JIM WELLER (1:123/140) wrote to ROGER NELSON at 14:15 on 08 Oct 2007:

 JW> In other news today Yellowknife celebrated 40 years of being a
 JW> capital city....

Note that Dawson City was established as Yukon's capital on June 13, 1898
with James M Walsh as the first Commissioner and that the Commissioner
remained resident in Dawson until January 1, 1953 when Canada moved the
capital to Whitehorse. I saw the Commissioner's residence when I moved to
Whitehorse in 1989.

In other words at a time when the Northwest Territories had a legislative
capital in Ottawa from 1905 (after Alberta and Saskatchewan became
provinces) to 1967 and an administrative capital in Fort Smith from 1911 to
1967, Yukon continued its development as the first northern territory.

Oddly, the Yukon may have been created when it was to ensure that the
Northwest Territories government then in Regina would not profit from
selling liquor licences in Dawson which in 1898 was the largest city west
of Winnipeg,
 
Much as I enjoyed my years in Yellowknife -- I still remember my TV screen
shrinking when they pulled ore out of Con -- I still like Whitehorse more. 
But then I play a part in the development and growth of this place that I
never could there.

Incidentally, I met Stuart Hodgson in the '80s in Victoria.  He was an
imposing man but he really did not spend that long in the North.  John
Parker might make a more interesting study.

Take care,

Steven Horn (steven.horn{at}northwestel.net)
Moderator, ALASKA_CHAT 
--- timEd/386 1.10.y2k+