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MAJOR ATTRACTIONS:
Whitehorse
- Population: 22,526
- Elevation: 2,305 feet/703m
Located at Historic Milepost 918 on the Alaska Highway, the
downtown business section of Whitehorse lies on the west bank
of the Yukon River. Whitehorse has been the capital of Yukon
Territory since 1953, and is the hub of the territory's 2,700
mile/4,300 km road system.
The Klondike gold rush brought stampeders and the railroad
from Skagway to Whitehorse. The community grew as a transportation
centre and transshipment point for freight from the Skagway–Whitehorse
railroad and the stern-wheelers plying the Yukon River to
Dawson City. A second boom period for Whitehorse occurred
during construction of the Alaska Highway, when they city
became headquarters for the western sector and one of the
largest camps on the pioneer road. The Alaska Highway opened
to civilian travel in 1948, encouraging new development, especially
in mineral exploration and mining, as well as tourism. Because
of its accessibility, Whitehorse became capital of the Yukon
Territory (replacing Dawson City in that role) on March 31,
1953.
Perhaps Whitehorse's best known attraction is the SS Klondike
National Historic Site. It's hard to miss this grand old stern-wheeler.
She sits beside the Yukon River near the Robert Campbell bridge
in downtown Whitehorse. The Klondike carried mail, general
supplies, passengers and silver lead ore along the 460-mile
route between Whitehorse and Dawson City until 1955, when
she was retired. Built in 1929, the vessel was the largest
on the Yukon. The interpretive centre adjacent the stern-wheeler
is open from mid-May to mid-September, and tours of the vessel
are available.
Another hard-to-miss landmark in Whitehorse is located in
front of the Whitehorse International Airport. It's the world’s
largest weathervane—a Douglas DC–3. This vintage
plane mounted on a rotating pedestal in 198l.
Another major attraction in Whitehorse is the Yukon Beringia
Interpretive Centre, which traces the Ice Age in Yukon, which—unlike
the rest of Canada—was ice-free. Displays at the centre
trace the science and myth of an Ice Age subcontinent inhabited
by great woolly mammoths, giant short-faced bears, lions,
scimitar cats, camels and Jefferson’s Ground Sloth. Ice
Age artifacts include a cast of the largest woolly mammoth
skeleton ever recovered. The centre is open daily from mid-May
to late September. www.beringia.com.
Whitehorse also boasts the Frantic Follies, the territory's
longest-running vaudeville stage show; a Transportation Museum;
log "skyscrapers"; and the Old Log Church, built
in 1900. Historic walking tours of the city's heritage buildings
are available.
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