Archives By Matt J. Simmons Where the Caribou Roam History preserved in Carcross, Yukon The town of Carcross in the Yukon feels straight out of an old Western fi lm. HE HULKHULK OFOF AA HOTELHOTEL ances on a land bridge between Bennett and 8 looms upup fromfrom thethe dustydusty street,street, 2 Nares Lakes. In every direction, mountain T proudly showing offoff itsits freshlyfreshly peaks scramble upward from the shorelines painted, brilliant blue siding. Accentuated CARCROSS of lakes and the creeks and rivers that feed by sparkling white trim, its windows grin them. The remains of an ancient lake form in the sharp sunlight. Overall the build- strange sand dunes around the town, often ing seems proud, like a kid showing off N referred to in travel brochures as “the world’s a cool new haircut. And really, the Cari- smallest desert.” Here, strange plants and bou Hotel in Carcross, Yukon should be trees grow in the arid ecosystem, conspicu- proud. Currently in the process of getting YUKON ous in their northern surroundings. There’s 2 a makeover, the hotel waswas designateddesignated aa scenic grandeur everywhere you look— Yukon historic site in 2008. nature showing off. The town of Carcross—previously known And in the town itself, there is a distinct as Caribou Crossing for thethe migratorymigratory herdsherds ofof “old-timey” feel to everything. Every build- caribou that once came throughthrough thethe valley—valley— ing in the community has a story to tell, sits in the spectacular southern lakes regionregion ofof KM from the Matthew Watson General Store to the Yukon Territory. The little community bal- 0 2.5 5 Skookum Jim House. The latter is named 40 WWW.COTTAGEMAGAZINE.COM MARCH / APRIL 2011 COT_MAR11_40-41_ARCHIVES.indd 40 07/02/11 1:14 PM wExquisitely w w . p a n a b Crafted o d e . c o m Western1 800 665Red 0660Cedar Log Homes for James Mason (aka Keish), a Tagish First down, but everywhere I go, I see or hear of his Nations local who co-discovered one of the handiwork. “He might’ve been working on the first major gold sites in the Klondike. Char- Tutshi today,” says a young guy rebuilding a acters like Skookum Jim swirl through the wharf. He wipes sweat from his forehead and town’s history—it was a popular stopping-off speaks almost in revered tones about Toole. point for prospectors making their way into “Jamie’s been workin’ on all kinds of stuff.” He the interior for a chance of finding gold. At directs me to a green pickup truck full of tools, first, travelling prospectors hiked the infa- but I never do find the hardworking local. mous Chilkoot Trail, emerging from the But Carcross isn’t being rebuilt by one man brutal coastal mountains at Caribou Cross- alone. Toole and Morgan are restoring the ing. Later, a narrow-gauge railway called hotel to its former glory, the waterfront is the White Pass & Yukon Route (WP&YR) getting a walkway, the wharf is being rebuilt was built to connect the route, starting on and the old Tutshi sternwheeler will be trans- the coast at Skagway, Alaska and travelling formed from a wreck on a beach to a historic to the Yukon interior, eventually culminat- memorial. There’s a sense of well-deserved ing at the city of Whitehorse. Built in 1898 pride in Carcross and palatable excitement and during the intense gold rush period, it is now expectation for great things to come. Between an “International Historic Civil Engineering its awe-inspiring natural surroundings, its cen- Landmark.” That may be a bit of a mouthful, tral point in the stories of legendary characters Exquisitely Crafted Western but the designation means prestigious com- and its quirky historical buildings restored to pany: the Eiffel Tower and Statue of Liberty gold rush glory, this little Yukon town is des- Red Cedar Log Homes. share the same accolade. The railway’s final tined for greatness. Custom log home packages spike was driven in Carcross itself and its 292Since - 5000 1948 sq.ft. historic station is now home to the Carcross Below The Caribou Hotel is the longest- visitor centre. A stone’s throw away is the operating hotel in the territory, but is currently Standard1 800 Plan 665 or 0660 Custom. S.S. Tutshi, a sternwheeler built in 1917. The closed while it’s being restored. www.panabode.com boat, confined now to land, is on display at the water’s edge. Carcross, then, is positively overflowing with historical significance, and its 400 or so residents recognize the value of preserving and celebrating that history. Caribou Hotel has always been a signifi- Air tight cant feature in the town. While it holds the cook stoves record of longest-operating hotel in the ter- ritory, it’s currently empty during the res- toration. Located opposite the station, the hotel once served a wide variety of clientele including hunters, tourists, guides, pros- pectors, mounties and even a parrot named Polly. The incongruently named male bird was resident of the hotel for nearly 50 years after his owners were drowned in the tragic shipwreck of the Princess Sophia, a passen- ger steamship connecting the coastal com- munities of Alaska and British Columbia. Polly was infamous for both profanities and a propensity for singing opera. He died in the early 1970s. The hotel changed hands Free many times over the years and now belongs Breeze to Jamie Toole and Anne Morgan, locals with a passion for history and for the preservation Fans of Yukon culture. Box 654, 84 Hope St East Toole is one of those guys who is handy with Tavistock, Ontario a hammer (as well as any other tool you give N0B 2R0 him) and immersed in every project imagi- Phone 519-412-0151 nable. When I wander the streets of Carcross Fax 519-412-0141 looking for him, I never manage to track him [email protected] www.mealtimestoves.on.ca MARCH / APRIL 2011 WWW.COTTAGEMAGAZINE.COM 41 COT_MAR11_40-41_ARCHIVES.indd 41 07/02/11 1:14 PM.