John Kitsco

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We view the great north with wonder. It is considered to be the last imaginary place on earth. The population of the North West
Territories as of January 1, 2010 was 43,281. Not a large population considering the size of the territories....and people come here (and some stay) from all over the world. The Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) is a big draw for tourists that
come from Japan and Germany. Still, many have a fascination with the Klondike Gold Rush or enjoy travel and camping in nearby Alaska or the Yukon. Absolutely something mythical and magical about the great north. Writers such as the renowned poet Robert W. Service, Jack London, George Cormack and others have lived and written about the north. The "Cremation of Sam McGee - The Call of the Wild - The Spell of the Yukon." Stories about prospectors, drifters, gold seekers, stories about the unforgiving land. Stories of miners and hunters who became
disoriented and some who simply were driven mad...and stories
about the prostitutes, independent women and good time dance
hall girls. Yes, plenty of history up north.

Some places along the North Klondike Highway such as in the Yukon - you can view elk and bear (they estimate 10,000 black and about 7,000 grizzly bears) and a good time for viewing the bears are in the spring or autumn when the leaves are off the trees. Water lillies and aquatic wildflowers bloom in some of the lakes. Such as Lake Tthi Ndo Mun.  Thousands of tundra and
trumpeter swans that bird watchers love, as well as the shore birds and song birds.  You can fish for trout and arctic grayling
in places like Lake Laberge or Fox Lake. And apparantly along
the Dempster Highway there are arctic grayling in most every creek and river. Also the Dempster region is home to sheep, mountain goat, moose, caribou, wolves, lynx, fox and of course the famous grizzly bears.

Yes, this area of the great north is often called the Land of the Midnight Sun - perhaps because the sun shines for 24 hours a day in the summer.  You can camp, canoe/kayak, pan for gold,
ride horseback, just tour and admire the scenery or take lots of pictures (after all, this is a photographers paradise). So, go north young man. There are still many stories to tell, And who knows - you may just decide to stay....