What's Up Yukon, June 19, 2024

PHOTO: Cathie Archbould

The 2024 Adäka Cultural Festival will take place from June 28 to July 1, 2024, at the Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre

Adäka means many different things to many different people, the manager of arts development Yukon First Nations Culture & Tourism Association (YFNCT) Erin Symington told What’s Up Yukon.

The 2024 Adäka Cultural Festival will take place from June 28 to July 1, 2024, at the Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre and will include

Traditional knowledge sharing like this hide-tanning workshop will be featured at this year’s festival

a gallery featuring 80 Indigenous artists from around Canada and Alaska; artists demonstrating their craft outside in the Artist Studio Tent; over 25 artist workshops; traditional knowledge sharing such as hide tanning, fish skin tanning, traditional medicines; and storytelling and performances featuring traditional dance groups, singing, drumming, live music, comedy and film screenings.

“We had a lot of applications this year from visual and performing artists, which is incredible and fun to program when we have lots of amazing artists interested in participating,” said Symington. For some artists, the festival marks their first time at-

tending and showing and selling work in a gallery, or their first time facilitating a workshop, according to Symington.

“It’s an opportunity to grow as an artist,” she said. “Some artists have been part of it since the beginning and they look forward to it every year.”

Symington went on to say that Adäka Cultural Festival is a wonderful opportunity to come together to learn, teach, visit and be immersed in culture. This can mean both familiar and unfamiliar culture, demonstrated through visual arts, performances, cultural presentations, workshops and more.

“Some highlights, each year,

cont’d on page 3 ...

PHOTO: Manu Keggenhoff

This year’s Adäka

Cultural

Festival cont’d from page 2

use while also learning from demonstrating visual artists onsite.

“Adäka embraces this moment in time as an opportunity to share stories and culture, with pride and purpose, to harness the spirit within and around all who are involved,” said Symington.

“The Adäka Cultural Festival is a celebration of Indigenous arts and culture that brings us together, shining light on a stunning range of traditional and contemporary visual and performing artists.”

To learn more about the Adäka Cultural Festival and to see the schedule, workshops and information for prospective volunteers, visit adakafestival.ca ■

tend to be performances from the dance groups from across the Yukon, the community dancing and jigging night, workshops, the fantastic gallery full of impressive artwork and taking in new experiences from visiting artists,” Symington said. “The big highlight each year is celebrating coming together. Everyone is welcome!”

As far as what she expects this year, Symington just wants to show people what the festival is and always has been about: an inclusive environment for creativity, cultural knowledge sharing,

bonding and a chance to share the appreciation and importance of Indigenous cultures.

“The 2024 festival will honour Indigenous cultures through art, music, stories, language, history and more,” Symington said.

The festival’s performances will be held on the Mainstage in the Long House while traditional practices and teachings will be woven into the week’s invigorating schedule. Adäka’s gallery will be full of diverse artwork where guests can per-

The Dakhká Khwáan Dancers (People of the Inland), a Tlingit dance group based in Whitehorse, at a previous Adäka Festival. The dancers often include aesthetic masks during their performances. This year, the group was honoured to be the lead group at Celebration, a large biennial festival of Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian cultures, in Juneau, Alaska.

Live music will be just one of many exciting things to experience this year

Artist Studio Tent

PHOTOS: Manu Keggenhoff

Old guy best remembered for taking a school bus through the McDonald’s Drive Thru, in about 1987, and ordering 52 chocolate shakes.

ASININE ACRONYMS

FGS, it’s the invasion of the acronymaddicted GOC/YG bunch of CS!

We were online trying to find out how the federal dental plan worked with our existing Yukon Dental Program.

What we found was something called Coordination of benefits between the CDCP and the YDP.

It’s a colossal PITA. It exemplifies the influence of AI on CS who can’t think for themselves and assume that YAM can figure it out from the context.

Oh, I’m sorry, the OC was for DEO. And I guess I wasn’t expected to understand it. Ah well. My dentist is YTM, so I suppose he’ll get it.

But WAW can I find ITARTM? It seems to be MIA. At least I can’t find it. Are GWs designed to be IBS?

Write plain language sentences FFS! There, I said it. I didn’t mean to, but the whole issue of acronyms PMO ... except for the title of my column (so, CMAH). ■

GLOSSARY

AI: Alternative Idiocy

CDCP: Canada’s DeCeptive Protocols

CMAH: Call Me A Hypocrite

CS: Communication Specialists

DEO: Dentists’ Eyes Only

FFS: A little stronger wording than FGS

FGS: Fer Goodness Sake

GOC: Government Of Colonials

GW: Government Wierdsites

IBS: Impenetrable By Seniors

ITARTM: Information That Actually Relates To Me

MIA: (everybody knows this one): Missing In Action

OC: Original Confusion

PITA: Hemorrhoid

PMO: Puts Me Off

WAW: Where and When

YAM: You And Me

YDP: Yukon’s Disposable Pensioners?

YG: Yahoo Gamers: formerly YTG (Yukon Territorial Golem)

YTM: Younger Than Me

PHOTO: Pixabay

MEDITATING ON TIME

Savouring the longest days of a northern summer Summertime

I’ve been thinking a lot about time lately.

Maybe it’s the upcoming summer solstice or new parenthood that has me pondering such things … I’m not really sure. As I’ve grown older, I’ve felt my awareness of time change and I feel it’s been growing and shifting even more recently. Let’s just say that the lyrics to the song “The Circle Game” by Joni Mitchell strike a different chord in me now and I’ll admit that Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide” has left me misty-eyed once or twice.

is it the only way to look at time? Contemporary life has made us all so busy—rushing from one place to another and from one thing to

Time standing still

We’re nearing the longest day of the year and the days will be getting shorter again soon. It’s easy to feel like time is flying by, barely letting us catch our breath before fall will be here once again. It can be quite stressful, to be honest. It makes me feel anxious, sometimes, and like I’m always a little bit behind on everything.

It seems to me that modern society works hard to convince us that time is linear and that, consequently, our lives are linear too. There’s a beginning, a middle and an end. And we’re racing towards that finish line at ever-accelerating speeds while spending our money on anything and everything that promises to prevent the unescapable—or at least distract us from it. There’s a feeling of scarcity that comes with the idea that time is running out or that it’s been wasted. There’s only one “today” and if you blink, you’re bound to miss it.

That can definitely be true and it’s certainly a good idea to make the most of each day. But

another. I often feel that I’m so obsessed with the future that I’m missing the here and now. Looking in the mirror or at the new lines on the faces of the people I love makes me feel like time is running away from me. And yet there are moments, like when I’m waiting in line or waiting for a call, when it feels like time is moving excruciatingly slow. So maybe time isn’t rigid and sequential after all

… Maybe it’s more complex. The turning of the seasons, for example, suggests that there’s no end to time. You plant a kernel of corn and it grows and grows and grows. Eventually it’s ready to harvest, and the leaves dry up and return to the earth. Plant one of the kernels of corn that you harvested and it will all begin once more. There’s a rhythmic and cyclical nature to time. Day into night, tiredness to wakefulness, full moon to new moon. The repetitive nature of time and of life can help us reflect on how we’ve changed and how we’ve grown. Your birthday, for example, comes around every 12 months and can act as a reference point or a temporal landmark.

“Our true home is in the present moment. The miracle is not to walk on water. The miracle is to walk on the green earth in the present moment. Peace is all around us—in the world and in nature— and within us—in our bodies and our spirits. Once we learn to touch this peace, we will be healed and transformed. It is not a matter of faith; it is a matter of practice. We need only to bring our body and mind into the present moment, and we will touch what is refreshing, healing, and wondrous.”

- Thich Nhat Hanh (goodreads.com/quotes/11809731-our-true-home-is-in-the-present-momentthe-miracle)

Time is also connected to place. For most of human history, time wasn’t something measured in numbers, in seconds and in minutes; it was based on changes in the earth and in nature. Time ebbs and flows like the tides. It

expands and contracts, circles around, moves in and out and spirals into and away from itself. Sometimes it moves forward; and other times, backwards. Reminiscing brings the past into the present, and worrying catapults us into the future.

Aboriginal Australians have the concept of “everywhen,” a term first used by anthropologist W.E.H. Stanner in his 1956 essay “The Dreaming.” It’s the past, present and future, all together in one place; it’s “deep time.” It’s “almost as if the ancestors are living today” and are “speaking directly to those in the present”: (theconversation.com/all-thingswill-outlast-us-how-the-indigenous-concept-of-deep-time-helpsus-understand-environmental-destruction-132201).

Maybe the key to changing our perspective on time is to step away from the colonial interpretation of it. There is not just one way to experience time.

In the Andes, people talk about pachakuti, which can be interpreted as a rebalancing of the world order. Like a spiral—opening

and then closing again, and opening and closing—the world goes through cycles of creation and destruction. Their concept of time doesn’t end with the destruction, however. Chaos is always followed by renewal; and so it continues on, into and out of balance, new eras coming out of periods where the world is turned upside down and time continues on.

Soon the nights will begin to get darker again, little by little, here in the Land of the Midnight Sun. It’s hard not to be affected by that fact when the mountain peaks are still partially white with patches of last winter’s snow and it feels like summer has only just begun.

As I play outside in the dirt with my daughter, on a sunny afternoon, the warm breeze blows my hair across my face and a yellow butterfly flutters by. I can hear the neighbours’ laughter and I smell something delicious cooking on the grill. Time seems to stand still. I savour it. It feels like there is and always has been only just this one moment—no beginning and no end. Timeless. ■

column with

Jessica Surber

Jessica Surber is a writer who loves being in the mountains and working with plants. She divides her time between Peru and the Yukon.

PHOTOS: Jessica Surber

I’ll

Never Hitchhike Again

Calgary to Whitehorse, PART 1

Everyone tried to tell me that it was too dangerous to hitchhike, but I wouldn’t listen. I guess I just like learning things the hard way, but I do learn from my mistakes and I’m never going to hitchhike again. We almost didn’t make it to Yellowknife alive—but we did, and I’m here to tell the tale.

It was the summer of 1985 and I was in Calgary and was trying to convince my best friend, Cindy, to move back to Yellowknife with me.

“It’s the land of opportunity,” I told her. “You’ll get a journalist job, easy, and be editor before you know it. There are so few people there that it’s easy to move up the ranks.”

Cindy had lived a safer life than me, so

It is sad that something as eco-friendly as hitchhiking can also be so dangerous

JUNE IS NATIONAL INDIGENOUS HISTORY MONTH, AND JUNE 21 IS NATIONAL INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY.

After losing one of my shoes, I hitchhiked in my bald-eagle

I was surprised and ecstatic when she told me that she was going to quit her job, dump her boyfriend and hitchhike to Yellowknife with me. Then we decided that we would first hitch to Whitehorse, just so Cindy could see it. We told our parents that we were taking the Greyhound bus (and did, but just to Peace River). We stayed there for a few days with a friend of mine I had met while working in Norman Wells. Sue tried hard to convince us

We encourage all Yukoners to take time to celebrate and learn more about First Nations, Inuit and Métis culture, traditions and contributions to history and the future.

The land is an integral part of Indigenous ways of knowing and doing.

First Nations peoples have respected and valued the land we call the Yukon for millennia. We all join together to honour this beautiful land that we call home.

not to hitch out of Peace River because a few people had disappeared that way, lately. But we didn’t listen. We were 24 and bulletproof.

I had just got back from an epic hitchhiking trip from Whitehorse to Texas, with my friend Jessie. We got rides in big trucks the whole way. It was an awesome way to travel.

The best way to get a lift, in

on page 7 ...

column with

Donna Lawther

Donna Lawther is a long-time Yukoner, pour-painting artist and author of Harry the Hug Monster.

cont’d

PHOTOS: Pinterest

slippers

I’ll never hitchhike again

a semi, is to sit and drink coffee at a truck stop and chat to the drivers when they come in to eat. Since there was no truck stop near where we started, we stuck our thumbs out the old-fashioned way. It took four days to get from Peace River to Whitehorse, all in small vehicles. Not bad for 1,585 kilometres.

Our first ride was from a young couple who dropped us off in Fort St. John. Our second was a guy going to work on a road crew at Pink Mountain. I’ll never forget the first time I saw Pink Mountain. After driving through miles of wilderness, the big motel and store, perched all by itself at the top of the hill, looked so out of place.

It was June 21, summer solstice—still light enough to keep hitching, but we decided to pitch our tent and have an early night. That was until we discovered the bar in the motel and met the rest of the guys from the road crew. They invited us to come celebrate solstice with them at a cabin in the bush nearby. It was Cindy’s first solstice in the Land of the Midnight Sun, so we jumped at the chance to celebrate it. We partied late into the night and slept in the cabin. The boys woke us up early and gave us a lift back out to the highway on their way to work. In my rush to leave, I couldn’t find one of my shoes, so I put on my bald eagle slippers and hit the road! I figured I’d find it later in my bag.

I had to laugh at myself, standing on the side of the Alaska Highway, wearing my cloth slippers with a stuffed bald eagle head on them. I wondered if the drivers noticed them when they passed us.

We hitched from Pink Mountain to Watson Lake in a 1940 Chevy truck like this one

It wasn’t long before a young guy, driving a 1940s Chevy truck, picked us up. He seemed a bit overwhelmed by his whole adventure up the Alaska Highway and his unexpected company, but we kept him entertained for two days—all the way to Watson Lake.

After camping at Muncho Lake, the first night, he pulled out and started going south instead of north. Luckily, Cindy’s super sense of direction saved us from driving all the way back to Fort Nelson before we realized it!

It only takes five hours to drive

from Watson Lake to Whitehorse, but it took us twice as long to hitch it. All nice rides, but just too short. Our last ride was kind enough to drive us right to my friend’s house. It took a bit of finding. All I knew was that it was an old log cabin in the bush, behind the Airline Inn. By the time we found it, my eagle slippers were covered in burrs and horsetails (I never did find my shoe).

To be continued

June

June 25 Metal Shop Orientation 6:30pm - 9:00pm Open Hours: Wed–Sun 1:00pm–9:00pm

June 26

Cospace New Member Orientation 10:30am - 11:00am

Open Hours: Mon–Fri 9:00am–5:00pm

ART SHOWS

Mon Jun 17-21 Arts in the Park 2024 -

Visual art with Martha Ritchie 12:00 PM LePage Martha is bringing new life to clothing with hand printed imagery!

Mon Jun 24 -28 Arts in the Park 2024Visual art with Alaena Warne 12:00 PM LePage Creating silhouette art cutouts of a variety of creatures and characters!

CAR CARE Tips

ENGINE OIL

Your Vehicle’s

Operational Lifeline

Batteries Engine oil provides proper lubrication for all the moving parts inside an internal combustion engine - to disperse heat and prolong the life of all components. Without engine oil, serious damage can occur in a very short amount of time. Modern engine oils prevent blockages and contaminants from restricting oil flow. Oil breaks down and loses its properties over time, you should always check your oil on a regular basis. We recommend every 10,000km to 20,000km. Some circumstances, may require more frequent changes. For example if the vehicle is operated under abnormal conditions like 4wding, towing, racing, or excessive stop-start driving. It is also important to use the correct grade and specification of oil in your engine. Many modern European and diesel engines require certain additives which are present only in specific oil grades, and using the wrong specification can cause major and expensive engine and component damage.

Until Jun 27 Solo Exhibition by Lisa Bachli Northern Front Studios Many of her drawings repeat words and phrases over and over on paper and her work also includes abstracted representational imagery.

Until Jun 29 Flora & Fauna by Yukon Art Society Members Arts Underground Flowers are in bloom, migrating birds have returned, and our green spaces are green once again. Inspired art by this time of year, for our June 2024 exhibition.

Until Jun 29 MacBride Museum’s Collection – Yukon Erotica Arts Underground Yukon Erotica takes viewers on a trip back in time where brazen women toed the line by pushing out their chests and baring their ankles.

Until Aug 30 CAMP by Couzyn Van Heuvelen YAC Yukon Arts Centre Gallery Couzyn van Heuvelen’s sculptural installations in this exhibition build from van Heuvelen’s earlier investigations into hunting and fishing practices by shifting focus to the chores and communal spaces that take shape around the harvesting and preparation of food.

Until Aug 30 Stories within by Yukon First Nations Artists 5:00 PM YAC Yukon Arts Centre Gallery This exhibit brings together Yukon First Nations artists to delve into the rich traditions of storytelling embedded within their practices.

LIVE MUSIC

Mon Jun 17 Arts in the Park 2024 - Blues

Cargo 12:00 PM LePage Park12:00 PM LePage Park Free LIVE performances & interactive visual art experiencesShowtimes: Monday to Friday, 12 to 1:00pm, Special KID-FOCUSED performances Wednesdays at noon + Wednesdays evenings at 5pm! https://musicyukon.com/ artsinthepark/

Tue Jun 18 Arts in the Park 2024 - Jasmine Netsena 12:00 PM LePage Park

Wed Jun 19 Arts in the Park 2024 - Rick & Judy 12:00 PM LePage Park

Wed Jun 19 Arts in the Park 2024 –Northstarr 5:00 PM LePage Park

Thu Jun 20 Arts in the Park 2024 - Yukon

Wednesdays Karaoke 8:00 PM Lefty’s Well Whitewater Wednesday 8:00 PM 98 Hotel

Thursdays Ginger Jam 7:00 PM Lefty’s Well

Saturdays Live Music at Whiskey Jacks 7:00 PM Whiskey Jacks Pub & Grill At Whiskey Jack’s every Saturday. whiskeyjacks.ca/

Sundays

Open Jam 8:00 PM 98 Hotel

GENERAL EVENTS

Mon Jun 17 The Humble ‘Gopher’ 7:00 PM Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre Look and listen for these chatty rodents and learn about their behaviour and “sleeping” superpower. Register online. https://yukon.ca/en/wilddiscoveries

Tue Jun 18 Workshop: Mixed Media Art Journaling with Anna Redish 6:00 PM Arts Underground Make your own journals (2) and then will use writing, painting, collage and penwork to challenge ourselves creatively. Ages 16 + Register online. https:// arts-underground.myshopify.com/collections/ workshops/products/mixed-media-artjournaling-with-anna-redish-e6a6 Tue Jun 18 La Chimera 9:00 PM Yukon Theatre Just out of jail and still searching for his late beloved Beniamina, crumpled English archaeologist Arthur reconnects with his wayward crew of tombaroli accomplices. Tickets online or in-person at the box office. https://yukonfilmsociety.com/schedule/lachimera2

Wed Jun 19 Words Out Loud 7:00 PM Arts Underground Words Out Loud - Featuring Laurel Parry, Beauty Deegan and Laurence Fox — our open mic event series for writers and readers alike. Come early to get an open mic slot! https://www.yukonwords.ca/ Wed Jun 19 Handling the Undead 9:00 PM Yukon Theatre On a hot summer day in Oslo, the dead mysteriously awaken, and three families are thrown into chaos. Tickets online or in-person. https://yukonfilmsociety.com/ schedule/handling-the-undead

Let’s honour and uplift our cultures, traditions, and PEOPLES. Join us in recognizing our brilliant communities! Performances by Dahkaha Kwaan Dancers, Bria Rose ‘N Thorns, Vision Quest and many more. Fri Jun 21 & 22 Yintah Nightly Yukon Theatre Follows Howilhkat Freda Huson and Sleydo’ Molly Wickham as their nation reoccupies and protects their ancestral lands. Show times online https://yukonfilmsociety.com/schedule/ yintah

Sat Jun 22 Whitehorse Rapids Fishway

Season Opening 9:30 AM Whitehorse Fish Ladder We will be opening to the public for our 2024 season. Open: Monday to Saturday 9:30 - 4:30 pm Closed: Sundays. Sat Jun 22 solstice haiku discussion group 2:00 PM Whitehorse Public Library a monthly meeting to discuss haiku poetry https:// kjmunro1560.wordpress.com/

Sat Jun 22 & 23 YTYP - Fiddler on the Roof 2:00 PM YAC Yukon Arts Centre Fiddler on the Roof is the funny and sometimes heartwrenching story of Tevye the Dairyman and his family. For all ages, it contains discussion of the pogroms. Tickets online. https://www. yukontickets.com/.../1/tmEvent/tmEvent2814. html

Taiko 12:00 PM LePage Park Sat Jun 22 Blackwater Railroad with Vanstones 9:00 PM Lefty’s Well Come out and show our Alaskan neighbours a good time! Doors 8pm · Music · 930pm · Cover charge at the door. Mon Jun 24 Arts in the Park 2024 – North of Sexy 12:00 PM LePage Park Tue Jun 25 Arts in the Park 2024 –Songwriter Circle – County Josh, Caleb Tomlinson, Gordie Tentrees

Until Jun 20 Babes 7:00 PM Yukon Theatre Babes follows inseparable childhood best friends Eden and Dawn, having grown up together in NYC, now firmly in different phases of adulthood. Tickets online or in-person at the box office. https:// yukonfilmsociety.com/schedule/babes Thu Jun 20 Drop-in Reading Circle 5:00 PM Queer Yukon Society – The Cache Drop-in style event is open to all. May reading circle theme: Queer Memoirs, check out FB for recommended books. For more info email email kai@queeryukon.com. https:// whatsupyukon.events/qxd

Sat Jun 22 & 23 Hundreds of Beavers Yukon Theatre In this 19th century, supernatural winter epic, a drunken applejack salesman must go from zero to hero and become North America’s greatest fur trapper by defeating hundreds of beavers. Show times online https://yukonfilmsociety.com/ schedule/hundreds-of-beavers Sat Jun 22 Trivia Night (Members & Signed in Guests) 7:00 PM Whitehorse Legion Branch 254 Trivia Night - Topic- 2023 - CASH prizes and bragging rights - Bring your electronic device to play or play from home for free!! https://whatsupyukon.events/hde Sun Jun 23 Solstice Saint-Jean 6:30 PM Shipyards Park Food trucks, Yukon Brewing and children’s face painting to eat and have a good time, before rocking out to local live music! Bilingual and free admission! https:// linktr.ee/francoyukon Sun Jun 23 Introductory Fused Glass Workshops – Magnets 6:00 PM YAAW Yukon Artists at Work Introductory fused glass workshops this summer. No experience necessary. All supplies and tools included. Email tintinaglass@gmail.com for more info or to register. https://tintinaglassworks.ca/ workshops/ Mon Jun 24 Eagle Plains 8:00 PM Yukon Theatre An observational nonfiction film about the remote Eagle Plains Hotel and service station, in Yukon Territory, Canada. Tickets online or in-person at the box office. https:// yukonfilmsociety.com/schedule/eagle-plains2 Tue Jun 25 Plastic People - Film & Panel

Q&A 7:30 PM Yukon Theatre A groundbreaking feature documentary Plastic People investigates our addiction to plastic and the growing threat of microplastics on human health. Tickets online or in-person at the box office. https://yukonfilmsociety.com/schedule/ plastic-people

Thu Jun 20 - Jun 23 YTYP - Fiddler on the Roof 7:00 PM YAC Yukon Arts Centre Fiddler on the Roof is the funny and sometimes heart-wrenching story of Tevye the Dairyman and his family. For all ages, it contains discussion of the pogroms. Tickets online. https://www.yukontickets.com/.../1/tmEvent/ tmEvent2814.html

Thu Jun 20 - Jun 23 Evil Does Not Exist 9:00 PM Yukon Theatre Takumi and his daughter Hana live in Mizubiki Village, close to Tokyo. Like generations before them, they live a modest life according to the cycles and order of nature. Tickets online or in-person at the box office. https://yukonfilmsociety.com/ schedule/evil-does-not-exist Fri Jun 21 National Indigenous Peoples Day 8:00 AM Kwanlin Dun Cultural Centre

Thu Jun 27 Wilfred Buck 8:00 PM Yukon Theatre A feature documentary follows the extraordinary life of Wilfred Buck, a charismatic and irreverent Cree Elder who overcame a harrowing yet familiar history of displacement, racism and addiction. Tickets online or in-person at the box office. https:// yukonfilmsociety.com/schedule/wilfred-buck Fri Jun 28 Thelma 6:30 PM Yukon Theatre A story exploring ageing, family and autonomy , based on a real-life experience of writer/ director Josh Margolin’s grandmother, and marks Squibb’s first leading film role of her 70+ year career. Tickets online or in-person at the box office. https://yukonfilmsociety.com/ schedule/thelma Fri Jun 28 In a Violent Nature Nightly Yukon Theatre The enigmatic resurrection, rampage, and

a remote wilderness unleashes an iconic new killer after a locket is removed from a collapsed fire tower that entombed its rotting corpse. Tickets online or in-person at the box office. https://yukonfilmsociety.com/schedule/ in-a-violent-nature

Sat Jun 29-Jul 1 2024 Adäka Cultural Festival Kwanlin Dun Cultural Centre The festival features a vibrant schedule of events that includes traditional and contemporary music, dance, drumming, storytelling, daily artist demonstrations, cultural presentations, an art gallery and more. https:// indigenousyukon.ca/things-to-do/events/ adaka-cultural-festival

Sat Jun 29 2024 Indigenous Summer Play

Readings 3:30 PM Kwanlin Dun Cultural Centre In celebration of generational excellence, we are proud to be presenting two works written by Yukon First Nations playwrights: Constellation by Tyra Ashauntie and Justice by Leonard Linkater. gwaandaktheatre.ca/indigenous-summerplay-readings-2024

Sun Jun 30 Adäka Cultural FestivalAunties Under the Midnight Sun 6:30 PM Kwanlin Dun Cultural Centre A night of entertaining performances bringing a unique blend of traditional drumming, singing and comedy. Performances by: Remmi Elin Group, Fawn Wood, Teagyn Vallevand and IndigE-girl Comedy - Tickets online. https:// adakafestival.ca/news

Mon Jul 1 Canada Day Celebrations 5:00

AM Shipyards Park Watch as a colourful parade through town, local food vendors, a big Canada Day cake, live music, and so much more!

Monthly

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.

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

Play Pool 1:00 PM Golden Age Society

Becoming more limber and agile in your movements through playing billiards is a great benefit.

Play Whist 1:30 PM Golden Age Society

Classic English trick-taking card game which was widely played in the 18th and 19th centuries. Although the rules are simple, there is scope for strategic play

Mtg: Competitive Commander 6:00 PM Titan Gaming and Collectibles Women’s Bible Study 6:00pm Women’s Bible Study. Refreshments are served followed by the study. For more info check out www.mountainview.church or email rachel@ mountainview.church.

Euchre - For Members and Signed in Guests 6:00 PM Whitehorse Legion Branch 254 Euchre a trick-taking card game for four players, two on each team, As a member you Industry Night Lefty’s Well 8:00 PM All are welcome - 20% off everything for our industry family - hot dogs, tunes, games and happy hour all night! https://bit.ly/3L0J3Ce

Tuesdays 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 Queer Yukon Society The Cache 2:00 PM

Tarot Tuesdays 5:00 PM Caribou RV Park

Insightful and fun readings with Aimee (Bow & Arrow Tarot & Astrology) every

Tuesday in Joe’s Cozy Cabin! Walk-in from 5-6pm or pre-book online. https://www. bowandarrowtarotandastrology.com/

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.

QYS Drop-in Queer Yukon Society The Cache 2:00 PM

Texas Hold’ Em 6:00 PM Whitehorse Legion Branch 254 For signed in members and guests. Bragging rights!

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

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 12:10 PM Christ the Church Cathedral Bring a lunch (Book of Alternative Services)

QYS Drop-in 2:00 PM Queer Yukon Society & The Cache

Fireweed Community Market 3:00 PM Shipyards Park Wonderful aromas, delicious fresh foods, and unique artisans from our approximately 70 weekly vendors. Grab a picnic dinner and get that special gift. Enjoy local live music and other amusements from buskers.

Pathfinder Role-Playing Game for Youth 3:30 PM Whitehorse Public Library Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. Find out what role playing games are all about! Registration is encouraged, but drop-ins are always welcome.

Mtg: casual Commander, Warhammer 40k & Kill Team 6:00 PM Titan Gaming and Collectibles

Mountainview Church Community Group 7:00 PM 16 years or older? Mountainview Church Community Group! We’ll share some snacks and talk about what the bible has to say about discipleship.

Fridays Yukon Amateur Radio Association Coffee

Discussion Group 8:45 AM A&W

Restaurant Hams from outside the Yukon and those interested are welcome to join us in this casual event.

Tarot Card Readings with Sari Horvath

Baked Cafe 9:15 AM Sari uses her wisdom and guidance through tarot cards to help answer your life questions! Please use email to book appointments treasurebooksyxy@ gmail.com

Coffee & Chat 11:00 AM Golden Age Society

Coffee and chat is a way to connect with your community, develop friendships, and have fun.

Crib 1:00 PM Golden Age Society Cribbage is an easy game to learn but hard to master. For more info call 668-5538.

QYS Drop-in Queer Yukon Society The Cache 2:00 PM

Mtg: Pioneer, YuGiOh Casual 6:00 PM Titan Gaming and Collectibles

Saturdays

Cribbage - Members and Signed in Guests

2:00 PM Whitehorse Legion Branch 254 Masks are mandatory. Members must have a valid 2021 membership and they may sign in 2 guests MAX.

Pokemon, Mtg: Youth Magic, Lorcana 6:00 PM Titan Gaming and Collectibles

Sundays Mountainview Church Sunday Service 9:30

AM Church In The Building 9:30 AM, 11AM or Church At Home 7 AM, 9:30 AM, 11 AM

Mountainviewwhitehorse.ca/Watch

Clothing Room 10:00 AM Whitehorse

Church of the Nazarene Free of charge to anyone and everyone

Whitehorse United Church Worship Service 10:30 AM A caring community of faith, based on a foundation of Biblical teaching and spiritual truth

Secondhand Clothing Bizarre 2:00 PM Whitehorse Seventh-Day Adventist Church Clean clothes needed and donations accepted if in good condition. Please call before dropping clothes off and for more info 633-3463. Sunday Gatherings 3:00 PM The Northern Collective Church

KIDS & FAMILIES

Until July 4 Inside Out 2 Nightly + Matinees Yukon Theatre Long awaited animated sequel by Pixar. Follow Riley, in her teenage years, encountering new emotions. Tickets online or in-person at the box office. https:// yukonfilmsociety.com/schedule/inside-out-2 Mon Jun 17 Recreation Pop-Ups 11:00 AM Rotary Park Free family focused games, activities, music and fun! Various locations throughout the summer for fun and games! https://www.whitehorse.ca/ Fri Jun 28 Recreation Pop-Ups 11:00 AM Shipyards Park Free family focused games, activities, music and fun! Various locations throughout the summer for fun and games! https://www.whitehorse.ca/

Monthly 1st & 3rd Saturdays Grades 5 - 7 Junior Youth Group 7:00 PM Mountainview Church Passionate about giving kids opportunities to have fun & make new friends, while teaching them about Jesus & His great love for our world https://mountainview.church/connect/ youth

2nd and 4th Saturdays Grade 8 - 12 High School Youth Group 7:00 PM Mountainview Church A positive place for your teen to hang out on the weekend. Take part in games and activities, learn about the Bible, and deepen faith. https://mountainview.church/connect/ youth

Weekly Mondays

Drop-In 9:00 AM Polarettes Gymnastics Gym Open to all ages – Children, youth, and teens must be accompanied by an adult.

Yukon Family Literacy Centre - Summer

Drop-In 9:00 & 12:30 PM Pioneer Hotel at Shipyards Park Summer drop-in, read, activities, learn and explore! If you are sick, please stay home. For more info call 3368577

Tuesdays

Yukon Family Literacy Centre - Summer

Drop-In 9:00 & 12:30 PM Pioneer Hotel at Shipyards Park Summer drop-in, read, activities, learn and explore! If you are sick, please stay home. For more info call 3368577

Story Time 10:30 AM Whitehorse Public Library Join us for stories, songs & rhymes! A free drop-in program for children ages 0-5 and caregivers at Whitehorse Public Library

Parent-Child Mother Goose 10:30 AM The Child Development Centre Celebrates the power and pleasure of songs, rhymes and oral stories. Bonding time with your little one or to learn for later. Register online. https:// whatsupyukon.events/lj5

Let’s Create - Crafting Together 5:30 PM The Child Development Centre A fun crafting group for families with children aged 2 and up, light dinner will be served, transportation available. For more info call 332-4997 or email donna.light@yukon.ca

Wednesdays

Yukon Family Literacy Centre - Summer

Drop-In 9:00 & 12:30 PM Pioneer Hotel at Shipyards Park Summer drop-in, read, activities, learn and explore! If you are sick, please stay home. For more info call 3368577

Community Connections 1:30 PM Yukon Family Literacy Centre An intergenerational story time and craft program. Meet local elders, have a coffee, do some crafts, and make a friend!

Thursdays

Yukon Family Literacy Centre - Summer

Drop-In 1:00 PM Pioneer Hotel at Shipyards Park Summer drop-in, read, activities, learn and explore! If you are sick, please stay home. For more info call 336-8577

Pathfinder Role-Playing Game for Youth 3:30 PM Whitehorse Public Library Youth 11-17 are invited to join, no experience necessary.

Fridays

Yukon Family Literacy Centre - Summer

Drop-In 9:00 AM Pioneer Hotel at Shipyards Park Summer drop-in, read, activities, learn and explore! If you are sick, please stay home. For more info call 336-8577

Saturdays Drop-In 3:00 PM Polarettes Gymnastics Club enjoy the gym as a giant indoor play space. A great place to practise skills or just play and explore! Open gym is for members only

Meetings

Tue Jun 18 BYTE - AGM 6:00 PM BYTE

– Empowering Youth Find out what we have been up to this past year, and look ahead to the future. AGM held in person or via zoom. Food, networking, and a presentation - email HR@yukonyouth.com for more info. https://www.yukonyouth.com/ about-byte/ Wed Jun 19 2024 Yukon Historical & Museums Association AGM 5:30 PM Old Log Church Museum All are welcome, although only members in good standing are eligible to vote and stand for election, including designated representatives of Institutional and Corporate Affiliate members. https://www.heritageyukon.ca/2024/05/28/ notice-of-2024-annual-general-meeting/ Wed Jun 19 Humane Society Yukon AGM 6:30 PM Golden Age Society Attend in person or online - All members of the public are welcome to come to hear about this year at the Humane Society. People who are members are able to vote. https:// humanesocietyyukon.ca/join-us Thu Jun 20 Whitehorse - New public lands legislation meeting 6:00 PM TBD Modernise public lands legislation to balance the many interests of Yukoners, and enhance long-term planning. https://yukon.ca/engagements/newpublic-lands-legislation Mon Jun 24 Sport Yukon AGM 5:30 PM Sport Yukon Member organisations are welcomed to attend and participate. https:// www.sportyukon.com/ Mon Jun 24 NGO Hub Annual General Meeting 6:00 PM NorthLight Innovation Yukon NGO Hub Society welcomes YOU to our AGM! Come view one of our new training videos for NGOs. We welcome your ideas on the HUB.

Tue Jun 25 Cross Country Yukon AGM 6:30

PM Whitehorse Nordic Centre Come and celebrate last winter’s successes and hear what’s planned for the upcoming ski season! Email crosscountryyukonfinance@gmail.com for more info. https://crosscountryyukon.com/ Tue Jun 25 CPAWS Yukon AGM 4:30 PM

CPAWS Yukon

Learn about the projects we worked on over the past year, and our goals for the upcoming one. All members and non-members are welcome. Snacks and refreshments provided. https://donate. cpaws.org/ Wed Jun 26 42nd Association francoyukonnaise (AFY) AGM 5:00 PM Association franco-yukonnaise (AFY) New and current members welcome, board positions to be elected, reception and buffet, AGM to follow, door prizes will be drawn during the evening. https://www.afy.ca/evenement/aga Thu Jun 27 Yukon Art Society AGM 6:00

PM Arts Underground Hear what we’ve been up to this past year, followed by a Mug Night Social and Fundraiser for the Yukon Art Society. Enjoy light refreshments, listen to the DJ, mingle in the gallery and check out the June Members show - “Flora and Fauna”.

Monthly

First Monday Klondike Snowmobile Association Board Meeting 7:00 PM Sport Yukon https://ksa.yk.ca/coming-events/ Third Thursday ASAY board monthly meeting Sport Yukon 10:00 PM Third Thursday Yukon Anti-Poverty Coalition Monthly Meeting 5:00 PM ZOOM Yukon Anti-Poverty Coalition for regular meeting. Everyone is welcome. Call Kathy 334-9317 or info@yapc.ca for a zoom link or join us in person. https://yapc.ca/actions/ detail/yapcs-monthly-meetings

Online Events

Fridays AA Yukon Unity Group 1:30 PM Online For Zoom Room address Contact 334-7693 Saturdays AA Detox Meeting (OM, NS) 1:00 PM Online For Zoom Room address call 334-7693.

Tuesdays Restorative Online Healing Circles 7:30 PM Online Check-in, Q&A, connect and feel the results. No experience necessary. Register online, or call 335-0078 or email alison@alisonzeidler.com for more info.

Upcoming events include:

▪ Orchid walk

▪ Caribou viewing

▪ Carcross dunes walk

▪ Neighbourhood nature walks

▪ Red Squirrel ramble

▪ Mushroom ID talk and walk

▪ Knee-high nature

All events are free and open to the public. Join Yukon biologists and wildlife experts for FREE wildlife-viewing programs.

For more information, visit Yukon.ca/wild-discoveries

Riddle Me This!

Escape to (and from) a national historic site

The timer starts as the door clicks shut behind you. Your palms start to sweat as your eyes dart around the room trying to take it all in. A pair of old spectacles, blacksmith-forged handcuffs, padlocked wooden boxes and cryptic handwritten notes. Your mission? Solve a true-crime murder mystery from 1902, before your time is up.

This is Catching the Klondike Killers, an escape room hosted by Parks Canada in the historic Commissioner’s Residence in Dawson City, part of Klondike National Historic Sites.

An escape room is an immersive experience where a group of people attempt to solve a series of puzzles contained in a carefully constructed room, within a certain timeframe, using only the clues provided and the wits of the group to “escape.”

Parks Canada escape rooms in

tion he learned from interviewing dozens of people along the way, you’re attempting to solve the mystery without leaving the building and with only 60 minutes to do it.

Will you crumble under the pressure or triumphantly solve the case before the timer runs out? Whether it takes you one try or multiple attempts to catch the Klondike Killers, this is just the beginning of a journey you can take to challenge your puzzlesolving abilities.

Just across town, in Dawson, sits Lowe’s Mortuary, home to a second escape room, Memento Mori, at Klondike National Historic Sites. This room focuses on the common experience of surviving in an isolated northern community. Many businesses flourished in Dawson City during and after the gold rush, and the business of death was no exception. Using

the Yukon are based on unique themes related to a place’s cultural significance. Staff monitor the group’s progress and can provide a limited number of hints, if requested, though there is a time penalty.

At the stately Commissioner’s Residence, you and your team are retracing the steps of Officer Welsh, a North-West Mounted Police officer who, in real life, followed a trail of clues from Dawson City to Nevada, to capture a murder suspect. While Officer Welsh travelled over 2,000 miles during this mission, guided by informa-

cape the Sinking of the S.S. Klondike, a 60-minute escape room that takes you back to June 1936 when disaster struck.

The S.S. Klondike I, the largest steamship in the British Yukon Navigation Company fleet, hit a rock wall along the mighty Yukon River. The boat started to float aimlessly downstream, ultimately succumbing to the river’s icy waters and a submerged gravel bar. (True story!). Your team must race against the clock—navigating through the room to escape the sinking vessel. In a 30-minute version, Journey to Dawson, challenge your cunning and reason with puzzles and clues based on what it was like to be a steamship passenger from Whitehorse to Dawson in the days of the riverboats.

Parks Canada escape rooms in the Yukon open in mid-to-late June, with options for those eight years old and up and for groups of two to six people. For the Dawson City experiences, visitors can sign up at the Parks Canada desk in the Visitor Information Centre on Front Street, or by calling 867993-2315 to reserve a room in advance.

The Journey to Dawson 30-minute escape room at the S.S. Klondike National Historic Site is now available on a first-come, first-served basis, twice daily, at

the historic mortuary as a backdrop, this escape room puts your group to work finding a gold poke and a ticket for the last steamship out of Dawson, which were left behind by one of the mortuary’s latest “customers.” Solve the clues to find the items within the 60-minute time limit, to make it out of town before you are stuck for another long, cold, dark winter.

In Whitehorse, housed in one of the new buildings on the grounds of the S.S. Klondike National Historic Site, challenge yourself to S.S. Klondike Escape Room, Es-

Escape rooms are carefully designed for visitors to use what they find to help solve riddles

10:30 a.m. and at 3 p.m. Visitors can check-in at the on-site Visitor Information Centre, open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (closed from noon to 1 p.m.).

National historic sites reflect

the rich and varied heritage of Canada and provide an opportunity for Canadians to learn more about our diverse history—one heart-pounding, sweaty-palmed minute at a time. ■

Burden

Kathy Burden is a communications officer for Parks Canada. This feature is part of an ongoing series, by Parks Canada, of stories about the places and people in the Yukon.

PHOTOS: Courtesy of Parks Canada, P. Gowdie

A scene from Catching the Klondike Killers: at the Commissioner’s Residence in Dawson City

KIMCHI AND CHEDDAR QUESADILLA

Stack your ingredients

Kyour

imchi and cheese are truly a magical combination of both flavour and texture. Crunchy, spicy, fermented, with gooey and rich, makes for a cheap and fast meal that always satisfies. While you may feel that combining both shredded cheddar and a Kraft single is a bit overkill, you’ll end up with a combination of creamy and gooey that takes this simple sandwich to the next level of satisfying.

Makes 4 quesadillas.

❑ 8 corn tortillas

❑ 4 Kraft singles

❑ 2 cups grated cheddar cheese

❑ 1 cup kimchi

METHOD

1. Place 1 tortilla on a work surface, top with 1/2 a Kraft single, 1/4 cup grated cheddar, 1/4 cup kimchi, then top the kimchi with the remaining half single and cheese, and top with another tortilla.

2. Heat a skillet or flat top to medium-high heat, then toast the quesadilla on each side until the tortilla is crisp and the cheese is melted. Repeat with remaining ingredients and serve with more kimchi on the side. ■

Kimchi Toast

quesadilla

Tortilla, Kraft single and cheddar

PHOTOS: Sydney Keddy

Kimchi and Cheddar Quesadilla

RIDE WORRY FREE

TSTORY TIME Disc-ing the day away!

he time I went disc golfing at a golf course; a sink-or-swim experience.

In the Yukon, there aren’t all that many places to go with your family. Of course, you can go on hikes, or walks, or bike rides, or go to places like Caribou Crossing. But once you’ve exhausted all of the most-popular tourist attractions, there isn’t much left to do. And as someone who has lived in Whitehorse all my life, I have long since exhausted ... well— everything. That’s why when the chance arose to try something new, I grabbed it before it got snatched away by the breeze. That something was disc golfing. Now, I had disc golfed (or however you conjugate it in the past tense) before this. In fact, I’d say I’m a fairly avid disc golfer (or whatever you call someone who disc golfs). That is, I go approximately three times per year and cheat consistently while playing. And yes, it is extremely possible to cheat at disc golf. But this time was different. We weren’t playing at just any plain disc-golf course. No, that was too ... plain. I needed something big—something aweinspiring. Something like Meadow Lakes Golf Course. Now, you may be wondering why I would play disc golf at a regular golf course, and I don’t exactly have a great answer to that. It just somehow came to my attention that you are allowed to disc golf at Meadow Lakes, specifically on Saturdays after 5:30 p.m. (and at no other time). It seemed slightly random to me, but who was I to judge: I cheat at disc golf, of all things (come on, I only cheat slightly and, considering I don’t know the rules, I’d say it’s hardly convictable, right?). And that’s how I found myself driving down the Alaska Highway, one night, with my family, a friend and five colourful discs.

Once we arrived at the course, we checked in and headed out to the first tee (or whatever you call the starting point when you disc golf), which took us about 10 minutes to find. But that was infinitely better than having to

go to the people at the check-in and actually ask them where to start. Talking to people is overrated. Anyway, once we’d found out where to start, we were confident that things would go smoothly from there. And they did. They went just as smoothly as the first disc I threw (it flew head-on into a tree). But only one throw almost ended up off the side of a cliff and that was not me, I swear. Anyways, we made our way through the golf course, steadily losing faith that we were playing the tees in the right order. Most of the time, we couldn’t even see where we were supposed to throw our discs and kind of just wandered aimlessly over the green until we happened upon a basket (or whatever you call the thing you try to throw your disc in). But eventually we made it somewhat successfully to our last stop, a final hurdle over a wide river. It was risky, but we all wound up and prepared to seal our fates ...

Only three out of five discs

oranges of the lost discs. After a while, my father told me that it was fine—that we could just leave the discs there. Alone. And well, I could have just left the discs in the water (there were already quite a few others who’d ended up down there), which, in all fairness, isn’t unreasonable because the water was quite murky and cold, and the riverbed would swallow your ankles when you walked in. It’s not exactly a pleasant experience. But YOLO, you know? And I wasn’t about to lose two entire discs just because I was scared of getting my feet a little wet. Sometimes you have to “man up” and take those socks off.

But I left that day with only one disc lost to the depths of the golfcourse river, and with two others retrieved from the same place. I technically made a profit, if you think about it (just ignore the fact that it cost more than five times the price of a disc to even go disc golfing in the first place). And even though it was a fairly ridiculous experience, it was not, in fact, subpar (unlike my knowledge of disc-golf terminology). ■

made it across the channel. We all sighed and looked around at each other, wondering what to do.

I walked over to the riverbank, searching for the muted blues and

PHOTOS: Pixabay

The Yukon has a small but loyal following for disc golf

Aila Massie

BLUE COLLAR NORTH

If Music Were Cooked Beef

A little number that “took the music world by storm”

It imitated a bully and pushed the English recordings aside as it headed up the charts.

I don’t know about you but I usually don’t know all of the lyrics to most of my favourite songs. I’ve found that there are times after I have figured out the lyrics that I don’t like the song as much.

One favourite that comes to mind is a love song that has shut me out completely in the lyrics department. I didn’t understand one bloody word.

That’s because the song wasn’t sung in English. Over the last 50 years, I have seen only a handful of non-English tunes climb to the top of the music charts in North America. I can’t remember any that could compare to my little favourite that took the music world by storm.

Although it sounded naturally soft and sweet and let you feel you were in a good place, it imitated a bully and pushed the English recordings aside as it headed up the charts. With a mind of its own, it became a monster and was the first non-English, non-European song to roar up the Billboard Hot 100 chart to No. 1 in 1963. This beauty is one of the best-selling foreign singles, having sold over 13 million copies and counting.

I know that most old fogeys like me have heard this song many times, but there is a good chance that a lot of young’uns are familiar with it also. It has appeared in 15 different movie soundtracks.

I still wasn’t a teenager when it hit the airwaves in North America. I wondered, many times, how the record got the opportunity to wedge its way into the Englishspeaking world. It was obvious that the song just needed the opportunity to be heard and then it would thrive. The journey began when the record was released in the singer’s home country, and in a flash it raced to No. 1. The international breakthrough came in 1963 during a visit by a British record executive.

After hearing the song several times, the executive took the record home to England, which would be a new challenge for Pye Records.

They had to wrestle with many ideas to find the proper approach to introduce an untraditional recording, in a gentle and natural fashion, to the English listeners. They were concerned the title would be too difficult for English speakers to pronounce or remember, so the song was renamed after a cooked-beef dish.

The new title was intended to be both catchy and distinctive. An instrumental version of the song sold well, reaching No. 6 in Britain. It was then released, complete with lyrics, in the U.S. by Capital Records with the alternate title where it went to No. 1.

Unfortunately, this fine artist made history for a second time twenty-two years later. He left this Earth, along with 519 other

passengers on an Asian airliner, making it the deadliest single aircraft tragedy to date.

With no further delay, I will introduce you to this beauty, so hopefully it can melt your heart also. The artist is Kyu Sakamoto, from Japan. He is still the only Japanese male to ever climb to the top of the music charts in the U.S. The meat dish (um…, song) is called “Sukiyaki.”

Sakamoto’s hit, though very unique, was just another slice of music trying to climb to the top of the charts in a very competitive market, which would become known as the greatest decade of music. It was a great time to be alive, and time has also made it much clearer for me now, 60 years later, to see that his hit played another important role as well.

We were still less than 20 years from the end of World War ll, in 1963, and there were still some remnants of hostility towards Japan, in North America. The song probably became a form of reconciliation when my generation embraced it.

Here’s hoping that you will be able to find some time to take a trip down Memory Lane and see what the fuss was all about. For most people, it’s one of those performances that will make you feel warm and fuzzy inside. If you do take a quick listen, I have one request:

No English translation, please. It’s perfect the way it is. ■

column with Carey Marshall

Carey Marshall is from Whitehorse and has lived on both sides of the mountain North of 60, for almost 50 years.

PHOTO: Pixabay

Sakamoto’s hit, though very unique, was just another slice of music trying to climb to the top of the charts in a very competitive market

Dawson City, YT

June 19

Tombstone Mountain, YT

June 20

Twin Lakes Campground, YT

June 22

Whitehorse, YT

June 28, 29

Adäka Cultural Festival

July 5, 6

‘Round Back @ The Guild Hall

Inuvik, NWT

July 11, 13

Great Northern Arts Festival

Hello Everyone,

DOG CULTURE

Share your Fur-Babies photos with us. Send your high-resolution photos with a description of what’s happening in the photo, and the camera equipment you used to: editor@whatsupyukon.com

By submitting your photo, you are giving permission for What’s Up Yukon to publish your photo for print and online use. We may also use your photo in marketing of this series.

NIPD 2024

JUNE 21 SCHEDULE

BULK FUELS

CARCROSS

Fri Jun 21 National Indigenous Peoples Day Carcross Commons Everyone is invited to be a part of this national celebration to enjoy live music, artist demonstrations, traditional food, special ceremonies and much more.

• Excavators (Cat 315 to Cat 330)

• Telehandlers

• Loaders (Cat 950H)

• Skid Steers (262C to 289D3)

• Single Drum Packer (XCMG CV123)

• Frost fighters 350K BTU

• Heat Trailers, Ice fighter 700K BTU

• Enclosed Trailers

• Car Hauler Trailers

• Gooseneck/5th Wheel Trailer with

all children must be accompanied by an adult. Call or email 993-4102 atlinarc.coordinator@ gmail.com for more info.

Yukon Communities: Wednesdays AA Yukon Unity (OM) 3:00 PM Online Yukon Health Centers, Live Video Meeting Beaver Creek, Carcross, Carmacks, Dawson City, Destruction Bay, Faro, Haines Junction, Mayo, Old Crow, Pelly Crossing, Ross River, Teslin, Watson Lake. Online users’ sign in info: yukonbcdistrict52@gmail. com

• Generators, 30KW to 500KW, Propane and Diesel

• Transformers 750 Kva

• Load Bank (100KW @ 120/208)

Wed Jun 26 Carcross - New public lands legislation meeting 6:00 PM Haa Shagóon Hídi (Our Ancestors House) Carcross/Tagish Learning Centre Modernize public lands legislation to balance the many interests of Yukoners, and enhance long-term planning. https://yukon.ca/engagements/new-publiclands-legislation

Sat Jun 29 Carcross Dune Walk 10:00

AM Carcross Visitor Information Centre

The sand along the shore of Bennett Lake is part of a landscape of shifting dunes that provides a home for plants and insects found nowhere else in the territory. Go on a short walk to learn about this interesting ecosystem. https://yukon.ca/en/wilddiscoveries

Second Sunday of Every Month St. Saviour’s Church Services 2:00 pm St. Saviour Church 867-668-3129

First Friday of the month Mother Goose Group 11:00 AM Haa Shagóon Hídi (Our Ancestors House) Carcross/Tagish Learning Centre Learn stories, songs, and rhymes, lunch provided. Suitable for babies and children 5 and under. Please bring along a water bottle and blanket to sit on. To register, call 332-2389. https://whatsupyukon.events/ jwf

Thursdays Yoga with Jess Ghùch

Tlâ Community School Beginners welcome, all equipment provided. Dropin, Free admission! For more info email yogajessyukon@gmail.com.

CARMACKS

Pick up What’s Up Yukon at: Sunshine Restaurant Carmacks Rec Centre CDC / CIBC Bank

Tatchun Center General Store

Sat Jun 22 2024 Indigenous Summer Play Readings 5:00 PM Twin Lakes Campground

In celebration of generational excellence, we are proud to be presenting two works written by Yukon First Nations playwrights: Constellation by Tyra Ashauntie and Justice by Leonard Linkater.gwaandaktheatre.ca/ indigenous-summer-play-readings-2024

Thu Jun 27 Yukon River Quest Checkpoint 5:00 AM Coalmine Campground “Race to the Midnight Sun” 715 km / 444 miles from Whitehorse to Dawson City, The Yukon River Quest Checkpoint is open in Carmacks Mon July 1 Canada Day Parade 11:00 AM

Carmacks, Yukon

First & Third Tuesdays of Every Month

Carmacks Regular Council Meeting 7:00 PM Carmacks Municipal Building Mondays

Carmacks Library 1:00

Glenn Chatten 6:00 PM Village Bakery and Deli Dinner + music experience, patrons can enjoy a freshly prepared meal while taking in the beautiful views and listening to the featured Yukon musician/band of the night. Reservations online. https://www. villagebakeryyukon.com/live-music.html

Fri Jun 28 2024 Summer Music Series

- KABN 6:00 PM Village Bakery and Deli Dinner + music experience, patrons can enjoy a freshly prepared meal while taking in the beautiful views and listening to the featured Yukon musician/band of the night. Reservations online. https://www. villagebakeryyukon.com/live-music.html

Sat Jun 29 2024 Summer Music SeriesBlues Cargo 6:00 PM Village Bakery and Deli Dinner + music experience, patrons can enjoy a freshly prepared meal while taking in the beautiful views and listening to the featured Yukon musician/band of the night. Reservations online. https://www. villagebakeryyukon.com/live-music.html

Mon Jul 1 Canada Day Celebrations 11:00

PM St. Elias Convention Centre BBQ, Cake, live music, games, something for the whole family.

Second and fourth Wednesday of every month Village Council meetings 7:00 PM St. Elias Convention Centre Village Council meetings are also held the second and fourth Wednesday of every month at 7:00 p.m. via Zoom. [Remote attendance only]

Mondays Fun with Food 3:30 PM St. Elias Community School Learn new skills, share recipes and take food home!

Drop-In Basketball 6:00 PM St. 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-bannock68ab07

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

Pick up What’s Up Yukon at: Dawson City General Store

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

Girls Club 3:20 PM St. Elias Community School Held in the art room, open to Girls and identifying as Girls from Grade 8 to 12.

AA: “Yukon Unity Group” (O) 3:00 PM

Haines Junction Health Centre

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 St. Christopher’s

Church 10:30 AM Anglican 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 Jun 22 Summer Kick Off & Marsh

Lake Madness Triathlon 1:00 PM Marsh

Lake Community Centre Triathlon kicking off at 1pm - Summer kick off starts at 3pm to celebrate solstice and the 2nd annual Marsh Lake Madness Triathlon. Music by Garlic Munchers, Crooked Folk, Ed McLean.

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

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 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

Drop-In Yoga 7:00 PM Lorne Mountain

Community Centre By donation all levels

welcome Yoga with Jess 6:00 PM Mount Lorne

Community Centre Beginners welcome, all

DAWSON CITY

Mon Jun 17 Dawson City Public Hearing

5:00 PM Dawson City, YT The Electoral District Boundaries Commission wants to hear your comments on the proposed boundaries and your recommendations on their names. www.yukonboundaries.ca/ Thu Jun 20 2024 Indigenous Summer Play Readings 6:00 PM Tombstone Territorial Park Interpretive Centre In celebration of generational excellence, we are proud to be presenting two works written by Yukon First Nations playwrights: Constellation by Tyra Ashauntie and Justice by Leonard Linkater. Registration required. gwaandaktheatre.ca/indigenoussummer-play-readings-2024

Fri Jun 21 Dawson City Summer Concert Series - Boyd Benjamin & Kevin Barr

12:00 PM Waterfront Park A free lunchtime music series that takes place each Friday on the lunch hour, at the gazebo. *Note this performance will take place at the DCMF backyard – Corner of Second & Harper https://dawsoncity.ca/

Fri Jun 21 National Indigenous Peoples

Day 8:00 AM Dänojà Zho Cultural Centre Join the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in at Dänojà Zho to celebrate their vibrant culture with traditional songs, drumming, dancing, artwork, and food.

Mon Jun 24 Solstice Saint-Jean 7:30 PM Bombay Peggys Celebrate the midnight sun at Dawson’s Solstice Saint-Jean concert featuring Les Remones! Bilingual and free admission! https://linktr.ee/ francoyukon

Thu Jun 27 Dawson City Arts SocietyKlondike Institute of Art & Culture AGM

7:00 PM Dënäkär Zho KIAC Ballroom Hear about our last year of activities and what we have planned for the future. Please register in advance online.

Fri Jun 28 Dawson City Summer Concert

Series - Cryptozoologists 12:00 PM Waterfront Park A free lunch-time music series that takes place each Friday on the lunch hour, at the gazebo. *Note this performance will take place at the Dawson City Music Fest backyard – Corner of Second & Harper https://dawsoncity.ca/ Fri Jun 28 - Jun 30 Yukon Pride 2024

- Dawson City Dawson City, YT Yukon Pride is coming to Dawson City with

This year’s theme is “A Chosen Family Reunion”. A parade, fashion show, and BBQ to check out, plus other events to be announced! https://www.queeryukon.com/ upcoming-events/dawson-city-pride Mon Jul 1 Canada Day Celebrations 5:00 AM Dawson City TBA Celebrate Canada Day Dawson City style with a day packed full of fun community events! Watch as a colourful parade through town, a BBQ, cake, live music, and so much more! https://dawsoncity.ca/event/ canadadaycelebrations/

MONTHLY

1st Saturday of every month Coffee

House & Open Mic Night Klondike Institute of Art and Culture (KIAC) 7:00

PM family-friendly open mic night at KIAC.

Admission by donation with all funds raised donated to a different community group each month. Last coffee house of the season May 4 to resume in the fall of 2024.

Weekly

Mondays

Handbuilding Pottery Drop-in 6:30-9pm

Self-guided group studio time for those who have some knowledge and experience with pottery. Newcomers are welcome, though little instruction is provided. KIAC Classroom, back door.

Tuesdays

St Paul’s Anglican Church Morning

Prayer 9:00 AM St Paul’s Anglican Church

Join us in person at the church, or online (Facebook Live)

St Paul’s Anglican Church Evening

Prayer 5:00 PM St Paul’s Anglican Church

Join us in person at the church, or online (Facebook Live)

Hand-Building Pottery Drop-In 6:30

PM Klondike Institute of Art and Culture (KIAC) Self-guided group studio time for those with some experience with pottery. Newcomers are welcome, little instruction is provided.

Summer Volleyball 7:30 PM Victory

Gardens Outdoor Volleyball 18+ Free, drop-in - check both Victory Garden and Minto Park will take place at Minto Park until the grass is in at Victory Garden.

Wednesdays

St Paul’s Anglican Church Morning

Prayer 9:00 AM St Paul’s Anglican Church

equipment provided. To register or for more info email yogajessyukon@gmail.com.

Tuesdays

Active Fun Fitness Class - Drop In 6:30 PM Mount Lorne Community Centre

Improve your balance, flexibility, strength and endurance in this indoor class led by Colleen Ennis. Drop in, admission by donation. Suitable for mature youth & adults. https://whatsupyukon.events/fhm

Thursdays

Community Drop In 11:00 AM Mount Lorne

Community Centre Run Club 6:00 PM Mount Lorne Community Centre

OLD CROW

Mon Jun 17 Old Crow Public Hearing 11:30 AM Old Crow The Electoral District

Boundaries Commission is visiting Old Crow to hear your comments on the proposed boundaries and your recommendations on their names. www.yukonboundaries.ca

Mondays Men’s Night At The Rec Centre 6:00 PM John Tizya Centre & Old Crow Community Centre

Tuesdays

Kids Gym 3:00 PM John Tizya Centre & Old Crow Community Centre

Adult Sewing 6:00 PM John Tizya Centre & Old Crow Community Centre

Youth Gym 6:00 PM John Tizya Centre & Old Crow Community Centre

Wednesdays

Stroller Walks 10:00 AM Kih Tsal

Parent and Tots 4:00 PM Old Crow Community Center Call 966-3015 for more info.

Adult Card Game Night 6:00 PM John Tizya Centre & Old Crow Community Centre

Sundays

St. Luke’s Church Service 11:00 AM St. Luke’s Church 867-993-5381

ROSS RIVER

Tuesdays

Sewing Night 7:00 PM The Hope Centre

Wednesdays

Family Bible Study 8:00 PM The Hope Centre

Join us in person at the church, or online

(Facebook Live)

QYS Drop-in 1:00 PM DCMF Office

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 Screen Printing Drop-in 6:00 PM Klondike Institute of Art & Culture KIAC Classroom (enter via backdoor) Selfguided group studio time for those who have some knowledge and experience with screen printing.

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 dropIn for kids 5 & under with parent/guardian Story time & free play!

Fridays Cards & Conversation 1:00 PM Royal Canadian Legion Branch 1 Dawson City Free! Drop-In! No registration necessary. whatsupyukon.events/dawson-legion8336c3

Open Studio Drop-in 1:00 PM Klondike

Institute of Art and Culture (KIAC) Enjoy KIAC’s bright, air-conditioned space to create and focus on your artistic practice. Even better- we’ve waived the drop-in fee this day.

Saturdays

Open Studio – Drop In 1:00 PM Klondike

Institute of Art & Culture KIAC Classroom (enter via backdoor) Space to create and focus on your artistic practice.

AA North Star Group Dawson City 7:00

PM Royal Canadian Legion In person or Videoconference option available Call 867-993-5095 or 867-993-3734 for more information

Sundays Anglican Church Service 10:30 Anglican

Church Service at St. Paul’s Anglican

Church in Dawson City. Corner of Front and Church Streets at St. Paul’s Anglican Church in Dawson City

Library. What’s Up Yukon, discover what’s happening around the Yukon. Coffee And Chat 2:00 PM Tagish

Community Centre

Thursdays

Carpet Bowling 10:00 AM Tagish

Community Centre

Tagish Library 12:00 PM Tagish

Community LIbrary Tagish Library is an active and bright addition to our community. What’s Up Yukon, discover what’s happening around the Yukon

Tagish Local Advisory Council Meeting 7:00 PM Tagish Community Centre .

Saturdays

Tagish Library 12:00 PM Tagish

Community LIbrary Tagish Library is an active and bright addition to our community. What’s Up Yukon, discover what’s happening around the Yukon

TESLIN

Fridays

Family Game Night- Coffee House 9:00

PM The Hope Centre

Sundays

Church Service 12:00 PM The Hope Centre

SKAGWAY Alaska

Mondays Live Music Red Onion Saloon 6:30 PM Live music every Monday

Wednesdays

Women’s Morning Worship 7:00 AM First

Presbyterian Church of Skagway All are welcome. Part of the Alaska Presbytery and the PC U.S.A.

Windy Valley Babies 10:30 AM Skagway

Public Library Stories, Songs, and Fun with Ms. Anna! Designed for ages 0-3.

Fridays

Skagway Teen Night 6:30 PM Skagway

Public Library

Sundays

Sunday Worship 10:00 AM First

Presbyterian Church of Skagway\ Sunday School 4:00 PM First Presbyterian Church of Skagway

TAGISH

Sat Jun 22 Southern Lakes Half Marathon & 10k 11:00 AM Southern Lakes Resort All participants must sign in by 11:30am The Half Marathon race starts at 12:00pm and the 10k race starts at 12:30pm. Registration includes a meal ticket and drink voucher for the post race meal. Register online. https:// www.sportyukon.com/events

First Monday of every month Carcross

Tagish Renewable Resources Council 1:00 PM Tagish Community Centre

First Monday of every month Tagish

Advisory Council 8:00 AM Tagish

Community Centre

First Tuesday of every month Tagish

Community Association 7:00 PM Tagish

Community Centre

Second Thursday of every month Tagish

Local Advisory Council 7:00 PM Tagish

Community Centre

Wednesdays

Tagish Library 12:00 PM Tagish

Community LIbrary Tagish Library is an active and bright addition to our community. What’s Up Yukon, discover what’s happening around the Yukon Yukon Learn at Tagish Library 2:00 PM Tagish Community LIbrary Targeted literacy programming by Yukon Learn at the Tagish

6:00 PM

Centre Modernize public lands legislation to balance the many interests of Yukoners, and enhance long-term planning. https://yukon.ca/ engagements/new-public-lands-legislation

Daily Northern Lights Space & Science Centre Shows 11:00 AM The spectacular dancing Northern Lights are showcased, a video that is broadcast in the NLC’s domed 100-seat theatre daily throughout the summer season. Plays daily on the hour starting at 11:00 AM

Second Saturday of the month Watson Lake Direct Aid 2:00 PM Northern Lights Centre Tuesdays Smart Recovery Meetings 3:00 PM Wye Lake Cabin Mental Wellness and Substance Use Services For more information, email joey.mitchell@yukon.ca or call 332-3187 Pickleball & Badminton Watson Lake Secondary School 7:00 PM Wednesdays

Drop-In Ninja Tumbling 5:30 PM Watson Lake Secondary School All ages welcome. Adults are welcome too, come to do some stretching or try some handstands etc.

Fridays Friday Night Lanes 7:00 PM Call 335-7979 to register

Saturdays Disc Golf 6:00 PM Raven Pines Rent discs at the Rec Centre or bring your fave. All welcome from expert level to beginner. Baptiste Power Yoga 7:00 PM Fees apply. A muscle-shaping and mind-sculpting workout, work at your own level and ability, set to electronic music.

Sundays St. John’s Church Service 10:00 AM St. John’s Church Service (867) 536-2932

JUNE

ACTIVE LISTINGS

Tue Jun 18 Summer Pop-Up

Series - Black Street Stairs

12:00 PM Black Street Stairs Join the CGC Fitness Team for some outdoor fun at these FREE popups! Pre-registration is not required for our pop-up events, please arrive on time and look for the City of Whitehorse flag on location.

Wed Jun 19 Unbelievable

Beavers 7:00 PM FH Collins High School Join Tom Jung, senior wildlife biologist, for an evening stroll along the millennium trail to observe these nocturnal rodents at work. https://yukon.ca/en/wilddiscoveries

Thu Jun 20-24 Wheaton Fest

2024 Whitehorse Come and celebrate with us with the Revival of Wheaton Fest. Canoes, kayaks, Packrafts and Inflatables all welcome. To register or for more info email Trevor- info@ yukancanoe.com

Sat Jun 22 NADGT Disc Golf Tournament Mt. McIntyre Disc Golf Sign up to guarantee your players pack! NADGT Disc, SOCKS, towel, and a birdie tag! As well a chance to go to Texas for the NADGT NATIONALS! Dgscene. com/whitehorseNADGT24

Tue Jun 25 Neighbourhood

Nature - Ice Lake 7:00 PM Hamilton Blvd And Ice Lake Road Explore local trails in the Wilderness City in our series of weekly neighborhood nature walks. We will look at plants and wildlife along the Ice Lake trail near Granger and Hillcrest. https:// yukon.ca/en/wild-discoveries

Wed Jun 26 Yukon River Quest - Start 9:00 AM Whitehorse

“Race to the Midnight Sun” 715 km / 444 miles from Whitehorse to Dawson City, As of June 1, 76 teams with 128 paddlers from 12 countries registered. https://www. yukonriverquest.com/

Mondays

Judo For Jiu Jitsu Eight Days

Martial Arts 6:00 AM Morning Strength and Conditioning 7:30 AM Northern Strength Academy Functional fitness training to be stronger and injury-resistant. All levels are welcome. Train ‘functionally’ with NSA Co-owner Jeremy McCulloch. https://northernstrength.ca/ Move & Meditate - Slow Vinyasa Yoga 8:30 AM Avalanche

Athletics Immerse yourself in a tranquil journey of movement and mindfulness with our Moving Meditation - Slow Vinyasa Yoga. http://amitieyoga.c

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 1/2

9:30 AM Northern Lights School of Dance Energizing Level 2

Pilates tailored for seniors. Elevate wellness with gentle movement! Register online.

Elderactive Pilates level 2 10:40

AM Northern Lights School of Dance Energizing Level 2 Pilates tailored for seniors. Elevate wellness with gentle movement! Register online. http://cuts2.com/ jiacg

Noon Strength and Conditioning 12:00 PM Northern Strength Academy Functional strength class teaches compound multi-joint lifts that improve athleticism, strength, coordination, power and more. https://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.

Zumba with Bonita 5:45 PM 7th

Ray Studio A fitness program that combines Latin and international music with dance moves. Register online

Women’s Muay Thai Kickboxing Eight Days Martial Arts 6:00 PM The art of 8 limbs, Muay Thai Kickboxing has proven itself to be the go to striking style of many martial arts champions.

Move & Meditate - Slow Vinyasa Yoga 6:45 PM Avalanche Athletics Immerse yourself in a tranquil journey of movement and mindfulness with our Moving Meditation - Slow Vinyasa Yoga. http://amitieyoga.ca

Spirit Bear Karate 7:30

PM The Heart of Riverdale Community Centre http:// spiritbearkaratekobudo.ca

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Eight Days

Martial Arts 7:30 PM Rest & Restore-Meditative Yin 8:30 PM Avalanche Athletics

Suitable for all levels, offering variations and props to support individual needs. Bringing a yoga mat, comfortable clothing, water bottle and block are recommended.

Tuesdays

Strength for the Endurance

Athlete 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 Eight Days

Martial Arts 6:00 AM

Séances de yoga 8:00 AM

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.

Elderactive Yoga with Richard until Oct 24 9:30 AM Northern Lights School of Dance explore the great variety the IYENGAR Yoga method has to offer Yoga with Barbara until Feb 20 10:00 AM Whitehorse United Church Use side door All Levels Yoga. Email bfraingower@gmail. com

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu - drilling Eight Days Martial Arts 12:05 AM Yoga-Yoga Nidra 5:45 PM 7th Ray Studio Awaken and then release as we delve into a one hour yoga class that will prepare us to melt into the 30 minute Yoga Nidra experience. Register online. Strength for the Endurance Athlete 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.

Lunchtime Fitness Classes 12:15

PM Northern Strength Academy Tuesdays classes are more resistance and strength focused and Thursday classes more HIIT cardio. Drop in & passes are available.

Elderactive Leisure Walking 12:30 PM ElderActive Recreation Association Leisure Walking is similar to Nordic walking but is suitable for those who prefer a slower, more relaxed pace

Kids Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Eight Days Martial Arts 4:45 PM Strength & Conditioning 5:30 PM Northern Strength Academy Exercise to suit your fitness level and Strength & Conditioning Goals. Learn to Squat, Deadlift, Bench Press, Row and Olympic Lift https://northernstrength.ca/ Evening Yoga 6:00 PM Eclipse Nordic Hot Springs eclipsenordichotsprings.ca

Midnight Sun Fencing Club: Learn to Fence 6:00 PM Grey Mountain Primary School This class introduces the fundamentals of fencing to kids who have never tried fencing. All classes are at Grey Mountain Primary.

Kids Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Eight Days Martial Arts 6:00 PM Whitehorse Archery Takhini Elementary 6:30 PM Whitehorse Archery is a non-profit club for the recreational shooter, hunters, and those who just want to work on their skills. https://www. whitehorsearchery.com/schedule Spirit Bear Kobudo (Weapons) Karate 7:00 PM The Heart of Riverdale Community Centre http://spiritbearkaratekobudo.ca

Midnight Sun Fencing Club: Intermediate 7:30 PM Grey

Mountain Primary School This class picks up from where Learn to Fence ends. In this class students are taught fencing technique, strategy, and fitness.

No-Gi Jiu Jitsu Eight Days Martial Arts 7:30 PM

Stretch and Stabilize –Functional Conditioning 7:45

PM Grace Space Purposeful movement with our Functional Conditioning non-yoga movement class.

Wednesdays

Muay Thai Kickboxing 6:00

AM Eight Days Martial Arts Muay Thai Kickboxing full body workout. Morning Strength and Conditioning 7:30 AM Northern Strength Academy https://northernstrength.ca/ Elderactive CGC Flexihall 9:00

AM Canada Games Centre Yukon

Elderactive has the Flexihall is Booked for you! Some activities get your heart pumping, while others get your mind engaged

Elderactive Pilates level 1/2

9:30 AM Northern Lights School of Dance Energizing Level 2 Pilates tailored for seniors. Elevate wellness with gentle movement! Register online.

Zumba with Bonita 10:00 AM

7th Ray Studio Zumba routines incorporate interval training — alternating fast and slow rhythms — to help improve cardiovascular fitness. Register online.

Elderactive Pilates level 2 10:40

AM Northern Lights School of Dance Energizing Level 2 Pilates tailored for seniors. Elevate wellness with gentle movement! Register online. http://cuts2.com/ jiacg

Ladies Kickboxing 12:05 PM Eight Days Martial Arts Muay Thai Kickboxing full body workout.

NSA Spin Classes 4:15 PM Northern Strength Academy NSA offers Indoor Cycling classes with certified instructors Adrienne Marsh and Maria Wise. Improve your conditioning and strength on the bike! https://northernstrength.ca/ Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Eight Days Martial Arts 6:00 PM Spirit Bear Karate 6:25 PM The Heart of Riverdale Community Centre http:// spiritbearkaratekobudo.ca 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.

Stretch & Stabilize - Functional Conditioning 8:15 PM Avalanche Athletics Purposeful movement with our Functional Conditioning non-yoga movement class. Stretch & Stabilize - Functional Conditioning http://amitieyoga.ca

Thursdays

Insanity Live! Get Fit For Winter – 6 Week Winter Series

5:30 AM Riverdale Subdivision – Whitehorse Incinerate fat and calories in 50 minutes with the ultimate cardio-conditioning program that is tailored to ALL fitness levels. Register online. https://whatsupyukon.events/b7o Strength for the Endurance Athlete 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 Eight Days Martial Arts 6:00 AM

Tai Chi for Seniors 10:00 AM Golden Age Society Come early, bring water, and wear comfortable, smooth soled indoor shoes.

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. https://bit.ly/3oiTBVz

Strength for the Endurance Athlete 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

Noon Hatha Yoga until Dec 7 12:00 PM Grace Space Relax, energize and leave with more mental and physical space and capacity! Register online. http:// cuts2.com/gmGhI

No-Gi Jiu Jitsu - drilling Eight Days Martial Arts 12:05 PM Babynastics with Coach Ewan 1:00 PM Polarettes Gymnastics Club A semi-structured parent and tot class for new movers, all the way to age 5. Immerse your little one in song, socialization and a very colorful and stimulating environment. Free with membership. https://www. polarettes.org/babynastics

Kids Brazilian Jiu Jitsu & Eight

Days Martial Arts 4:45 PM

Kids Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Eight Days Martial Arts 6:00 PM

Midnight Sun Fencing Club: Adult Beginner 7:00 PM Grey Mountain Primary School If you are looking to learn fencing as an adult. In this class students are taught fencing technique, strategy, and fitness.

Fridays

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Eight Days

Martial Arts 6:00 AM

NSA Spin Classes 6:30 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! https://northernstrength.ca/ Yoga Classes at Eclipse Nordic Hot Springs 9:30 AM Yoga mats are provided. Booking options that include yoga classes alone and yoga with discounted entrance to Eclipse are available. eclipsenordichotsprings.ca/yogaclasses

Thursdays Noon Hatha Yoga

12:00 PM Grace Space Energizing blend of Hatha and Kundalini with Pranayama (breathwork), Friendly and Community oriented space! Register online. http://www. gracespaceyukon.com

Muay Thai Kickboxing Eight & Mondays 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 Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Eight

Days Martial Arts 4:45 PM

Tai Chi Yukon outdoor practice

5:30 PM On the Wharf at the foot of Main Street. Call 335-4813 for more info.

Kids Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Eight Days Martial Arts 6:00 PM

No-Gi Jiu Jitsu - teen classes

Eight Days Martial Arts 6:00 PM

Muay Thai Kickboxing 7:30 PM

Eight Days Martial Arts Muay Thai Kickboxing full body workout.

Saturdays

Flow & Fly – Vinyasa Yoga

8:30 AM Avalanche Athletics A dynamic and invigorating practice is designed to awaken your inner strength and leave you feeling revitalized and empowered. All levels, Bring yoga mat, comfortable clothing, water bottle and block are recommended. http://amitieyoga.ca

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. https:// northernstrength.ca/ Yoga Classes at Eclipse Nordic Hot Springs 10:15 AM Yoga mats are provided. Booking options that include yoga classes alone and yoga with discounted entrance to Eclipse are available. eclipsenordichotsprings.ca/yogaclasses

No-Gi Jiu Jitsu - drilling Eight Days Martial Arts 12:05 PM Open Mat Eight Days Martial Arts 12:05 PM

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! https://northernstrength.ca/ Yoga Classes at Eclipse Nordic Hot Springs 10:15 AM Yoga mats are provided. Booking options that include yoga classes alone and yoga with discounted entrance to Eclipse are available. eclipsenordichotsprings.ca/yogaclasses

WELLNESS LISTINGS

Sat Jun 29 Herb Walk - Talk & Medicine Making Workshop 10:00 AM Location TBC An interactive herbal workshop that covers boreal plant identification, usage and health benefits of local wild and cultivated plants. Register online. https://whatsupyukon. events/uwn

Sun Jun 30 Sacred Spirit Plant

Healing 10:00 AM Location TBC Delve into the spiritual anatomy of the heart, through guided meditation and by co-creating a vibrational plant essence, hydrosol & anointment oil with wild plants. Register online. https:// whatsupyukon.events/uwn

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. https:// 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

Mondays

Sally and Sisters 11:30 AM

Whitehorse United Church A welcoming environment where women and their children can enjoy a hot meal.

AA “Joy of Living Group” (O) 12:00 PM 305 Wood St. Captain Martin House Infant Feeding Mondays 1:00 PM Yukon Midwifery Program Yukoners who are pregnant or have a baby under 12 months are invited to learn about feeding their infants and get support with challenges. Call 393-7120 to book a private appointment or drop-in.

AA Life Ahead (O, A) 7:00 PM 509 Hanson St. Held in person or by zoom – ID 251-363-5766, call 778907-2701 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 11:30 AM

Whitehorse United Church A welcoming environment where women and their children can enjoy a hot meal.

Healthy Babies Healthy Futures

12:00 PM Victoria Faulkner

Women’s Centre An inclusive Canadian Prenatal Nutrition Program for parental & infant support. Enjoy a Drop-In lunch and connect with other families. https:// whatsupyukon.events/8kd

AA “Joy of Living Group” (O) 12:00 PM 305 Wood St. Captain Martin House

ARKA Brotherhood Men’s Circle: Porcupine Squad 6:30

PM Whitehorse A confidential, structured space that empowers men to transform themselves into self-aware, self-disciplined, 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 251363-5766, call 778-907-2701 for more info.

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

Wednesdays

TOPS (Take off Pounds Sensibly) 8:00 AM Closeleigh Manor Common Room Want to improve or maintain a healthy weight? Call or text 867-334-1725 for more details

Community Kitchen 11:30 AM

Victoria Faulkner Women’s Centre Hot nutritious meals to-go, a free, low-barrier, program for women identifying individuals and children. Call 667-2693 for more info

AA “Joy of Living Group” (O) 12:00 PM 305 Wood St. Captain Martin House Al-Anon 12:00 PM Sport Yukon Al-Anon is a mutual support

program for people whose lives have been affected by someone else’s drinking.

Narcotics Anonymous Meetings

7:00 PM Inclusion Yukon

Art Therapy for Grief 5:30 PM Hospice Yukon Learn more about living with grief and selfcompassion in a supportive space with others who are grieving the death of a loved one

Overeaters Anonymous Meeting

7:30 PM Overeaters Anonymous For more information contact oayukon@gmail.com for more information

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 11:30 AM

Whitehorse United Church A welcoming environment where women and their children can enjoy a hot meal.

Healthy Babies Healthy Futures 12:00 PM Victoria Faulkner Women’s Centre An inclusive Canadian Prenatal Nutrition Program for parental & infant support. Enjoy a Drop-In lunch and connect with other families. https:// whatsupyukon.events/8kd

AA “Joy of Living Group” (O) 12:00 PM 305 Wood St. Captain Martin House

Connect to Culture - Drop-In 1:00

PM Victoria Faulkner Women’s Centre FREE! Drop-In, Open to ALL! Weekly cultural activities from beading to sewing, healing camp trips, elder visits and more. For more info call 667-2093 or email info@vfwomenscentre.com https:// vfwomenscentre.com/events

Polar Group (O, A) 7:30 PM 311 Elliott St. & 4th Ave. Held in person or on zoom, Zoom ID 251-3635766, call 778-907-2701 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.

Community Kitchen 4:00 PM Victoria Faulkner Women’s Centre Hot nutritious meals to-go, a free, low-barrier, 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.

AA Hospital Meeting 7:00 PM #5 Hospital Rd. Room 1212

Sundays

AA Detox Meeting (O, A)1:00 PM 609 Steele St.

AA Yukon Unity Group 1:00 PM Online By zoom – Zoom ID 482518-9588 PC 334796 For more info call 778-907-2971

Narcotics Anonymous Meetings 7:00 PM Inclusion Yukon

AAHospital Meeting (O, A) 7:00 PM #5 Hospital Rd. Room 1212

FLearning To Slow Down

or this installment of Material ReCulturing, I thought I would write about some of the contradictions of camping—of going out to have an experience in nature, with all of our plastic gear. We snuggle into our fleece sweaters, our plastic tents, our plastic sleeping mats, and so on, to be out there.

I spoke with Megan MacLeod of Zero Waste Yukon: the education, outreach and advocacy arm of Raven ReCentre. She agreed that it was a matter of concern. “Most

and breathable.” The technical complexity of these garments also makes them harder to repair.

She also noted that people involved with the outdoors often care about climate change and the environment, and may even be activists. Some of the outdoor clothing brands are beginning to offer repair services and are looking into ways to make gear out of materials, with less of an environmental footprint. So even at the corporate level, some of these ideas are gaining traction.

I was thinking about these

weekend. I had been invited up to give a last-minute art workshop to complement the Interpretive Centre’s annual celebration of birding, Weekend on the Wing. I have an acrylic painting workshop that I know works well. It teaches participants, who have a wide range of drawing experiences, about how paints and colours work in a fun way.

As I prepared, I got thinking about my article. I started to question what I was doing—going to the Tombstones to teach painting in a kind of paint that

camping gear, especially high-end outdoor gear, includes “forever” chemicals mixed into the materials to make things waterproof

things as I got ready to go camping in Ddhäl Ch’èl Cha Nän, Ragged Mountain Lands in Hän (a.k.a. Tombstone Territorial Park) for the

must produce microplastics. I also often use prefab plastic-wrapped canvas boards as painting surfaces for the students.

The Dempster Highway often invites one to slow down: although posted at 90, 70 is often wisest to prevent flats and to take in the landscape

While I had committed to the acrylic paint, this line of thinking led me to consider how I could avoid some of that plastic wrap, as well as avoiding using things made by people who might well be working in exploitative conditions. I considered buying plywood and cutting it up, but my table saw isn’t very good. Then I asked myself, What do I have already?

Now, having a store of stuff (and tools to use it) is a luxury associated with being a homeowner—and one who hasn’t moved in more than 20 years. But I did remember I had some old board of a width I could use in the chop saw. Between that and some paint I already had open, I had surfaces that would work for the workshop. I am going to try to ask myself that question—What have I got already?—more often. And to note that it sometimes takes asking myself that question a few times.

Up in the Tombstones, I sat down and talked over these con-

cepts with Quinn, a recent graduate in neuroscience and mental health, in their second year as park interpreter.

While they do think about the impacts of the drive to get up to the Tombstones, they consider the cost-benefit analysis. Their role in the Tombstone Territorial Park is educational, and they find they have cool conversations with people about things like climate change. Shrubs have been moving north along the highway and into the alpine, where there has been tundra before. You can see changes in the permafrost; more slumps in the landscape from melting. The Porcupine caribou herd used to come to the park and no longer does. There is also change in the ice and snow on the landscape.

It’s a hard balance. How do I be part of it without damaging it?” asked Quinn.

cont’d on page 25 ...

column with Nicole Bauberger

Nicole Bauberger is a painter, writer and performer living in Whitehorse.

PHOTOS: Nicole Bauberger

Camping with my family at a walk-in site at Conrad: the way we work together, as a group, becomes more present to me

Learning to slow down cont’d

Interestingly, the interpreters’ introductions and land acknowledgements now not only relate how we owe this park to the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in Land Claim Agreement, but also makes the distinction between this park and other parks whose rules keep people separate from the landscape. People can harvest berries here; and in the fall, people hunt in the park. I found this idea to be healing.

Quinn noted that “shifting into a rethink mindset takes effort and a change of brain” and said, Sometimes I feel like I’m going so fast I don’t have time to get there. I come up here and it’s a sigh of relief. The world feels more real, but less pressing.”

At school in Ottawa, Quinn was desperate to hike. One day they planned a route that would actually take them through five kilometres of continuous green space. But on a more daily basis, Quinn would walk the one and a half kilometres to and from campus. Their roommate observed them and said, “You know, I never thought about just walking.” The roommate thought that to get to campus you just had to drive or take the bus. So they started walking sometimes, too. So for Quinn, education sometimes happens unintentionally. You never know what effect your actions will have on other people.

I visited my friend Julie Frisch on the way home. She has cared

about and taken action around environmental questions and moving towards Zero Waste, for a long time. She fretted a bit about not having cruise control, and she shared with me that she always drives just the speed limit on the highway. Without cruise control, it’s a bit hard on her knee.

On my way back down to Whitehorse, I did my best to drive the speed limit or below. Not because Julie told me to—she didn’t. But I did already know that driving more slowly would have a beneficial impact not only on the cost of fuel for me, but also on my greenhouse gas emissions and on the microplastics I’m grinding off my tires.

The next day, driving out to gather clay with my friend Susan Walton in Marsh Lake, I did the speed limit or below. I watched for good passing places and slowed down and let people pass me. Maybe it will become a habit.

I’ve gone on overnight camping trips with Susan. She mused poetically about plastics and camping during our visit. She considered the washing of dishes and possible scraping off of microplastics from our kayaks onto the rocks. She appreciated the plastic zippers that keep mosquitoes out. But she practices “Pack it in, pack it” out very seriously and also repairs and uses her gear for a long time, as well as sharing it with others, and doesn’t see her plastic impacts due to camping as being that

much more than in daily life.

Susan is a retired nurse and practical-nursing instructor. She has observed that over the past decade in hospitals, quite a lot of things that used to be sterilized in an autoclave have been replaced with plastic disposable items. I will have to look into that for another article.

Susan’s got me looking lovingly into the plastic teeth of my zippers. Maybe demonizing a material like plastic isn’t fair. Maybe disposability is more of a problem.

But maybe finding problems isn’t as useful as finding something we can do about them. As Quinn noticed, it’s hard to rethink things when we’re in a rush all the time. How can we slow down? How can we slow down some more?

Not only did I follow Julie’s example in going the speed limit, but I realized that if I encounter someone doing 90 on the highway, often I follow them at that speed. At a good following distance, of course. It means if there’s a moose, they will hit it first but I will be there to check if they’re OK. Sure, sometimes I pass them. But maybe not. Maybe now I’ll appreciate the leadership they’re offering me in slowing down.

Thank you so much for your emails to materialreculturing@yahoo.com. I will use what I have in my next column on materials and sentimentality. Keep them coming! But take your time. ■

Mon-Fri: 12 -1pm

4: JUNE 17-JUNE 21

Monday June 17 Blues Cargo

Tuesday June 18 Jasmine Netsena

Wednesday June 19 Rick & Judy

Wednesday June 19 @ 5:00p Northstarr

Thursday June 20 Yukon Taiko

Friday June 21 Indigenous Peoples’ Day: We encourage our audience to enjoy the celebrations held at the Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre! Plus! Visual art with Martha Ritchie, bringing new life to clothing with hand printed imagery!

Monday June 24 North of Sexy Lepage Park 303 Wood St Whitehorse W:

Preserve your community’s history

The Community Development Fund supports projects that contribute to the cultural, economic and social development of the territory.

In 2023, the George Johnston Museum in Teslin received funding to complete a roof upgrade, allowing the museum to safely continue operating.

Other eligible projects include:

• new construction projects;

• renovations and restorations to buildings or lands;

• knowledge or skill development;

• research and planning; and

• programs and events.

Apply by July 15 for funding requests up to $20,000.

Visit yukon.ca/cdf or email cdf@yukon.ca

At my campsite I can think differently about my habits and actual needs

Manus Hopkins is a

and

Rugby In The North

Meet the Yukon Rugby Federation, a new sports club in Whitehorse

The Yukon Rugby Federation (YRF) was originally formed as an unofficial club in 2015. At that time, it was not a registered society and existed mostly as a group of former rugby players in the Yukon who wanted to keep playing some form of rugby, according to Charlie Feht, the club’s president. The club was organized by a few of its members, who drop-in touch (non-contact) rugby sessions to anyone interested. They also put forth travelling senior men’s and women’s teams that would compete in Anchorage once a year, in June, for a full-contact Sevens Tournament action.

“As with most things, participation and involvement took a big hit during Covid,” said Feht. “Since then, we have been able to revive the Yukon Rugby Federation as an officially registered society and are now the sport governing body for rugby in the Yukon, operating as an affiliate member of BC Rugby Union.”

Feht went on to say that the modern YRF began out of a goal to provide meaningful rugby competition to youth in the territory.

“Working as a teacher, I thought that rugby Sevens could be a viable alternative sport option for high-school-aged kids to get involved with beyond the traditional volleyball and basketball seasons,” he said. “We began offering youth rugby at F.H. Collins in 2022, and once we started to gather some momentum, we quickly expanded to both Porter Creek and St. Francis for the 2024 season.”

Currently, the YRF’s main goals are to ensure that interhigh-school rugby competition remains sustainable and continues as a mainstay sport in Yukon high schools; that it provides juniorlevel rugby programming, throughout the summer, through a Team

Yukon that will eventually compete in St. John’s at the Canada Summer Games in 2025; and to provide club competition and fullcontact games for both men’s and women’s adult divisions throughout the year.

“Rugby seems to be the fastestgrowing sport in popularity among youth in Whitehorse,” said Feht.

“Within a twoyear span, we expanded from having a drop-in rugby ‘club’ at FHC, with ten to fifteen players, all the way to holding the firstever high-school rugby derby at F.H. Collins, with eight different teams across junior boys, senior boys and varsity girls divisions.

“We have also had great success at the rookie rugby level [ages 9 to 12]. We have been able to offer several six-week sessions of intro to rugby for this age group at the CGC, throughout the year, and it always reaches max capacity. We have heard from parents that their kids love getting involved with rugby because it is such a fun and fast action sport that anyone can get involved with.”

Beyond this, Feht said the club has also had significant interest from adults in the community who are trying rugby for the first time.

“The culture of rugby is that of

fierce competition on the pitch, while having respect for one’s opponent,” he said. “You could travel to any rugby club around the world and see the same principles of inclusivity and respect at play. I think for this reason we have been getting lots of new faces out for our adult sessions. Rugby Sevens is a sport that you only need a handful of people to play, and I think the fact that it is full contact offers something to Yukoners that they can’t get anywhere else.

“The physicality of the game, paired with the camaraderie afterwards is something unique about rugby that makes it a sport

many people fall in love with.”

Feht eventually would like to see youth rugby to become a main high-school sport that kids get involved with, and he said he would love for the YRF to be able to offer regular competition for both youth and adults. Another goal for the YRF’s future is to have competitive youth teams represent the Yukon and Canada Summer Games in 2025.

“Our hope is that all of this great momentum we have built around rugby is not just a flash in the pan,” said Feht. “Throughout the last twelve months, we’ve made incredible progress reviving

rugby in the Yukon, and we hope to carry this momentum forward. I look at some of these other mainstay sports in the Yukon—like volleyball, that have school competition, club teams and representative territorial teams—and I hope that rugby can be the next big thing like that.”

The YRF invites anyone thinking about trying rugby to get involved, regardless of experience. To learn more and get involved, visit the YRF’s Facebook page at facebook.com/YukonRugby ■

PHOTO: Courtesy of YRF

The YRF team at a recent tournament

column with

Manus Hopkins

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

National Indigenous Peoples Day

On behalf of the entire Victoria Gold team, I extend my best wishes to all Yukoners as we celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day on Wednesday, June 21.

My family and I will be reflecting on, and celebrating, the history, heritage, resilience and diversity of First Nations, Inuit and Métis people throughout the territory and across the country.

I hope you have an opportunity to participate in one of the many celebration events taking place in our Yukon communities featuring live music, dance, arts and cultural demonstrations, traditional food, special ceremonies and so much more.

From my family to you and yours, happy National Indigenous Peoples Day.

Sincerely,

John McConnell President & CEO Victoria Gold Corp

RESPONSIBLE MINING

The Eagle Gold Mine is located 85 km north, northeast of the Village of Mayo within the traditional territory of the First Nation of Na-Cho Nyak Dun. Victoria Gold and the First Nation of Na-Cho Nyak Dun (FNNND) signed a Comprehensive Cooperation and Benefits Agreement (CBA) on October 17, 2011. The CBA applies to the development and operations of the Eagle Gold Mine and all the exploration activities conducted by Victoria Gold anywhere in FNNND traditional territory south of the Wernecke Mountains; which includes all of Victoria Gold’s existing mineral exploration properties.

To learn more, please visit vgcx.com/responsible-mining/first-nations-involvement/

Victoria Gold President & CEO John McConnell with wife Tara Christie, daughter Katherine and dog Ollie.