefty’s Well Franklin and Reefer Demon, plus a secret, live special guest, for a night of sludgy metal and stoner riffs as they celebrate the music video release for their crushing debut single: Destroyer!
Sun Feb 9 ALFF Live – Fleabane & The Cryptozoologists 9:30 PM Yukon Theatre Yukon indie rock double bill! https://yukonfilmsociety.com/schedule/ alff-live-fleabane-the-cryptozoologists
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
& Seafood
Music at Whiskey Jacks 7:00 PM Whiskey Jacks Pub & Grill. whiskeyjacks.ca/
Music 8:00 PM Lefty’s Well Sundays Open Jam 8:00 PM 98 Hotel
GENERAL EVENTS
Mon Jan 27 Beginner ASL Class & Social Hang 6:00 PM Queer Yukon Society & The Cache Join us for an enriching experience, make new friends, and enjoy the opportunity to practice ASL in community!https://www. queeryukon.com/
Mon Jan 27 Anora 7:00 PM YAC Yukon Arts Centre Winner of the 2024 Palme D’or! Anora, a young sex worker from Brooklyn, meets, and impulsively marries, the son of an oligarch. https://yukonfilmsociety.com
Tue Jan 28 Time Management (1 Day Course) 9:00
AM Yukon University
Tue Jan 28 Design Workshops - General Public 5:00
PM Baked Cafe An opportunity for builders and property owners to learn about changes to the City’s Zoning Bylaw and how these changes may impact the design of their developments.
Tue Jan 28 Ceramics Level 1 with Kelly Wroot 6:00
PM Arts Underground A 7-week beginners course demonstrating the steps and skills required for wheel throwing, from start to finish. Learn the terminology and techniques.https://www.artsunderground.ca/
Wed Jan 29 Intermediate Jam - Bluegrass & Old
Time 7:00 PM Whitehorse Legion Branch 254 A fun jam of bluegrass, old-time and related genres (americana, classic country, etc). Email ian.boyce@northwestel.net for more info.
Thu Jan 30 Astronomy for Beginners 6:00 PM Yukon University Learn about the Zodiac, constellations, and how to identify key objects in the night sky. With handson instruction, you’ll explore star maps
Thu Jan 30 Yukon Quest 2025 - Meet the Mushers 6:30 PM Gold Rush Inn A chance to meet the mushers participating in the Yukon Quest 2025. https:// yukonquest.com/
Thu Jan 30 Climbing Film Premiere + ACC Club Social 7:00 PM Winterlong Brewing Co. Watch a 35 min film about the Crystal Towers and mingle, drink local beer, find new adventure partners, and learn about the ACC.
Fri Jan 31 The Last Showgirl 5:30 PM Yukon Theatre A poignant film of resilience, stars Pamela Anderson as Shelly, a glamorous showgirl who must plan for her future when her show abruptly closes after a 30-year run. https://yukonfilmsociety.com/schedule
Fri Jan 31 Rendezvous Community Build Night 6:00 PM Yukonstruct Makespace Help us make a wild-west nerf shooting gallery for the Klondike Dance Hall at this years’ Rendezvous! Please bring close-toed shoes, and come have fun!
Fri Jan 31 Raw Taiko Concert 7:00 PM YAC Yukon Arts Centre Experience the booming sounds of taiko with RAW: founded in 1998 as Raging Asian Women Taiko Drummers, RAW Taiko is a Toronto-based organization.
schools.
To register for Kindergarten in rural schools, please contact your school directly. For details visit: yukon.ca/register-child-school
Fri Jan 31 Den of Thieves 2 - Pantera 7:00 PM Yukon Theatre Lawman “Big Nick” O’Brien gets embroiled in the treacherous and unpredictable world of diamond thieves as he pursues career criminal Donnie Wilson to Europe.https://yukonfilmsociety.com/schedule
Fri Jan 31 After Dark Series - Trivia Edition 8:00 PM Yukon Brewing Sign up with a friend, or 3, and compete to win prizes donated by Mt. Sima! All team members must be 19 or older
Fri Jan 31 Wild at Heart 10:00 PM Yukon Theatre Arguably one of David Lynch’s more accessible films, this soap opera road-trip sees young lovers Sailor and Lula run from the variety of weirdos that Lula’s mom has hired to kill Sailor.https://yukonfilmsociety.com/
schedule
Sat Feb 1 Yukon Quest 2025 - Ceremonial Start 1:00
PM Whitehorse Join the mushers and teams at the start in Teslin and welcome them at the finish in Faro, YT, unable to get out, track the mushers in live time online!
Sat Feb 1 RAW Taiko Workshop - Transforming Rage through Taiko 2:00 PM YAC Yukon Arts Centre Learn the way RAW Taiko mobilizes rage as a creative source of energy, connection and resistance, particularly for women and gender non-conforming people of colour.
Sun Jan 2 Lord of the Rings - War of the Rohirrim 3:00 PM Yukon Theatre The animé journey back to middle earth! For audiences 12+ King of Rohan, and his people to make a daring last stand in the ancient stronghold of the Hornburg. https://yukonfilmsociety. com/schedule
Mon Feb 3 T4T Shop Time - Squatti Potti 5:30 PM Yukonstruct Makespace Ideal for folks over 19 who identify as two-spirit, transgender and/or genderdiverse - learn, gather, and connect!. All experience levels are welcome.
Mon Feb 3 Exploring Art Techniques and Mediums 6:00 PM Arts Underground Learn techniques in encaustic painting, block printing, and pastel painting. The learning and exploration in this workshop is gently directed so students can experience the joy of selfexpression.https://www.artsunderground.ca/
Mon Feb 3 Crochet Basics 6:00 PM Itsy-Bitsy Yarn Store A 3 part crochet series, learn the basics of crochet and you will leave with your very own dish cloth! No prior crochet experience required! All materials are included. https://itsybitsyyarnstore.ca/ Tue Feb 4 Whitehorse Connects 10:00 AM Kwanlin Dun Cultural Centre Community building community, free food, live music, haircuts, free clothing, and more. Call 689-5456 for more info.
Tue Feb 4 Modern Web Development 12:00 PM Yukonstruct Makespace A relaxed and engaging session with web development pro Marcos Castillo of Bizont.ca . Learn how modern tools make building and managing websites easier for everyone—no coding required.
Thu Feb 6 Project Management Essentials: Part 2 (2 Day Course) 9:00 AM Yukon University Participants receive more advanced project management skills development training building on the theory and fundamentals learned in Project Management Essentials Part 1.
Thu Feb 6 PALM Fly Fishing Film Festival 6:30 PM Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre palm-fly-fishingfilm-festival
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If you sense your car drifts or pulls to one side, you could have a wheel alignment problem. The alignment of your vehicle’s wheels can affect the way it handles. Your car may drive fine, but when you look at your tires, you may notice that they are wearing. Your steering wheel could also feel not centred. Our team of professionals can align your wheels by placing your vehicle on a wheel alignment machine. This machine uses laser guided measurements to allow our mechanic to set and adjust the suspension components back to the factory specifications. You can prevent the impact of wear and tear on your tires, reduce pulling and feel confident in a safer drive.
Sun Feb 9 Fire Tower 12:00 PM Yukon Theatre Fire Tower invites us to contemplate how solitude can inspire a different kind of connection with nature, community and our own creativity. Screens with The Medzih Story: Restoring a Caribou Landscape Sun Feb 9 ALFF
2nd Monday Whitehorse Slow Jam 7:00 PM Golden
2nd & 4th Mondays Service Officer 7:00 AM Royal Canadian Legion Whitehorse An invite to all Veterans, Police and First responders for the service hour at the Legion, socialise and find out what is going on. https:// bit.ly/3Lm40ZG
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
3rd Sundays Messy Church 3:00 PM Christ Church Cathedral church for children and adults that involves creativity, celebration and hospitality. Crafts, singing and food will be the focus.
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
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.
Sun Feb 9 Hunting Matthew Nichols 8:00 PM Yukon Theatre Twenty-three years after her brother mysteriously disappeared, a documentary filmmaker sets out to solve his missing person’s case. Filmmakers in attendance.https://yukonfilmsociety.com/schedule
Sun Feb 9 Disco’s Revenge 9:00 PM YAC Yukon Arts Centre This gorgeously produced, super funky doc, is a deep dive into the very soul of disco music and its enduring impact across genres and history. Director Omar Majeed in attendance. https://yukonfilmsociety. com/schedule
Monthly
2nd Monday Ukulele Group 6:00 PM Golden Age Society salvin@northwestel.net
Ukulele Group 6:00 PM Golden Age Society Euchre - For Members and Signed in Guests 6:00 PM Whitehorse Legion Branch 254 Euchre a tricktaking card game for four players, two on each team, As a member you
Tuesdays
Bridge 12:00 PM Golden Age Society
Café de l’amitié 2:00 PM Association francoyukonnaise (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, 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.
Anglican Holy Communion – Whitehorse 12:10 PM Christ the Church Cathedral The Book of Common Prayer, 2nd Wednesday of the month Sew & Tell All – Elders Hangout 1:00 PM Kwanlin Dun Cultural Centre Facilitated by Kwanlin Dün Elderin-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
Thursdays
Public Speaking Training - Toastmasters 12:00 PM Decora Guests are always welcome. There are many roles to learn at Toastmasters. Practice 2 minute table topics Anglican Thursday at the Cathedral
Sat Feb 1 Vocal Masterclass with Ron Long 10:00 AM YAC Yukon Arts Centre For young people ages 1321 - All masterclass participants will perform a piece of their choosing. Email info@ytyp.ca. for more info. Sat Feb 1 Teens in the Studio 6:00 PM Arts Underground Teens in the Studio
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
Whitehorse jazzfusion ensemble Muster Point invites you to its weekly
Muster Point was named after a sign outside the band’s rehearsal space. They needed a name, and it had a nice ring to it – it was that simple. But as the band’s chemistry developed and they started working on more and more music, the name came to mean more.
“I’m always looking for ways to tie the music into the community and bring people together,” says bandleader Logan Bennett. “That’s kind of the Muster Point thing.”
The name suits the music too – most commonly referred to as a fusion project, Bennett says even that label doesn’t fully fit the band, whose sound exists at a crossroads between almost any style you could think of.
“We’re a mix of jazz, classical, and alternatively-trained musicians,” explains Bennett. “It goes through a lot of different styles, and usually the songs are longer pieces of music, so any tune could go through two or three different styles within one piece of music, so we’re trying not to get too pigeon-holed.”
Bennett, who plays piano, synth and trumpet, has been leading Muster Point for around a year and a half now. After cycling through a few different band members, he’s landed on a solid group with Wyatt Best on guitar, Jake Paleczny on bass clarinet, Ragn Royle on bass and Michel Vallières on drums.
At first, Bennett was writing a lot of music on his own, and multitrack recording it at home before presenting it to his bandmates. Over time, given the nature of the musical backgrounds he and his bandmates brought to the table, he began to write more loosely, leaving room for improvisation within the pieces, often ending up with something completely different than what he had envisioned at the start of the writing process.
“I am getting better at that,” Bennett says. “When we started, I created parts for everything and was nitpicking about every little thing. It was fun for me to write the music, but when we put it into actual live music, people felt pretty constrained by all the detail I had created. So now, in the second year of the band running, I’ve written a whole set of new songs that we’ve been playing, and I tried to keep a lot more open-ended parts in there for it to kind of evolve.”
The current lineup of Muster Point has been playing together long enough that Bennett says the members are comfortable flying by the seat of their
pants, even adding flourishes and arrangements they hadn’t rehearsed during live shows.
“I am learning to be open and attentive to that input, rather than trying to be stuck in my own interpretation and my own ideas. I’m starting to be able to go into those first rehearsals and just see what happens,” he says.
“A lot of the tunes I wrote for this new series, I had only a vague concept of how they would go, more of like an intuitive sense of something. I gave it to the band and they took it in really cool directions. I’m learning to be more open to that, and I’m always surprised by what they’re able to bring to the table.”
Starting in early January, Muster Point has been playing a weekly concert series at Baked Cafe, which runs until the end of February. It is the band’s second winter showcase series at Baked, but the format of the performances is different this year than it was last year.
“We have a new guest artist every week,” says Bennett. “Last year, we had a guest who would bring their music and we would prepare their music and do a Muster Point interpretation of the guest’s songs. This time we are kind of twisting it around a little bit; we’re co-writing a piece with each guest and performing that.”
The idea to write a concertready song on the fly each week with a different artist was equal parts exciting and daunting for Bennett. Because of the number of people involved and the spontaneous spirit of jazz music, the band rarely has more than one rehearsal before any given show.
Starting the series off with Sarah Hamilton, Bennett told her she could bring some material to work on, or come with a clean slate and come up with something on the fly. Hamilton chose the latter option, and everyone was impressed with what the musicians were able to churn out together.
“Each guest will be different,” says Bennett. “Each guest will have a different level of comfort with that style of working and creating music. Some people really like to take their time, but I’m hoping I’ve reached out to musicians who are comfortable enough with that to make it happen.”
Last season’s guests were mostly musicians Bennett had already worked with, whereas this year he is adding another challenge by looking out for musicians he may be less familiar with.
“Maybe I’ll see someone in a show and like what they’re doing, or see a little video clip,” he says.
Muster Point performs at Baked Cafe every Thursday night from 6:30 until 8 p.m. No tickets or reservations are required, and seating is first-come-first-serve. The band asks that attendees make a donation of whatever they are able to give. Baked Cafe continues to serve drinks during the performances. Muster Point’s guest artists will be announced week by week.
“I think winter is the prime time for something like this – not that we’re having a winter right now,” Bennett laughs. “It is a really unique atmosphere in the winter.”
Please join us for a free, drop-in 30 minute session of music and movement designed for parents and babies led by Lian ne Cranfield at 10am on February 5 & 19 and March 5 & 26.
UNTIL FEBRUARY 20
Dawson City-based artist David Curtis presents a compelling series of film and multimedia sculpture installations in his latest solo exhibition until February 20. The gallery is open Mon-Fri, 10am-5pm.
For film & event descriptions, workshop listings, and Tickets
Is there a better reason to drink butter than steak and lobster? At home? I mean –seriously?
he Missus and I are getting up there. As a result, we generally don’t need as large a portion as we used to pack away. I mean, don’t get me wrong, we still love to gorge ourselves silly down South at Red Lobster or the Keg, but at home we are just as satisfied with a smaller plate, no leftovers and a mouthwatering dinner at a fraction of the down South restaurant cost.
These surf and turf hit our bellies at roughly $12 a plate and we absolutely loved them! They took about 8 minutes of prep and less than 20 minutes of cooking time in total. As I’ve mentioned in previous recipes, I’m a sucker for good deals and don’t mind shopping around to find them.
Our preferred grocery store usually has these small 3-oz lobster tails on at 2 for $14. Our preferred butcher usually has ungraded rib eye steaks for about $25 for a two-pack of 10-ounce steaks. So, we generally split a steak and have our own tail to accompany it.
I did up some baby carrots that needed to be eaten, frozen peas and microwaved baked potatoes to finish off the sides.
The only one that wasn’t happy was the dog, who had to survive with only leftover veggies and potato skins for his kibble’s ‘people-food’ add-ons.
You may prefer to opt for the full sized steak and 6-oz tails. That would up your per plate cost to roughly $25. Still twice as cheap at less than half the price as you would pay in a restaurant.
INGREDIENTS:
• Lobster tails
• Rib eye steak
• Potatoes
• Carrots
• Frozen peas
• Butter!
• Seasoning salt
• Montréal steak spice
• BBQ sauce
• Salt and pepper
• Garlic powder
• Garlic
• Lemon juice
• White wine
• Sour cream
• Bacon bits
METHOD:
1. Prepare your ingredients. Dice up a couple of pieces of garlic. Season your steak. Add about two tablespoons of butter to a frying pan with a lid. Wash and prick your potatoes along all four sides with a fork, set them on a microwaveable plate. Start
your BBQ. If you are using regular carrots, peel and slice them and add to a lightly salted saucepan of water.
2. You do not want to overcook your lobster tails, if you do, they will get rubbery. They are the timing for everything else. This, of course, will be based on their size. For larger tails I like to butterfly them and bake in the oven, but for these small ones a quick steam in the frying pan is plenty. They are cooked when the shell turns a bright crimson red.
3. Turn your carrot water on
to a medium-high boil. Put your potatoes in and microwave on high for about 5 minutes. They won’t be fully cooked, but you’ll be able to zap them again for a few more right before you plate everything. Once your carrots are nicely cooked add in about a cup of frozen peas. Once it comes back to a boil, they are done. Turn to low to keep them all warm.
4. Turn your tails pan on to medium to melt the butter, as soon as it starts to melt, add the diced garlic, some lemon juice and about a 1/4 cup of white wine.
5. Depending on how you like your steak, get it on the hot BBQ. I like to turn it 90° after 2-3 minutes to get those nice ‘restaurant’ grill lines. Put the lobster tails in the frying pan and cover with the lid to steam. Flip the steak and add your favourite BBQ sauce.
6. Melt about 1-2 tablespoons per serving of butter in ramekins in the microwave for each person to dip their lobster into. Flip your steak again and sauce the ‘good side’. Turn your potatoes over and zap them in the microwave for another 2-3 minutes to finish them off.
You’re basically done. Plate and serve! Here’s a few tips that you might find helpful: I like to slice the potatoes lengthwise, about 3/4 of the length as soon as they come out of the microwave. Then I gently squeeze the ends to ‘puff them out’ and I score the inside of both sides with a paring knife.
Next, I season with some ground sea salt and fresh pepper and add a good amount of butter. The butter melts immediately into the score lines and infuses the potato for a creamy texture and taste throughout. You can also add the garlic and drippings from the lobster tails at this point. Add sour cream and bacon bits at the table, sliced green onions or chives are a nice touch as well.
To prevent your lobster tails from curling up, you can use a skewer through them lengthwise to prevent that. That’s much more important with larger tails. To open your cooked lobster use your kitchen shears or a clean, sharp set of scissors and cut right down the top of the shell. The meat should just pop right out after you pry the shell apart.
And there you have it! An amazing high end meal in practically no time at all for very little cost, right in your own dining room. You can do this for a fancy dinner for guests, special occasions, or even ‘just because it’s Wednesday’.
They say red wine with beef, white with seafood. A nice Rose would complement both, or just crack a beer and get on with drinking that butter!
De-escala ng Poten ally Violent
Si a ons
Feb 5, 2025, 9am – 4:30pm CRN: 90109
$329+GST
Late registra on: Un l Feb 4, by emailing sam@ ctrins te.com
Delivered: In-person at YukonU in room T1023
*NEW* Administra ve Law For Advocates
Feb 7, 2025, 9am-4:30pm CRN: 90064
$125 + GST
Registra on deadline: Feb 3, 2025
Delivered: In-person at YukonU in room C1530
*NEW* Leading Through Fa gue, Complex And Uncertain
Feb 12, 2025, 10-11:30am
CRN: 90065
FREE
Registra on deadline: Feb 7, 2025
Delivered: Live streamed via Zoom
*NEW* HOPE 4 U – Reconcilia on Of Challenges In Everyday Living
Feb 12, 2025, 8:30am-4:30pm
CRN: 90066
$75 + GST
Registra on deadline: Feb 5, 2025
Delivered: In-person at YukonU in room C1440
Applied Suicide Interven on Skills Training (ASIST)
Feb 26-27, 2025, 8:30am-4:30pm
CRN: 90067
$225 + GST
Registra on deadline: Feb 19, 2025
Delivered: In-person at YukonU in room C1530
Mental Health First Aid For Northern Peoples
Mar 5-7, 2025, 9am-4:30pm
CRN 90069
$260 + GST
Registra on deadline: Feb 26
Delivered: In-person at YukonU in room T1023
Mo va onal Interviewing (MI)
Mar 6, 2025, 9am-4:30pm
CRN 90110
$329 + GST
$299 + GST Early bird registra on by Feb 13
Registra on deadline: Feb 20.
Late registra on un l Mar 5, by emailing sam@ ctrins te.com
Delivered: In-person at YukonU in room C1440
*NEW* Transforma onal
Leadership: Segment A -
The Resilient Leader
Mar 12, 2025, 9am-12pm
CRN 90096
$125 + GST
Registra on deadline: Mar 5
Delivered: In-person at YukonU in room C1530
*NEW* Transforma onal
Leadership: Segment B -
The Resilient Organiza on
Mar 12, 2025, 1pm- 4 pm
CRN 90097
$125 + GST
Registra on deadline: Mar 5
Delivered: In-person at YukonU in room C1530
In mate Partner Violence and Family Law: Part 2
March 27, 2025, 10am-12pm
CRN 90060
FREE
Registra on deadline: Mar 20
Delivered: Livestreamed via Zoom
*NEW* Neurodivers At Work
Apr 3, 2025, 9am – 12pm
CRN 90111
$169 + GST $149 + GST Early bird registra on by Mar 13
Registra on deadline: Mar 20.
Late registra on un l Apr 2, by emailing sam@ ctrins te.com
Delivered: In-person at YukonU in room C1440.
REGISTRATION OPTIONS:
• Contact Registrations & Records at 867-668-8710 EXT 2 and quote
• Register by emailing registrations@yukonu.ca
WITHDRAWAL POLICY:
Please note that if you
Apr 10, 2025, 10 – 11:30am
CRN 90072
FREE
Registra on deadline: Apr 3
Delivered: Live streamed via Zoom
Administra ve Jus ce: Prac ce And Procedure For DecisionMakers
Apr 9-10, 2025, 9am – 4:30pm
Apr 11, 2025, 9am – 12:00pm
CRN 90073 $600 + GST Registra on deadline:Apr 2
Delivered: In-person at YukonU in room C1440.
NOTE: This course is a pre-requisite for Administra ve Jus ce - Advanced Decision-Wr ng.
Administra ve Jus ce: Advanced
Apr 14 – 15, 2025, 9am – 4:30pm
CRN 90074
$450 + GST Registra on deadline: Apr 7
NOTE: Administra ve Jus ce: Prac ce and Procedures for Decision-makers is the pre-requisite for this course.
Delivered: In-person at YukonU in room C1530
*NEW* Narra ve Therapy
May 7, 2025, 9am – 4:30pm
CRN 90112
$329 + GST
$299 + GST Early bird registra on by Apr 16 Registra on deadline: Apr 23
Late registra on un l May 6, by emailing sam@ ctrins te.com
Delivered: In-person at YukonU in room T1023
Grief And Frontline Professions
May 21-22, 2025, 9am – 4:30pm
CRN 90055
$325 + GST
Registra on deadline: May 14
Delivered: This course is run In-person at McClintock Bay Resort, 62 Swan Haven Dr, Marsh Lake, YT
Mon Jan 27 Burlesque 101 6:30 PM The Guild Hall Learn to peel through dance and theatre. All levels are welcome!
All genders are welcome to take the class but it is oriented toward exploring “feminine movements”.
Thu Jan 30 - Sun Feb 2 Lights Out
Basketball Tournament 5:00 AM TBD
8th annual Lights Out Yukon Invitational
Basketball Tournament. This year promises to be bigger and better than ever.
Sat Feb 1 Guns N’ Hoses Charity
Game 12:30 PM Takhini Arena RCMP M Division vs Whitehorse Fire Department, in support of Special Olympics Yukon!
Tim Hortons on site selling Special Olympics donuts!
Fri Feb 7 Women only tournament 5:00
AM Better Bodies
Sat Feb 8 Yukon Ski Championships
8:00 AM Whitehorse Nordic Centre Mass start free technique! All age categories! 1 to 15 km!
Sun Feb 9 KSA Annual Take a Friend
Snowmobiling Group Ride 10:00 AM
Copper Haul Staging Area Everyone is welcome to come along on this ride - easy trails and stopping for plenty of breaks so riders of all skill levels and snowmobiles of all types are encouraged to participate.
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
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
Noon Strength & Conditioning 12:00
PM Northern Strength Academy
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 The art of 8 limbs, Muay Thai Kickboxing has proven itself to be the go to striking style of many martial arts champions.
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.
Flow and Fly – Vinyasa Yoga 8:30
AM Grace Space This dynamic and invigorating practice is designed to awaken your inner strength and leave you feeling revitalized and empowered.
Lifting for Longevity 10:00 AM
Northern Strength Academy Specifically designed for the retired population, but open to anyone.
Yoga with Richard Mueller 10:00
AM Guild Hall Free for everyone some fitness required. https://www. elderactive.ca/
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 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/ Strength & Conditioning 5:30 PM
Northern Strength Academy
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/
Midweek Morning Warm-ups 9:00
AM The Guild Hall Start your day with gentle, and energizing warm up. Led by Jacob Zimmer and guests. Drop in, by donation. Sign Up Appreciated - Upstairs at the Guild Hall https:// whatsupyukon.events/51584e
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 Dance Energizing Level 2 Pilates tailored for seniors. Elevate wellness with gentle movement!
Tai Chi Essential Form continued 10:00 AM Heart of Riverdale
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
Line Dancing - Beginners 1:00 PM Golden Age Society
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
Line Dancing - Experienced 2:00 PM Golden Age Society
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
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
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.
Tai Chi for Seniors 10:00 AM Golden Age Society Come early, bring water, and wear comfortable, smooth soled indoor shoes.
Lifting
Lunchtime Fitness Classes 12:00 PM
Northern Strength Academy Tuesdays classes are more resistance and strength focused and Thursday classes more HIIT cardio. Drop in & passes are available. bit.ly/3oiTBVz
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
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
Thursdays Noon Hatha Yoga
12:00 PM Grace Space Energizing blend of Hatha and Kundalini with Pranayama (breathwork), Friendly and Community oriented space! http://www. gracespaceyukon.com
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
Kids Brazilian Jiu Jitsu 6:00 PM Eight
Days Martial Arts
No-Gi Jiu Jitsu - teen classes 6:00
PM Eight Days Martial Arts
Muay Thai Kickboxing 7:30 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
Saturday Morning Strength and Conditioning 10:15 AM Northern Strength Academy Full-body movements to improve functional strength. Suitable for all levels and aligns with NSA’s strength programming. northernstrength.ca/
No-Gi Jiu Jitsu - drilling 12:05 PM
Eight Days Martial Arts
Open Mat 12:05 PM Eight Days Martial Arts
Sundays
Circus Sundays 10:00 AM Avalanche
Athletics We will have equipment for people to try out, including stilts, juggling stuff, aerial silks, aerial hoop, static trapeze, spinny things, balance things…
NSA Spin Classes 10:00 AM Northern Strength Academy NSA offers Indoor Cycling classes with certified instructors
Adrienne Marsh and Maria Wise. Improve your conditioning and strength on the bike! northernstrength.ca/ Free drop-in Tai Chi practice 10:00
AM Takhini Elementary
Tai Chi Sword Form 10:30 AM Whistle Bend Elementary School
Sun Jan 2 Singing Bowl SundaysMornings 10:00 PM 95 Lewes Blvd (the old Peak Fitness in Riverdale)
A unique and meditative sound experience where you can escape temporarily into other realms of consciousness.
Fri Feb 7 Cleansing Energy Meridians Breath + Sound Works w/ Philippe Mouchet 7:20 PM Alpine Bakery –Upstairs Transpersonal breathing to open and prime the body for the vibrations of sound, followed by live sound currents and vibrations of gong, singing bowls, didgeridoo, jaw harp, flute, and drum. https://www. yogayukon.ca/
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
1st and 3rd Tuesday of every month
The Prenatal Lunch Network 12:00 PM NVD Place (Old Canadian Tire Building) A free prenatal lunch network. Each week will feature a different activity. Call 332-5054 or 332-6476 for more info.
1st Wednesday QYS 2SLGBTQIA+ Parent & Guardian Peer Support Nights 6:00 PM Queer Yukon Society The Cache We want to provide a space where parents and guardians of 2SLGBTQIA+ youth can find connection and support from their peers.
2nd Wednesday Blood Collection and Lab Work 9:00 AM Queer Yukon
Society The Cache Blood Work and Lab Collection Clinic! We will provide regular clinics for blood collection & lab requisitions
1st Thursday of every month Men’s Gathering 5:00 PM A safe place for men to connect with each other and learn traditional teachings. For more info contact Rob at 332-5708 or Rob. McLean@kdfn.net
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
Last Monday Blood Collection and Lab Work 9:00 AM Queer Yukon Society The Cache Blood Work and Lab Collection Clinic! We will provide regular clinics for blood collection & lab requisitions
Last Sunday Spoonie Support Circle 2:30 PM Queer Yukon Society The Cache A low-key community hangs, engaging in peer support in facilitated conversations on topics brought forth by participants, and meet other spoonies! For details and to register islairhysrathlin@gmail.com
Mondays
Sally and Sisters 11:00 AM 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
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 (O, A) 8:00 PM Christ Church Cathedral (Hellaby Hall)
AA New Beginnings Group (OM, NS) 8:00 PM Christ Church Cathedral
Tuesdays
Sally and Sisters 11:00 AM 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
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
ARKA Brotherhood Men’s Circle: Porcupine Squad 6:30 PM Whitehorse
A confidential, structured space that empowers men to transform themselves into self-aware, selfdisciplined, empowered and trustworthy
leaders. Email mjvernon@gmail. com for more info. http://www. arkabrotherhood.com
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
Community Kitchen 11:30 AM
Victoria Faulkner Women’s Centre Hot nutritious meals to-go, a free, lowbarrier, 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 Sport Yukon Al-Anon is a mutual support program for people whose lives have been affected by someone else’s drinking. Cancelled Dec 25/Jan 1.
Narcotics Anonymous Meetings 7:00
PM Inclusion Yukon
AA No Puffin Big Book Study (C, A) 8:00 PM Christ Church Cathedral (Hellaby Hall)
Porter Creek Step Meeting (C) 8:00
PM Our Lady of Victory
Thursdays
Sally and Sisters 11:00 AM 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
Polar Group (O, A) 7:30 PM 311 Elliott St. & 4th Ave. Held in person or on zoom, Zoom ID 251-363-5766, call 778907-2701 for more info.
Fridays
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 482-518-9588 PC 334796 call 778-907-2971 for more info.
VFWC – Drop-In 1:30 PM Victoria Faulkner Women’s Centre FREE! DropIn. A safe welcoming space. Drop-in includes laundry and shower.
Community Kitchen 5:00 PM
Victoria Faulkner Women’s Centre
Hot nutritious meals to-go, a free, lowbarrier, program for women identifying individuals and children. Call 667-2693 for more info.
Narcotics Anonymous Meetings 7:00 PM Yukon Employees Union
Al-Anon 7:00 PM Trinity Lutheran Church Al-Anon is a mutual support program for people whose lives have been affected by someone else’s drinking.
AA Whitehorse Group (C, A) 8:00 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 482-518-9588 PC 334796 call 778-907-2971 for more info.
VFWC – Drop-In 1:30 PM Victoria Faulkner Women’s Centre FREE! DropIn. A safe welcoming space. Drop-in includes laundry and shower.
Community Kitchen 5:00 PM
Victoria Faulkner Women’s Centre Hot nutritious meals to-go, a free, lowbarrier, 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 482-5189588 PC 334796 For more info call 778-907-2971
Narcotics Anonymous Meetings 7:00
PM Inclusion Yukon
AAHospital Meeting (O, A) 7:00 PM #5 Hospital Rd. Room 1212
“It’s a great show!”
The words ring true, despite being uttered by a ground squirrel. Scout is one of the first characters viewers meet when tuning in to “Northern Tails.” They’ll meet the other forest dwellers as Scout’s film crew broadcasts their stories, coming to you from underground, above ground and even in a tree.
The foibles of these funny, furry but still feral folks may seem insignificant; but they are in fact educating an international audience about the northern environment and its global impacts.
The six-part series is an exceptional new venture into online broadcasting, created and produced in the Yukon, but already finding an international audience.
Kelly Milner, the creator and team leader, says they are hearing from people all over the world.
“We really wanted to tell a northern story, but it is amazing the kind of response we’re getting. I think the puppets themselves are kind of magic. People love them. You have people in New York City saying ‘I love the show!’”
This “mockumentary” web series launched January 3 on YouTube. The puppet actors are all creatures living in the boreal forests of northern Canada. The scripts are funny, but also filled with facts about the forest’s flora and fauna. Technically, it forgoes cutting edge special effects, leaning instead on high production values and craftsmanship.
“We built a crazy, beautiful set. It has a retro look, and a handpainted backdrop. It took a lot of time and planning. We also had to build the puppets.”
Milner says one of the first challenges was recruiting – no, actually creating – a workforce to put the show together.
“We had about two seconds of experience. None of us knew anything about doing a puppet show. We had about 30 people on set, and it was very important to me to put Yukoners in all parts of the production, so we had to learn about it. We brought professionals up for workshops, we did training.
We now have experienced people, experienced puppeteers in the Yukon.”
While the technical end is complicated, the creative work is possibly even more demanding. The show strives to both educate and entertain viewers of all ages and backgrounds. Each 12-minute episode includes a comedy sketch featuring one of the animals, some relevant science and comments from experts and regular folk.
It tackles significant issues, such as the decline of the woodland caribou herds, but always with a sense of humour. Some of which is provided by roving reporter Michael Jay, who also just happens to be a fox.
“I think at the end of the day, it needs to be fun. A lot of people questioned whether there would be an audience for this; it’s amazing to see how much this show resonates in the comments. We’ve put together a quality project that goes beyond the Yukon; people around the world seem to think it’s pretty great.”
The metrics so far support Milner’s assessment, in a big way. Ten days after release, the first episode had reached almost 20,000 views and the channel had more than 6,000 subscribers. Most channels take more than a year to reach even a thousand subscriptions.
Like most overnight sensations, Northern Tails was years in the making.
“I started working on this project about 10 years ago. My dad and I were talking about how to make people understand the boreal forest and how the animals live in it.”
Her father, Bob Hayes, was a Government of Yukon biologist. He poured his heart and soul into the production, but sadly never saw it come to fruition.
“He got quite sick. The last year of his life was spent working to make this project happen. He passed away just before we found out that we had the funding to go ahead.”
Hayes is listed in the credits as the inspiration, as well as the G.O.A.T. His influence is reflected in the show’s attention to accur-
ate scientific information, and respect for the natural world.
“The characters have the actual biology – and behaviours of their species – with a zap of pop culture to keep things fun. What’s important to a wolf? Family. So we based him on Tony Soprano. They’re relatable on a human level, but with the traits of who they are.”
Milner says producing the series was a great experience for everyone involved.
“Puppets are a lot of work. If you put into the script that a puppet is writing something in a book, you have to sew the pen into the puppet’s hand. But it was very fun. It’s still fun; we were in production for four weeks and we
laughed all day. Well, there were some tears also.”
The project is innovative and ambitious in ways that are unexpected in an independent, Canadian production. But for all television producers in Canada, money is scarce and Milner is again trying to pull together funding for another season. What will become of our creative creatures chronicling crucial concerns?
Hopefully, those with the purse strings will bear in mind that people are raven about it, and if they caribou quality, they won’t throw it to the wolves but will gopher another season; we do not want to see the back end of Northern Tails. ■
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
Mon Jan 27 Printmakers’ Pathway 5:00 AM Carcross Explore printmaking with our paid program for emerging makers’, a guided journey through the art and business of printmaking, contact Nava 668-6535 or nava.taghvai@yukonliteracy.com
Second Sunday of Every Month St. Saviour’s Church Services 2:00 pm St. Saviour Church 867668-3129
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. Drop-in, Free admission! For more info email yogajessyukon@gmail.com.
CARMACKS
Pick up your copies of What’s Up Yukon at:
• Sunshine Restaurant
• Carmacks
Tatchun
Pick
3:20 PM St. Elias Community School Held in the art room, open to Girls and identifying as Girls from Grade 8 to 12.
BGC Rec in the Gym 3:30 PM St. Elias Community School
Art Journaling Group 3:30 PM St. Elias Community School Bring your own creative supplies that you like to use. This can be scraps of paper, magazines, glue, paint, pen, markers, stamps, ink etc. and a book or journal to create
Thursdays
Romp & Run 11:30 AM Bill Brewster Arena Drop in. Programming is for kids 4 and under and their parents/ caregivers.
Seniors Activities 2:00 PM St. Elias Community Centre Floor curling, carpet bowling and indoor walking group.
Haines Junction Thrift Shop 2:00 PM St. St. Christopher’s Thrift Shop is a great place to pick up items. Prices are low and numerous adult items are available for $2, and most items for children are $1.
Adult Volleyball 7:00 PM St. Elias Community School Meet in the school gym
Fridays
Stories and STEM Activities 10:00 AM Haines
Junction Library
AA: “Yukon Unity Group” (O) 1:30 PM Haines Junction Health Centre
Saturdays
AA: “Yukon Unity Group” (O) 1:00 PM Haines Junction Health Centre
Sundays Anglican Church Service 10:30 AM St. Christopher’s ChurchAnglican Church Service at St. Christopher’s Anglican Church in Haines Junction https://anglican. yukon.net/services.html
AA: “Yukon Unity Group” (O) 1:00 PM Haines Junction Health Centre
MARSH LAKE
Sat Feb 1 Felted Hat Workshop 10:30 AM Marsh Lake Community Centre Felted wool toque with instructor Toos Omtzigt. Suitable for beginners, age 12+, email manager@marshlakecommunity.ca for more info.
Last Wednesday of every month MLCS board meeting 7:00 PM Marsh Lake Community Centre
Tuesdays
Play Bridge 1:00 PM Marsh Lake Community Centre
North of 60 Seniors Coffee and Chat 2:00 PM Marsh Lake Community Centre Yoga with Richard Mueller 5:00 PM Marsh Lake Community Centre Free for everyone some fitness required.
Elias Community School Meet in the school gym
Tuesdays
Romp & Run 11:30 AM Bill Brewster Arena Drop in. Programming is for kids 4 and under and their parents/ caregivers.
Tea & Bannock – Haines Junction 1:00 PM https:// whatsupyukon.events/tea-bannock-68ab07
Men’s and women’s sewing group 1:00 PM Mun kų
BGC Game Night 3:30 PM St. Elias Community School Play, have fun, build skills and challenge your friends
Wednesdays
Water Wednesdays 1:30 PM Pine Lake Come Join us every Wednesday for an afternoon of paddling in the traditional cedar dugout canoe! Da Kų Cultural Centre.
Seniors and Elders Refreshments and Games 2:00
PM Haines Junction Seniors Residence
AA: “Yukon Unity Group” (O) 3:00 PM Haines Junction Health Centre
Morning Prayer 9:00
Paul’s Anglican
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) Self-guided 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 CFYT Trivia Night The Drunken Goat Fun filled night of Trivia. Every other Wednesday. A variety of trivia categories! Come with your team or join a team when you arrive!
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
Wednesdays
South of 6 10:00 AM Marsh Lake Community Centre 10:00 AM Marsh Lake Community Centre
Thursdays
Shuffleboard Marsh Lake Community Centre 6:00 PM
Fridays
Beginner Yoga Marsh Lake Community Centre 10:00 AM Youth Gym Drop-In Marsh Lake Community Centre 6:00 PM
Saturdays
Pickleball Outside Marsh Lake Community Centre 11:00 AM
Sundays
Pickleball Outside Marsh Lake Community Centre 11:00 AM
MAYO
Pick up your copies of What’s Up Yukon at: Haldane Services
MOUNT LORNE
1st Tuesday Monthly LAC Meeting Lorne Mountain Community Centre
Mondays Run Club 6:00 PM Lorne Mountain Community 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.
Drop-In Yoga 7:00 PM Lorne Mountain Community
FRIDAYS & SATURDAYS JANUARY 24 - APRIL 19
It’s January and the stores are filled with oranges
This time of year is particularly special because the blood oranges show up for a brief moment between early January and the start of February. We’ve been eating one for breakfast every day, composting the peels, until the morning I realized, wait a second, we should be saving those to make candied peel.
I started peeling the daily orange more carefully, slicing off the top and the bottom and cutting gently through the peel in four sections, removing each quarter and putting it in a resealable bag in the fruit drawer in the fridge. When I’d amassed a few oranges’ worth of peels, I cut them into strips and candied them.
Suddenly, to paraphrase The Monks’ song, I had peels in my pocket and didn’t know what to do with them. I started looking around for recipes, finding lots of
scope in Spain (almond and Seville orange cake), Sicily (whole orange and almond cake) and – Scotland. Robbie Burns Night was coming up. Dundee cake was it!
This classic fruit cake, from the Scottish town of the same name, is typically made with Dundee marmalade, grated orange peel, currants, and raisins. There are variations, as there are with all classic recipes; some cooks add glacé cherries, others a tablespoon of whisky. The version in the Scottish Rural Women’s Institute cookbook, another classic, and one of my favourite cookbooks, calls for 400 grams of mixed candied peel.
I took inspiration from that one, but since I didn’t have quite enough peel, added raisins and some lowbush cranberries too, because they go so well with oranges.
It may seem too soon after Christmas to be making another fruitcake, but – Robbie Burns!
Even though by the time you read this the haggis will have been addressed and the songs sung, tuck it away in the recipe file for next year.
P.S. If you still have peel in your pocket, look ahead: Lunar New Year is just around the corner. In several Asian cultures oranges are symbols of good luck. Idea: almond cookies studded with pieces of orange peel….
I know we published a recipe for homemade candied peel a few issues ago, but here’s a quick and easy version, in case you missed that one.
• Orange peel (however much you have), cut into strips
• Water
• Sugar
1. Simmer the strips of peel in water to cover for about 10 minutes and drain.
2. Cover with water again until the peels are just floating, then pour that water into a measuring cup.
3. Take note of how much there is, then add that water back to the pan along with the same amount of sugar.
4. Cook for 40 to 50 minutes, until the pith looks translucent. Lift the peel out onto a rack set over a baking tray and let cool and harden for a few hours. Store in the refrigerator – will keep for months and months. (Save the syrup for drinks! Just add soda water.)
• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 5 Tbsp Seville orange marmalade
• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 cup candied orange peel
• 1 cup low bush cranberries
• 40 or so almonds, blanched or unblanched
1. Pre-heat the oven to 300F. Grease an 8-inch cake pan and line the bottom with greased parchment paper.
2. Cream the butter and sugar together in a large bowl. Add the eggs, one by one, beating well after each addition. Stir in marmalade at the end.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, stirring just enough to combine.
4. Stir in the raisins, candied peel and cranberries and mix until thoroughly combined.
5. Spoon into the prepared cake pan and spread evenly with the back of the spoon.
6. Arrange the almonds in concentric circles, starting from one in the middle and working outwards from there. Press them lightly into the batter with the palm of your hand.
7. Place cake in the preheated oven and bake for about 1 hour and 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Check after an hour, and if the cake is browning too quickly, place a piece of tin foil over top. (It does tend to brown after an hour or so.)
8. Remove cake from the oven and cool on a rack for about 15 minutes. Run a slim bladed knife around the edge of the cake to loosen. Place a plate over top and invert the cake onto the cake. Place another plate over top and invert again so the almond side is uppermost and slide onto the rack to continue cooling.
9. Resist cutting into the cake until it has thoroughly cooled. Serve as is or with a spoonful of whipped cream on the side. Store in a tin in a cupboard and eat within a week.
Makes one 8-inch cake. ■
PHOTOS: Michele Genest
Save that Peel!
