A couple of remarkable events have occurred in our town of late that we think deserve mention.
Carcross/Tagish First Nation’s Dakka Kwaan Days was a wonderful mid-summer celebration involving cultural events, competitions, food and camaraderie. The raising of a 20-foot totem pole downtown against a backdrop of Tlingit singing and dancing with the staccato of hammer-drill and the smell of cedar and concrete dust in the air was truly inspiring.
Our group, on behalf of the community of Carcross, wants to thank CTFN for hosting such an engaging, inclusive and fun gathering.
The second event we’d like to highlight involves the Rendezvous Rotary Club of Whitehorse. Their Carcross member, Kells Boland, approached us with the kind offer of doing a volunteer project here and seeking directions on that.
We immediately pointed to the totem memorial, some parts of which seemed poorly finished and tacky. So, a dozen Rotarians showed up recently, under their own steam, on their own dime and with their own supplies.
They spent the day cleaning and painting under the hot sun. When done they’d transformed the paddlewheel from ugly, P.W. green to their original colour, electric orange, and the weather-stained, bare plywood to a wall of white. The improvements were quickly noticed.
The Rotarians did have some help. A small but efficient band of locals showed up too. They probably felt, as I did, that they weren’t about to let a bunch of well-meaning strangers do good works in our town unaided.
Well, they’re no longer strangers but friends. Thank you so much Rendezvous Rotary Club for your interest and investment in our community!
And thanks to the following fellow locals for proving that we know what volunteerism is too: Shale Brooke and Granite Davies, Norma Waddington, Nelson Lepine, Nancy Maides, Linda Pringle and friends.
We also appreciate the support of the following businesses: Builders Supplyland, The Bistro (thanks for the beer, Dustin, you saved lives), Caribou Coffee and Southern Lakes Woodwork.
Dan Kemble
Chair, South Klondike
Local Advisory Council,
Carcross