Wise Woman Travel

If I were Prime Minister of Canada, I’d make it a residency requirement for everyone to visit a community outside their own on Canada Day.

I’ve done this several times- years ago to Drayton Valley, Alberta, where my sister taught; more recently, to Mayne Island, off the coast of British Columbia, and, today, in Whitehorse, Yukon.

We’re such a big, diverse country that we need to touch base with each other from time to time, and Canada Day seems like a great time to do that. I think you can tell a lot about a community by how they celebrate being part of this diversity.

Like many communities across Canada, Whitehorse had a pancake breakfast and a parade. Then, many of the residents ambled over to the Kwanlin Dun Cultural Centre, where the Adaka Festival featured visual and performing artists from across the circumpolar region. The Festival featured concerts, artist talks and demonstrations, workshops, and an awesome art gallery. What better way to get to know the Yukon’s 14 First Nations, and their brothers and sisters from across Canada, Russia, and Scandinavia?

So, here’s a little taste of Canada Day in Whitehorse, where the strength and freedom of the North was on display for all to see.