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DAWSON CITY |
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Few episodes in Canadian history have captured the imagination like
the Klondike gold rush , and few places have remained as evocative of
their past as DAWSON CITY , the stampede's tumultuous capital. For a few
months in 1898 this former patch of moose pasture became one of the
wealthiest and most famous places on earth, as something like 100,000
people struggled across huge tracts of wilderness to seek their fortunes
in the richest gold field of all time.
Most people approach the town on the Klondike Hwy from Whitehorse, a
wonderful road running through almost utter wilderness, and knowing the
background to the place it's hard not to near the road's end without
high expectations. Little at first, however, distinguishes its
surroundings. Some 500km from Whitehorse the road wanders through low
but steeply sided hills covered in spruce, aspen and dwarf firs, and
then picks up a small ice-clear river - the Klondike . Gradually the
first small spoil heaps appear on the hills to the south, and then
suddenly the entire valley bottom turns into a devastated landscape of
vast boulders and abandoned workings. The desolate tailings continue for
several kilometres until the Klondike flows into the much broader Yukon
and the town, previously hidden by hills, comes suddenly into view.
An ever-increasing number of tourists and backpackers come up here, many
drawn by the boardwalks, rutted dirt streets and dozens of false-fronted
wooden houses, others to canoe the Yukon or travel down the Dempster or
Top of the World highways into Alaska and the Northwest Territories.
After decades of decline Parks Canada is restoring the town, now
deservedly a National Historic Site, a process that is bringing about
increased commercialism, increased population (2000 and rising), new
hotels and a sense that some of the town's character may be about to be
lost. That said, in a spot where permafrost buckles buildings, it snows
in August, and temperatures touch -60°C during winters of almost
perpetual gloom, there's little real chance of Dawson losing the gritty,
weather-battered feel of a true frontier town. More to the point, small-time
prospecting still goes on, and there are one or two rough-and-ready bars
whose hardened locals take a dim view of sharing their beers, let alone
their gold, with coachloads of tourists.
You could easily spend a couple of days here: one exploring the town,
the other touring the old Klondike creeks to the east. If at all
possible prime yourself beforehand with the background to one of the
most colourful chapters in Canada's history: Pierre Berton's widely
available bestseller, Klondike - The Last Great Gold Rush 1896-1899 , is
a superbly written introduction both to the period and to the place.
The Town
You should start any wander on Front Street , the leading edge of a
street grid that runs parallel to the Yukon River and at the junction
with King Street is home to the impressive Tourism Yukon Visitor
Reception Centre |
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