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Remote cabins being burned down by some government department

Quite often people will bring me photographs of cabins, artifacts, etc., that they have come across in the wilderness areas. The photograph above was given to me by somebody years ago, I can't remember who.
robb

Quite often people will bring me photographs of cabins, artifacts, etc., that they have come across in the wilderness areas. The photograph above was given to me by somebody years ago, I can’t remember who. On the envelope in which the photo was enclosed the writing said, “Cabin on Sheehan’s Gulch.” I believe that gulch is in the Livingstone Creek area. It is an interesting subject, but when it was taken, I don’t know.

A lot of people in the Yukon know I have a great interest in this type of thing. Some of these people are prospectors, geologists, photographers, artists or just friends. I often will ask friends, whom I know will be travelling in interesting areas, to look out for interesting cabins and buildings, dredges and artifacts of all types to photograph.

But I also have been to many interesting areas myself, such as the Klondike and Sixty Mile country, Old Crow, Fort Selkirk, Carcross, the Carmacks area and Robinson Roadhouse to draw and photograph.

Also I would like to mention, I hear a government branch has been burning down some of our old historic cabins here in remote areas of our territory. The excuse being something like, the cabins are harming the environment, which is ridiculous.

A lot of these cabins are historical. Also, when people are in trouble from weather or whatever, and desperate for shelter, the cabins could save lives. What’s happened to the Yukon we knew years ago? And isn’t it against the law to burn down a heritage cabin? I can’t get over the fact that cabins are being burned down because some government department thinks the cabins are not environmentally friendly. This is wrong! This is sick!

As far as I know, the cabin portrayed in this article was not burned, but others in the Yukon territory were. I know the government is probably worried that people might move into some of these places, even if they are on Crown land, and by burning these cabins (some of which are historical) they are showing control. But where does the control go from here? Where does it end?

Anyone with information about this subject, please write Jim Robb: The Colourful Five Per Cent Scrapbook - Can You Identify? c/o the Yukon News, 211 Wood Street, Whitehorse, Yukon,

Y1A 2E4, or e-mail through the News

website, www.yukon-news.com.