<That's OK - we'll come to you.  Is January good?>

January is very good, but June is WAY better, especially when it comes
to going outside. Actually it's a hellofalot colder on the prairies than
it usually ever gets up here, what with the windchill and all. Our
winter enemy is the short days of November through February. Today the
sun got up around 10:00, and it'll be in full retreat by 3:00, but it's
a balmy -8 degrees C., or 18 degrees F. Too little snow for skiing, yet,
but we can always hope.

<Query:  What sort of buildings in Fort Selkirk?  In what shape?>

About 35 structures, mostly log, most have had foundations and roofs
partly or fully replaced. The oldest is the Anglican Schoolhouse, which
dates back to (don't laugh) 1892, making it the Yukon's oldest standing
building, predating the discovery of gold by 4 years. There are also
buildings made of deck planking from beached sternwheelers and from
recycled Yukon Field Force barracks buildings.  The Field Force was an
infantry regiment hastily assembled by the Canadian government as a
response to unwarranted concerns in Ottawa about an imminent American
takeover of the goldfields. Trouble was, the mandarins didn't look at
the map, and instead of  sending them to Dawson, where the Americans
tended to congregate, left them to idle away about 6 months at Fort
Selkirk. Figures.  The buildings run the gamut from simple 8' x 10'
cabins built by native people, who tended to spend most of their time on
the seasonal round, trapping hunting and fishing out of Fort Selkirk, to
the more elaborate and larger homes of white traders and missionaries,
to the trading posts themselves. There is also an amazing native
cemetery consisting of elaborately decorated spirit houses, and
colourful fences. One man has been restoring the grave fences for about
15 years, and when he gets finished, he can start again at the
beginning.

Again, the cool dry climate with a relatively short summer season has
helped these buildings to survive 30 years of abandonment fairly well.
We have been working there about 12 weeks every summer since 1981, and
have moved into long term maintenance and interpretation as the primary
focus. We are fortunate to have a 70 year old interpreter working there
who was born in one of the buildings and grew up there. She is a great
storyteller, and many of our visitors write back to tell us that
spending time with her was the high point of their entire trip. Visitor
numbers are around 1000 per year, no doubt limited by the need to spend
several days in a canoe to get there. Worth it, though.
 <<Selkirk.jpg>> Yukon Government Heritage Branch is planning to have a
web site in place early next year, so you could get some officially
sanctioned details (no war stories!) of what we're up to. For the
interesting stuff, you'll just have to rely on me.

Bruce Barrett
Historic Sites Technician
Government of Yukon