Whitehorse

Whitehorse is the capital of the Yukon territory in northern Canada.

It is the largest city in the region. The city sits in the Whitehorse valley. It is located at kilometre 1,425 of the Alaska Highway. The Yukon River flows through the city. This river rises in British Columbia. It eventually meets the Bering Sea in Alaska. The city's downtown and Riverdale areas sit on both sides of the river.

The name Whitehorse comes from the White Horse Rapids. People thought the rapids looked like a white horse's mane. These rapids are no longer visible today. A hydroelectricity dam was built in 1958. This dam created Schwatka Lake. The rapids now sit under the water of the lake. The city is framed by three mountains. Grey Mountain is to the east. Mount Sumanik is to the northwest. Golden Horn Mountain is to the south.

The climate in Whitehorse is subarctic. This means it has very cold winters. The city is in a rain shadow. This happens because of the nearby Coast Mountains. This shadow causes very low precipitation. Whitehorse is actually Canada's driest city. It is warmer than other northern places like Yellowknife. This is because it sits in a valley. The sun stays up for 19 hours in the summer. In the winter, the days are very short.

Indigenous peoples used this area for thousands of years. Archaeological research at Canyon City shows this history. First Nations people used the area for seasonal fish camps. Different tribes had overlapping territories here. In 1883, Frederick Schwatka saw a portage trail. This trail helped people bypass Miles Canyon.

History changed in August 1896. Skookum Jim, Tagish Charlie, and George Washington Carmack discovered gold in the Klondike. This caused a major gold rush. Many prospectors arrived by steamship. By June 1898, there was a bottleneck at Canyon City. Many boats were lost in the rapids. Five people died there. Prospectors also found copper in the hills to the west. Jack McIntyre and Sam McGee staked the first copper claims.

Transportation changed many times. In 1898, construction began on a narrow-gauge railway. This was the White Pass and Yukon Route. It linked Skagway to Whitehorse. The difficult Bennett Lake section was finished in 1900. Planes began landing in 1920. The first air mail arrived in 1927. In 1942, the US military built the Alaska Highway. They wanted a safer way to move troops and supplies. This road connected Alaska to the US mainland.

Whitehorse grew into a large city. It was incorporated in 1950. In 1953, it became the capital of the Yukon. The seat of government moved from Dawson City. As of the 2021 census, 28,201 people live in the city. The census agglomeration has 31,913 people. This is about 79 percent of the Yukon's total population. The city has many neighborhoods. Some are near the river, like Riverdale. Others are higher up, like Takhini.

The people of Whitehorse come from many places. Most residents are Canadian citizens. The population is mostly European. There is also a large Indigenous population. This includes First Nations, Metis, and Inuit people. Many immigrants live there too. People have come from the Philippines, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The city continues to grow and plan for the future.