The wildest little town
People go a little strange when they settle in this far-flung outpost of Canada’s goldrush era, finds
Parks Canada. But it’s not the buildings that make Dawson City such a fascinating destination – it’s the people, the larger-than-life eccentrics coined ‘‘the colourful five per cent’’.
‘‘Dawson City attracts the weirdest people,’’ our guide, Justin, says during an entertaining walking tour conducted by Parks Canada, comparing goldrush days with modern life in Dawson City. ‘‘It’s like we’re a gravity well – winter can be difficult, and people can go a little strange.’’
One way for the permanent population of about 2000 to deal with the isolation, 24-hour winter darkness and temperatures as low as minus-60 degrees Celsius is to get involved with Dawson’s vibrant arts scene. Another way is to party at some of the the town’s many bars, from the Sourdough Saloon in the historic Downtown Hotel (featuring the infamous Sourtoe Cocktail, a shot of choice garnished with a mummified human toe) to stylish Bombay Betty’s, a former whorehouse now converted to a boutique B&B and bar, where locals and tourists mingle.
Dawson City also boasts a surprising number of excellent restaurants, including The Drunken Goat Taverna and Klondike Kate’s, named after one of the town’s most beloved goldrush characters.
I’m also delighted to discover real coffee at the Australian-owned Alchemy Cafe´, serving some of the best vegetarian food north of the border.
Despite the trappings of modern life, Dawson City is still in essence a gold mining town, with about 80 small, family-owned and operated mines, and more than 13,500 placer claims in the surrounding hills.
Jewellery stores on the main street sell natural gold nuggets brought into the store by the miners and a hand-written sign on the local community board advertises a gold claim for sale for $5000.
Meanwhile, in the quirky From Vancouver you can fly domestic connections to Whitehorse in the Yukon. See aircanada.com. Dawson City is a seven-hour drive north of Whitehorse or an hour’s flight with Air North. See flyairnorth.com Rooms at the historic Downtown Hotel start from $192 plus tax a night. See downtownhotel.ca Trading Post on Front St, goldpanning equipment sits alongside other curiosities of the north, such as grizzly skins, wolf snares and first editions of Robert Service poetry – a delightful dichotomy that really exemplifies this bawdy, bold yet strangely poignant town. – Traveller Julie Miller travelled as a guest of Tourism Yukon.