Striking gold

In 1896, George Carmack, Dawson Charlie, and Skookum Jim Mason found gold in the riverbeds of Bonanza Creek, an offshoot of the Klondike River outside of Dawson City, Yukon. After news of the discovery spread, a stampede of prospectors from around the world arrived on Front Street to stake their claims. By 1898, the town’s population of 1,500 had ballooned to 30,000.

For more than 100 years, Dawson City has lured adventurous souls and nomadic wanderers with the promise of golden opportunities and the possibility of striking it rich. Today a diverse community of miners, artists and First Nations people remains.

“This place has always retained really independent characters, colourful people,” said Dawson City’s Mayor Wayne Potoroka. “It adds a flavour to the town that is really unparalleled anywhere else in Canada.”