The YUKON Magazine

Now the author of two books and many articles in major publications, Eva Holland was just getting started in 2012. That’s when she was offered a 10-month back-fill position with Up Here magazine. “It was the break I was waiting for,” she says, “and I spent those months in an informal feature-writing boot-camp.” In this episode, Eva chats with The YUKON Magazine’s co-publisher, Tammo Walter, about...

Inspired, sort of, by Karen McColl’s cover story for the 2026 Summer issue of The YUKON Magazine, our producer Mark Koepke tracks down some Whitehorse birders—and asks to record their appealing songs. CREDITS Hosted by Tammo Walter Produced by Mark Koepke Intro/outro music by Major Funk Other music: Free Uplifting Music by Seth_Makes_Sounds | License: Creative Commons 0 electricguitar_starspangled...

Gravel biking may feel like a relatively new corner of cycling, but in many ways it brings the sport back to where it started: rough roads, mixed surfaces, long distances, and a little uncertainty about what comes next. With the Kluane Chilkat International Bike Relay coming up on June 20th, from Haines Junction to Haines, cycling is very much on our radar. And while KCIBR is not a gravel ride, th...

In temperatures below -50°C and help not available or far away everything matters. A lot. As part of Operation Nanook-Nunalivut 2026, a team of Canadian Rangers crossed more than 5,200 kilometres of Arctic wilderness by snowmobile. For 52 days they traveled along parts of the Northwest Passage where weather, equipment failure or one wrong decision can quickly into a very serious situation. Three Y...

Asking questions is something familiar to Keith Halliday. A longtime journalist,  author, consultant and close observer of the North, Keith has spent decades asking tough questions and making sense of Yukon life. But that doesn’t necessarily make the hot seat any easier. In this episode, Keith turns reflective, opinionated, and occasionally unexpected as he weighs in on the Yukon's most press...

There will be summer (even if it doesn’t feel that way yet). The YUKON Magazine co-publisher Tammo Walter kicks off the season, joined by editor-in-chief Kanina Holmes and new podcast contributor John Glynn-Morris for a look at what’s ahead. They preview a rich lineup of features—from wildfire realities to the hidden world of fungi beneath our feet and the passion behind Yukon birding. The episode...

Each spring, northern rivers go from solid ice to flowing water. In the best-case scenario this process goes smoothly but if ice jams form, there can be trouble. We first ran this conversation with Holly Goulding, senior hydrologist with the Government of Yukon, in February 2023. Given the winter the territory just came through, it felt like the right time to bring it back. Goulding breaks down ho...

First it hurts. Then it stops. That’s when the clock starts ticking. With frostbite, time matters. It can mean the difference between recovery and loss. From Whitehorse, Yukon, surgeon Alex Poole and clinical pharmacist Josianne Gauthier share what they’ve learned treating and studying frostbite and how they pioneered the current gold-standard treatment protocol. They talk us through what’s happen...

If anyone should fly through our Yukon Questionnaire, it ought to be Karen McColl. As a former editor of The YUKON Magazine and producer of this podcast, Karen has put the questionnaire to many fellow Yukoners. But, apparently, that’s not enough to guarantee lightning-fast responses when she finds herself on the wrong end of the microphone.  As Karen moves on to her next adventure(s), our question...

There are 20 sports at this year's Arctic Winter Games in Whitehorse. Pin trading has long been considered an unofficial sport at the AWG, so that makes 21.... And now, podcast producer Mark Koepke suggests a 22nd "sport."  As he documents the final sprint in a multi-year, volunteer-led marathon to plan the circumpolar world’s biggest sporting and cultural event, Mark takes a cue fr...

"It was supposed to be a two-week workin' vacation," says musician Ryan West of his first trip to the Yukon." That was 2009. It's 2026 now, so it's been a long two weeks."  One of the reasons Ryan stayed was the community—musical and otherwise—that he discovered at Whitehorse's iconic 98 Hotel . Every third Thursday of the month, he and his band The Lucky On...

Welcome to spring—and new beginnings! To kick off the first series of our revitalized podcast, The YUKON Magazine’s new publisher, Tammo Walter, steps into the Karen McColl-sized role of “host.” He catches up with the magazine’s (sort of) new editor Kanina Holmes and podcast producer Mark Koepke for a preview of the exciting content that audiences can look—and listen—forward to this season. Tammo...

Like a quarterly magazine for your ears, we produce a variety of audio-rich episodes... with a diversity of voices... on every aspect of the Yukon experience. Send us Fan Mail CONNECT WITH US Website: theyukonmagazine.com Instagram: @the.yukon.magazine Facebook: @TheYukonMagazine LinkedIn: @theyukonmagazine Email: podcast@theyukonmagazine.com SUBSCRIBE TO THE MAGAZINE Subscribe for yourself or as...

It's been 10 months since the last episode. What happened to the podcast? Is it ever coming back? Finally, we return with some long-awaited news. Send us Fan Mail CONNECT WITH US Website: theyukonmagazine.com Instagram: @the.yukon.magazine Facebook: @TheYukonMagazine LinkedIn: @theyukonmagazine Email: podcast@theyukonmagazine.com SUBSCRIBE TO THE MAGAZINE Subscribe for yourself or as a gift f...

They built their reputation playing live gigs around the North—from the Southeast Alaska State Fair, to the iconic 98 Hotel, to Folk on the Rocks. Next up, it’s opening for Tom Cochrane at his April 5 show in Whitehorse.  But Cows Go Moo is no stranger to the studio, either. In May 2024, life took the band’s six teenage members down two highways (the Alaska and North Klondike) to their second reco...

Tuxedo has black and white fur, blue eyes, and a sensitive side. He works hard and is rewarded with belly rubs, massages, and warm soup. But a day in the life of Tuxedo and his fellow Alaskan Huskies at Sky High Wilderness Ranch is more nuanced than that. Veteran musher Jocelyne LeBlanc takes us behind the scenes from daybreak to trail time and beyond for insights into the lives of these loveable...

It was unusual for people to bring children to the Klondike during the gold rush of 1898 but Black Americans Alonzo and Mattie Agee came with their five children. Once in the Yukon, they carved out a living cutting hair and prospecting. Researcher Peggy D'Orsay of the Hidden Histories Society Yukon tells us what she's learned about this enterprising family and what it tells us about the...

What does it take to have the coolest hair on Earth? A hair-freezing contest, for starters. But as Karen McColl quickly learns, it’s not just about frigid temperatures—it takes patience, strategy, and maybe even a little discomfort. Armed with insider tips from two-time champion Nanae Takano, Karen and her friend Shannon head to the Eclipse Nordic Hot Springs, confident they can sculpt their way t...

“Our two passions in life,” says Winterlong Brewing co-owner Marko Marjanovic, “are hiking and beer. So, we created a lifestyle for ourselves in both hiking and beer-making. It’s a perfect match.” For our second two-for-one Yukon Questionnaire, Marko and his partner-in-all-things, Meghan, combine forces to trek through our not entirely sober line of inquiry about life in the Yukon. We think they s...

As usual, host Karen McColl kicks off a new series in conversation with The YUKON Magazine (formerly Yukon, North of Ordinary) editor Amy Kenny. Which means… a new issue is on its way. (And listening to Amy will leave you "ravenous" to read it.)  Karen also talks to her podcast co-producer about stealing more ideas from our trusty print companion, revisits an old interview with Whitehors...

Biking 430 mi/688 km alone in the wilderness in the depth of winter might seem crazy, but Jessie Gladish is no stranger to longer treks in the woods. She already completed the Montane Yukon Arctic Ultra race on foot and skis and now plans to do it on a bike. Trail conditions will dictate how much riding she can do versus pushing her bike as a glorified luggage cart. Only one thing is certain: she...

Spotting wildfires is serious business. Former "lookout" Trina Moyles visited the Dawson City fire tower and tells us about its veteran smoke-spotter, Markus Lenzin. Drawing from her own seven seasons stationed at a remote tower in northern Alberta, Trina shares the solitude, awe, and challenges of the role of a lookout in detecting and reporting wildfires in the Yukon and beyond. Trina...

Davida Wood and Tosh Southwick were featured in a story about the Yukon’s Indigenous consulting sector in the Winter 2024 issue of The YUKON magazine. Now, the podcast puts them both in the hot-seat for a special two-for-one edition of the “Yukon Questionnaire.” Among other things, it turns out this dynamic pair shares a talent for telling tall tales to tourists… (Tosh Southwick’s questionnaire be...

Meet one of the Yukon's biggest social media stars and learn about his unlikely claim to fame. Perfect listening for your turkey hangover. Featuring Yukon-bred TikToker Jonathan Ostrander, AKA Sandwich Dad. *Full disclosure: this is a blatant "re-gift" of an episode first published in March 2023.  YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE The Sourdough Mocktail The ice swimmers Microdosing on the run On...

A wild night on the town for a podcast Christmas party inspires producer Mark Koepke to create a non-alcoholic beverage that will put the Yukon on the map. It's his lovely, lovely gift to all the people of our fine territory. Come for the snow, sample a toe... Whether you're into Sourtoe Cocktails or Sourdough Mocktails, you can plan your visit to the Yukon at travelyukon.com .  This epi...