Experience Dawson City, Yukon

A scene from the competitive axe-throwing contest.
PETER MATHER/THE GLOBE AND MAIL

It might be known for its Gold Rush history, but this tiny northern town is vibrant and proudly unconventional

It’s early March and I’m on a Great River Air flightseeing tour over Dawson City, Yukon. My group of three is crammed into a C-172 Skyhawk heading toward the famous Tombstone Mountain, a jagged, dark-grey peak that offers a stark contrast to the snowy landscape and pastel blue sky. The views are gorgeous, but as we leave the town behind, I’m more struck by its size than the stunning views.

For a place that plays such an oversized role in Canadian history – and that still has such a huge personality – it’s strange to realize that the entire town could fit in my neighbourhood back home in Toronto. Once, 40,000 people crowded the small grid of cross-streets, all hoping to strike gold. Now, the population hovers around 1,300, though that number spikes in the summer when tourists descend.

But to experience Dawson in a way that few outsiders ever get to, spring is the time to head north. For many locals, Thaw Di Gras, Dawson’s spring carnival, is an annual highlight, and after checking out some of the proudly offbeat events, it’s easy to see why. It feels as if everyone hits pause on their regular lives for the three-day fest, opting instead to celebrate the end of winter together. Events are spread throughout the town, which gives visitors a chance to take in the candy-coloured buildings. With their old-timey signage and charming flourishes, Dawson’s businesses look as if they’ve been painstakingly maintained since the Gold Rush, even though many are much newer than that. Of course, there’s no way to take in every single event (we were very sad to miss the cat show, a hard-to-get-into highlight of the fest) but the fun is in the trying, and in the chance to mingle with Dawsonites, who are welcoming and ready to strike up a conversation.

Over the course of three days, I watched a keg toss competition held by bartenders from the Downtown Hotel. It was open to anyone, so I wasn’t surprised to see a lavender-snowsuit-clad little girl seriously considering taking a turn after watching a burly thirty-something hurl an empty keg as far as he could. At the Pit, a local name for the iconic bar on the ground floor of the Westminster Hotel, patrons took part in a short-lived tricycle relay. (Unfortunately, the tricycle broke two contestants in.) On an outdoor rink set right beside the Yukon River, the human curling competition was a hilarious nail-biter. There were no stones; instead, contestants perched on inner tubes while their teammates pushed them across the rink, hoping they’d land on one of the coloured rings that had been spray-painted on the ice.

The weekend-long Street Hockey Tournament,
in front of the Westminster Hotel
PETER MATHER/THE GLOBE AND MAIL

Dawson has always had a reputation as a good-time town, and Thaw Di Gras is a very good time. But even more than the fun and games, getting to experience the town in the spring is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. And not just because I got to fly over the snow-covered peaks of the Ogilvie Mountains. Getting to Dawson took the better part of a day, but the long trip north was definitely worth it. There was something truly special about getting to see a community come together over silly events – and being welcomed to town as a true, if temporary, Dawsonite.


The Downtown Hotel
How to get there
Fly to Whitehorse via Vancouver, then fly on to Dawson City with Air North, the territory’s regional airline. Alternatively, from Whitehorse, make the scenic six-hour drive up the North Klondike Highway.

What to bring
Spring in Dawson City is still chilly, so pack warm layers and cold-weather gear (parka, snow pants and winter boots) rated to -15 degrees, especially if you’re planning to see the Northern Lights.

Where to stay
The Downtown Hotel offers 59 rooms, a Gold Rush-era aesthetic and the famous Sourtoe cocktail, a shot of whisky topped with an actual human toe.

*BY STACY LEE KONG, SPECIAL TO THE GLOBE AND MAIL