Since 1953 Whitehorse is the capital and only real city of the Yukon, Canada's most westerly and also least populated territory. The city's mere 25.000 citizens account for about 70% of all Yukoners.
The city is located where the Yukon River has carved out a
narrow passage through the Miles Canyon Basalts. The resulting rapids gave the city its name as the white foam on the roaring rapids resembled the
manes of charging white horses.
Indigenous people had fished, hunted and camped here for ages, but it all changed in 1898 when the
rapids proved to be a bottleneck to the hordes of eager Klondike stampeders.
Tents, saloons and roadhouses
shot up along the eastbank to cater to the miners.
In 1900 a railway with Skagway was completed and the town of Whitehorse
grew around the rail terminal.
In 1958 the Whitehorse Hydro-electric dam finally tamed the rapids and created Schwatka Lake.
We were here in June 2007 and visited the rapids and the dam. We also found time for a round of golf at the Mountain View Golf Club, where we met an inquisitive and hungry squirrel.