I would like to advise former squatters that I have almost finished compiling my 50-page book on the squatter days of downtown Whitehorse.
The deadline for ex-squatters to submit your story is Aug. 31. I’m looking for stories about how it was to live in one of the areas known as Whisky Flats, Moccasin Flats, The Shipyards, Sleepy Hollow, The Wye area and along the escarpment.
In 1961 one-third of the downtown population was labelled as squatters. There was little in the way of saleable land downtown. The old story: plenty of jobs, but few places to live; it was an era of true pioneering.
In the late ‘50s and mid ‘60s the White Pass began to sell off its vast land holdings in downtown: Lot 19, a large chunk on the south end of town and a portion of it known as The Wye area (Drury Street) and along the escarpment as well as Baxter Street.
Beside Riverdale more lots also opened up in the new subdivisions of Porter Creek and Crestview. The town changed from a frontier community clustered below the edge of a Canadian military base, into our modern bustling capital we now enjoy.
So, if you had a cabin or grew up in one of those downtown squatter areas I would love to hear from you. A whole page or a few paragraphs would be great. Photos would be appreciated and could be scanned on the computer.
Send your story to squatterstory@gmail.com or phone Pat at 667-4141.
Pat Ellis
Whitehorse