What Yukon is known for

The Yukon Destination is located in the western part of Canada in the Yukon Territory. The main city within the region is Dawson City. Dawson City was founded by Joseph Ladue and given its name in 1897. The town is named after George M. Dawson, who mapped and explored the area in 1887. Dawson is the second largest town in Yukon and served as Yukon's capital until 1952 when the seat was moved to Whitehorse. Dawson was included as a city in 1902 with a population under 5,000. The population of the region is currently around 1,375.[1] 

Dawson City is home to various attractions and activities, including Parks Canada, the Dawson City Firefighting Museum, the Sternwheeler Graveyard, the Palace Grand Theatre, the Tombstone Territorial Park, and the Yukon River. There are also various water activities that people can participate in because of the rivers and lakes.[4] 

Within the Yukon Destination is the Tr'ondek Hwech'in First Nation, which is located in the Canadian territory, Yukon. Its main population is located in Dawson City. The Tr'ondek Hwech'in, or people of the river, are descendants of the Han-speaking people. They have been living along the Yukon River for thousands of years. The Tr'ondek Hwech'in First Nation's inhabitants have lived in Yukon for many years. The first people lived off of various animals, berries, and other resources. Today, the people of the Tr'ondek Hwech'in First Nation are encouraged to practice the Han language, learn skills from the Elders, and have respect for their heritage.[7]

The Selkirk First Nation is also located within the Yukon Destination. The Selkirk First Nation has its own government called a Self Government. The government consists of various authorities and responsibilities that are of both territorial and municipal governments. The Selkirk First Nation holds various events in which visitors can attend. Also within the nation are various employment opportunities.[6]

The First Nation of Nacho Nyak Dun is located in Yukon. Most of its population lives in Mayo, Yukon, but there are others who live throughout Canada and the United States. The original language of the First Nation of Nacho Nyak Dun was the Northern Tutchone language. However, since the nation was first founded, the language has ceased to be used. In May of 2021, it was recorded that the nation has 550 registered members, six of which are living on their own reserve. The phrase Nacho Nyak Dun can be translated to "big river people."[5] 

Geography

The Yukon Destination is made up of a portion of the state of Yukon, which is located in Canada. The destination has a rectangular shape and goes along the border between Canada and Alaska. The east side of the region loosely follows the state line between Yukon and the Northwest Territories. The north and south ends of the district are flat lines that go from the border to the state line. Cities within the region include Mayo, Dawson City, and Keno City. Also within the area is the First Nation of Nacho Nyak Dun, the Selkirk First Nation, and Tr'ondek Hwech'in. The Yukon destination is mountainous with forests, lakes, and rivers, including the Yukon River. [2]

The best time to visit the Yukon Destination is in the late spring, summer, or early fall. The summer is a common time to visit the area, which means that attractions might be crowded. The other months commonly have fewer people while maintaining decent weather. From November to April the temperatures vary from -13.3 degrees Celsius in January to 6.4 degrees Celsius in April. Night in January drops to -22 degrees Celsius, while temperatures only drop to -4.6 degrees Celsius in April.[8]

From May to October, the temperatures vary but don't often drop far below zero degrees Celsius. The common hours of daylight range from 20 hours in July to 10 hours in October. Summers in Yukon are often warm and dry. The long hours of daylight also called the midnight sun, usually means longer days of wildlife, which gives tourists the opportunity to see more forest animals.[8] 

Within the territory of Yukon resides many forms of wildlife, the most common being plants and animals. Plants that thrive in Yukon include wood horsetail, western moonworts, American parsley ferns, leathery grapeferns, Nahanni oak ferns, rusty woodsias, fragrant wood ferns, creeping Junipers, lodgepole pines, subalpine firs, and tamaracks. Mammals that inhabit the Yukon Destination are snowshoe hares, collared pika, squirrels, chipmunks, American beavers, hoary marmots, groundhogs, northern American porcupines, muskrats, moose, caribou, American bison, mule deer, wapitis, mountain goats, bears, and wolves.[9]

History

Before Dawson City was created, the Yukon Destination was mainly inhabited by various native peoples, the main one being the Tr'ondek Hwech'in and their forebears. Many of the people's resources came from the rivers in the area. Places like Dawson City were used to hunt moose and to act as a gathering spot.[2]
Dawson City, the main city in the Yukon Destination, was first formed when gold was discovered on Bonanza Creek in August of 1896. The city is located near the confluence of the Yukon and Klondike Rivers. After two years, Dawson City was the biggest town in Canada west of Winnipeg. The population at the time was somewhere between 30,000 and 40,000. The founder of Dawson City was Joe Ladue, who believed that merchants in gold camps prospered more than miners. Instead of going after gold, he started building a town. The number of houses in the town jumped when the gold was discovered, and Ladue's fortune raised to about $5 million.[3]

For a time, Dawson City had a wide variety of people living within its boundaries. There were miners, families, and more wealthy people. Even the miners ranged for poor to rich. Some of the girls who went to the dance halls wore dresses from Paris that cost $1,500. Some of Dawson City's residents dined on oysters and champagne for breakfast, while others ate stale bread, tea, and lard. Many of the more needy people were taken to hospitals because of typhoid, dysentery, and scurvy. Meanwhile, those with more wealth often held tea parties and serves meals on China dishes. The diversity between people was great, and there were not very many that fell into a medium category of wealth.[3]

When Dawson City was first founded, the greatest threat to the town was fires. Many of the buildings were built in a hurry, which exposed some of the wood and canvas that they were built from. Dawson City was only a year old when the first fire struck on Thanksgiving Day in 1897. The fire was started when a girl threw a burning lamp at one of her rivals. The fire ended up destroying two saloons and the opera house. Later, in 1898, another fire was started by the same girl. The girl had left a fire blazing on some wood. The fire consumed two hotels, the post office, and a large portion of Front Street. In total, 26 buildings were destroyed by the fire. In 1899, specifically in the month of February, there was another fire that burned nine buildings. In 1900 yet another fire started, but was quickly extinguished. The rate of fires decreased after the fire in 1900 because the buildings were improved to be more flame resistant.[3]

In the Yukon Destination, the end of the gold rush near Dawson City resulted in the population of the town to decline drastically. Though there were a few who stayed, many left. Since then, Dawson has not recovered many more people.[3] The city is the second largest town in Yukon with a population of 1,375 people.[1]