The Rising Sun Singers from the Yukon, Canada sing during the Vancouver 2010 Olympics in British Columbia.
It’s impossible to think of the Yukon, Canada without smiling. I went up there for the first time last summer and was stunned day after day by the landscapes that unfolded everywhere I looked. Sunsets at midnight? I dig it.
Yukon, Canada Travel
Here are a few of my favourite Yukon adventures:
Sushi in Whitehorse
Dawson City Music Festival
Dawson City
Fishing in Kluane National Park
Helicopter Ride in Haines Junction
Whitepass and Yukon Railroad
Yukon at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics
Last night I was brought back to that feeling, that almost-sentimental-but-never-mushy emotion that characterizes what I feel when I remember the Yukon. Jim, who first introduced me to this Canadian territory, was throwing a media party at Canada’s Northern House. I was there in a heartbeat 
Musician Barbara Chamberlin came all the way from Whitehorse, Yukon (Canada) to perform.
The lovely Rising Sun Singers, 4 aboriginal women from different parts of the Yukon, performed a few drum songs to start the evening (video below). The stage was then taken over by Whitehorse-based Barbara Chamberlin, a well-known Yukon fixture in the music scene.
She’s the gal who wrote Tourism Yukon’s “theme song,” Larger Than Life, and released her third full length CD last September. She also did the musical score for the film “Highway of Heartache,” which she also played Wynona-Sue. I’ve already dug into her newest CD, Of Ice & Men, and am lovin’ the Yukon-themed tunes.
Sourtoe Cocktail
Another pleasant surprise was the appearance of Captain Dick, the originator of the infamous Sourtoe Cocktail. Yes, a real human toe (dehydrated and preserved in salt) was flown in from Dawson City to tempt us (I’ve already done the dirty deed- read about it here).
Yukon, Canada's Captain Dick, creator of the Sourtoe Cocktail visits Vancouver during the Olympic Games.
This was my first time meeting Captain Dick, though. He’s a bit of a legend and was happy to sit and initiate folks into the Sourtoe Cocktail Club. Only in the Yukon…
There are a ton of other events that feature Yukon talent- we were told last night that 70 First Nations Yukon-ers had made the trip to Vancouver to share their culture. Pretty impressive. A list of their events can be found here.
Copyright 2010 Lori Henry
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