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moth proportions that brought people and technology to the North, forever changing the land and the communities. MacBride is home to the original cabin of prospector Sam McGee who was immortalized in Robert Service's poem of the North, The Cremation of Sam McGee (www.macbridemuseum.com). Travelling around such an unforgiv- ing landscape is at the root of stories told in the Yukon Transportation Museum. From dogsledding to bush planes to conquering the Chilkoot Trail on foot, Yukoners have mastered a harsh environ- ment with ingenuity and creativity. New in 2012 is the exhibit Finding the Goddard, chronicling the underwater dis- covery of the wreck of the A.J. Goddard, a sternwheeler from the days of the Klondike Gold Rush (www.goytm.ca). The massive Yukon Beringia Interpre- tive Centre transports visitors to the pre- historic landscape of Beringia (the dry, unglaciated land bridge that once linked Alaska and Siberia). It was an unforgiving time when animals and plants struggled to survive in the frigid, windy expanse of the last great Ice Age. Multimedia displays and dioramas tell the story of a time when woolly mammoths and gigan- tic mastodons roamed the region (www. beringia.com). The quaint Old Log Church Museum is one of the oldest buildings in Whitehorse. Interactive displays tell the tale of the early Anglican movement in the territory, and the communities of pioneers, whal- ers, explorers and Yukon First Nations (www.oldlogchurchmuseum.ca). Bet when you think of the Yukon you think of gold. Did you know Whitehorse sits atop a rich copper belt? The geologi- cal displays at the Copperbelt Mining & Railway Museum are packed with infor- mation on Whitehorse's copper mining history and stories of those who worked in the area including Robert Service and Sam McGee (www.yukonrails.com). Whitehorse is a compact, friendly city and many of these museums and heri- tage sites are within walking distance. For something a little different, you can hop aboard the bright yellow restored 1925 Waterfront Trolley for a scenic downtown ride describing the city's colourful history. ThE wiLdErnESS ciTy The Yukon capital has been nicknamed "the Wilderness City." Sitting on the banks of the famous Yukon River, Whitehorse is surrounded by mountains, clean lakes and clear skies that are home to northern wildlife like bears, cougar, wolves and golden eagles. On the edge of town, the 700-acre (283-ha) Yukon Wildlife Preserve is a guaranteed way to spot 10 species of northern mammals in their natural envi- ronment. Visitors can join an interpretive bus tour, take a self-guided walking tour or cross-country ski on groomed trails in the winter to see woodland caribou, lynx, Rocky Mountain elk, mountain goats and sheep, moose, mule deer, muskoxen, wood bison and Arctic fox (www.yukonwildlife.ca). Just on the edge of town, hundreds of Chinook salmon struggle up the Whitehorse fish ladder, the longest wood- en fish ladder in the world. A glass viewing area gives an underwater view of salmon, grayling and trout as they make their way to their spawning grounds in southern Yukon (www.yukonfga.ca/fishway). A gATEwAy To SPEcTAcULAr KLUAnE nATionAL PArK Did you know that Canada's highest moun- tain—Mount Logan—is found in the dra- matic mountain and ice ranges of Kluane National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a treasure of Canada's National Parks system? Whitehorse is a gateway city to Kluane—it's just a two-hour drive to the park's pristine wilderness. Kluane's lakes and rivers are perfect for avid pad- dlers; mountain bikers and hikers can find their perfect challenge level from a net- work of forest trails; wildlife watching, camping, horseback riding and mountain- eering round out the choices for the active traveller. And seeing Kluane from the air is an indescribable experience. Sightseeing flights cross over what are the world's largest non-polar icefields—the vista is breathtaking (www.pc.gc.ca/kluane). ThE ArTS BEcKon The streets of downtown Whitehorse are lined with small shops and galleries that specialize in the riches of the Yukon: handmade gold nugget jewelry, silver, original paintings by Northern artists, Inuit sculpture, antler carvings and tradi- tional First Nations arts and crafts. Useful Websites tourism yukon: www.travelyukon.com air Canada: www.aircanada.com air North: www.fl yairnorth.com MAIN STREET WHITEHORSE • YK TOURISM S.S. KLONDIKE • YK TOURISM 2012 TRAVEL GUIDE TO CANADA 169