At the end of the 19th century, Dawson was the biggest city of western Canada as well as the capital of the Yukon. The Klondike gold rush saw more than 30 000 gold diggers running up from all over the world looking to make their fortune up north. Luxurious goods imported from the southern cities for eager newly rich residents lead to Dawson receiving the particular nickname of “Paris of the North”. Today, the town is inhabited by less than 1500 people and Dawson City lost its “city” status in the 1980s due to a new municipal act. It retains the legal name of “City of Dawson”, for historic purposes and to differentiate it from Dawson Creek, a city located in British Columbia.
It’s hard to keep a vehicle clean up here, rolling on unpaved roads.
Strolling through the town, feeling a bit like gold prospectors ourselves.
A little sneak peek of our upcoming canoe trip, on the Yukon River. This is where the journey will end, on the shores of Dawson City.