Whitehorse - Geography. I INTRODUCTION Whitehorse, city, capital of the Yukon Territory, Canada. Whitehorse is the center of commerce and transportation in the Yukon Territory and northwestern British Columbia. It is a regional headquarters for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Whitehorse has a cool, dry climate. Annual precipitation averages 269 mm (10.6 in) and is equally divided between rain and snow. The average daily January temperature range is from -23° C to -14° C (-10° F to 6° F), and the average July range is from 8° C to 20° C (46° F to 69° F). Whitehorse is situated on the west bank of the Yukon River, just off the Alaska Highway, about 80 km (about 50 mi) north of the British Columbia border. II PEOPLE According to the 2001 census, Whitehorse's population was 19,058, down from 17,925 in 1991. Since its founding in the late 1890s, the city's growth has been linked to the development of mining and transportation in the Yukon Territory. The completion of the White Pass and Yukon Railway in 1900 connected Whitehorse and Skagway, Alaska. This significantly decreased the cost of transporting minerals and increased the amount of mining. World War II (1939-1945) also influenced the growth of Whitehorse, which was an important United States military base and a key site for the building of the Alaska Highway. The influx of military personnel pushed the population to an estimated 40,000 in 1943. However, after the end of construction projects in the summer of 1944, the population dropped to approximately 8000. Whitehorse's population increased steadily after the city became the capital of the Yukon Territory in 1953. An increase in tourism in the 1970s also contributed to the city's growth. Whitehorse's location on the Alaska Highway makes it popular with motorists and air travelers because of its extensive services. By 1996, nearly twothirds of the residents of Yukon Territory lived in Whitehorse. Whitehorse is home to a small indigenous population. In 1984 the Kwanlin Dun Band of indigenous peoples, who were living on a small, poorly serviced area of land to the north of the city, signed an agreement with the federal, territorial, and municipal governments to move their community to a fully serviced residential subdivision in Whitehorse on the west side of the Alaska Highway. About 55 percent of the population of Whitehorse was born in Britain or has some British heritage. Most of the other residents were born elsewhere in Europe or are native Canadians. III CITY LANDSCAPE Whitehorse was founded on the west bank of the Yukon River just below the Whitehorse Rapids and next to a steep clay slope with a flat summit. In 1971 the Whitehorse city boundaries were expanded to include residents on the top of the slope and those along the Alaska Highway, increasing the city's land area to 414 sq km (160 sq mi). Important landmarks in Whitehorse include the downtown Federal Building, the home of federal and territorial governmental offices and the territorial headquarters of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The Yukon Territorial Government Administration Building, which includes the Whitehorse Public Library and the Yukon Archives, is located at the southern end of town. The T. C. Richards Building and Visitor Reception Centre is near Whitehorse Airport. Yukon College (1983) is located in the northwestern suburb of Takhini. The Yukon Arts Centre (1992) houses visual arts groups and the choral society and features a 430-seat auditorium. Museums in Whitehorse include the Old Log Church Museum (1900), located in the oldest building in the town, and MacBride Museum, which displays pioneer artifacts. Whitehorse is the homeport of the SS Klondike, which was built in Whitehorse in 1929 and was the last stern-wheeled riverboat to operate on the upper Yukon River. During the 1970s Parks Canada restored the Klondike, and in 1981 the Canadian government recognized the boat as a historically significant vessel. Other attractions in the Whitehorse area include the footbridges of Miles Canyon and Kishwoot Island, and Kluane National Park and Reserve, which features the Saint Elias Mountains and their glaciers. In late February Whitehorse hosts the Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous Carnival. The city also hosts the Yukon Quest Dogsled Race, a 1600-km (1000-mi) race between Whitehorse and Fairbanks, Alaska. IV ECONOMY Silver, copper, lead, zinc, asbestos, and gold were once mined throughout Whitehorse. After 1950, however, many mines closed and mining is no longer the base of the Whitehorse economy. When Whitehorse became the capital of the territory in 1953, government services replaced mining in the local economy. Tourism also became important. Whitehorse accommodates visitors with 24 hotels and motels and seven recreational vehicle parks. Daily flights to Vancouver and Edmonton are offered by Canadian Regional Airlines and Air BC out of Whitehorse Airport. Regular air service between Whitehorse and Alaskan cities, including Fairbanks and Juneau, is also available. V GOVERNMENT The city of Whitehorse is governed by a council made up of the mayor and six members who act as the legislative body, and a city manager who acts as the executive. All serve two-year terms. Yukon Territory is governed by a six-member executive council and a 17-member territorial legislature. A territorial commissioner serves a role similar to that of the lieutenant governor in Canadian provinces. VI CONTEMPORARY ISSUES Air pollution is a concern in Whitehorse. The city council is considering discouraging vehicle use by expanding the public transit system. The council is also looking at alternative forms of transport such as bicycles. Whitehorse's water consumption is high in comparison to other Canadian cities, due primarily to leakage of treated water from the city's water delivery system. Initially the city attempted to encourage conservation; however, there was little incentive to save as users pay a flat fee for water. Another issue in Whitehorse is water quality. Bacteria levels in Schwatka Lake, the city's water source, have increased in recent years due to population growth in areas above the lake. In addition, the city's sewage treatment system discharges wastewater into the Yukon River. The level of waste treatment is not adequate, and the sewage poses a health hazard. Whitehorse is presently improving its sewage treatment system. VII HISTORY Whitehorse was founded during the Klondike gold rush of the late 1890s. It soon became the terminus of the 177-km (110-mi) White Pass and Yukon Railway, completed in July 1900 from Skagway, Alaska. Whitehorse was named after Yukon River rapids, which looked like the manes of white horses. Whitehorse became the major distribution and service center for the mining settlements of the Upper Yukon Valley. The Whitehorse tourist industry began to grow in the 1920s and 1930s as the city became the supply and departure point for outstanding hunting and fishing areas in the Yukon. During World War II, Whitehorse became a base for the construction of the Alaska Highway from Dawson Creek, British Columbia, to Fairbanks, Alaska. Whitehorse was also a center for the Canol project, which built a crude-oil pipeline from Norman Wells in the Northwest Territories to Whitehorse and a Whitehorse oil refinery. The United States government leased the railway from 1942 to 1946 and upgraded the airport facilities. The war years were a prosperous time in Whitehorse, and jobs were plentiful. Whitehorse was incorporated as a city in 1950; three years later it became the capital of the Yukon Territory. The city grew in response to these changes. To provide power for the increasing population, a hydroelectric dam and Schwatka Lake reservoir were constructed on the Yukon River in 1958. In the 1950s and 1960s the federal government encouraged new Yukon mining. As a result silver, asbestos, lead, and zinc production expanded. The White Pass and Yukon Corporation improved its transportation operations and constructed new shipping facilities at the northeastern end of Whitehorse. In 1969 the Cyprus Anvil mine began production and soon produced 15 percent of Canadian lead and zinc. By 1981, 12.4 percent of the Yukon government revenue was derived from Cyprus Anvil and the mine was the largest customer of the White Pass and Yukon Corporation. In June 1982, however, the Cyprus Anvil mine closed its operations because of low mineral prices and high operating costs. Contributed By: Paul M. Koroscil Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
