First snow was only a few days away as the flushing truck did its work in Dawson last week. Photo by Dan Davidson

Welcome to the October 8, 2004 online edition of the Klondike Sun, reproducing a selection of the articles and photographs from the October 5 newsstand edition. As a trivia note, the newsstand edition was incorrectly dated October 25, 2004.

This was our Bridge Survey issue, and the results from that will be spread over the next two online editions.

The Sun has only recently been updated on the web after a hiatus since the January 16/04 issue. Current issues are now available on the site, and the archives from 1996-2003 are linked to this site. There is now a search engine which can search all issues from the beginning in 1996.

This issue is being readied for posting on November 3, 2004.

The best way to read the Klondike Sun is still to have the paper in your hands. There is subscription information on the Home page of this website.

Flushed for the Winter

by Dan Davidson

Even storm drains need to get ready for winter. In Dawson, where the drains get pretty much buried by the gravel streets during the summer months, and then by half a metre of ice hardened snow in the winter, this job is done at the end of the summer season, when creating little barriers around the drains won’t tie up the heavy tourist traffic.

According to Norm Carlson, Dawson’s superintendent of public works, a vehicle he refers to as the “flusher” comes through in the fall and uses extremely high pressure water jets, up to 2,000 psi, to clean out both the storm drains and the sanitary drains before the real cold weather sets in.

Here the truck can be seen on Queen Street making its way from one access hole to the

Dawson Chamber Honours Happy Flagger

by Dan Davidson

Aside from being surrounded by fires all, the next most frustrating aspect of life in Dawson City was the 5.9 kilometre, $2.2 million dollar road widening project that stretched from just past the C4 Subdivision out to the Callison Industrial Subdivision.

Chamber of Commerce members have been heard to complain bitterly that

Jon Magnusson (left) presents a certificate to Darren Bullen (right). Photo by Dan Davidson

almost none of the suggestions it gave to the territorial government were paid attention to, and the struggle to make sure the Trans-Canada Trail was restored, as it now has been, seemed to eat up meeting after meeting during the summer months.

The one bright spot in the Golden Hill Ventures project was the smiling flagger who greeted motorists at one or the other end of the project all summer.

As a result of discussions at its annual general meeting, the chamber determined that it would award Darren Bullen with a certificate for "Flag Person of the Year in Dawson City".

Bullen’s smiling face has also been the subject of three submissions for Golden Host Awards, which are decided by the Tourism Association of Yukon based on nominations received.

"Enormous, huge smiles and humour, consistently each day this summer during construction,” one of the nominations reads. “

What a great ambassador for Dawson!!! He makes the long waits much easier to endure!"

Another described his technique in glowing terms.

" Darren has worked everyday for the past two months on the construction just outside Dawson. He talks to every person in the lineup event he locals (who are very cranky now). He waves & smiles at all from 8 am to 7 pm daily. The only bright spot in this confusion!"

Darren, once more wreathed in smiles, appeared at the chamber office on September 22 to receive his award from vice-president Jon Magnusson.

“This is presented to you in recognition of extraordinary service to Dawson City during the highway construction summer of 2004,” Magnusson told the surprised and pleased flagger.

Peggy Amendola, who runs the Visitor Reception Centre on Front Street, was on hand for the presentation of Darren’s award.

“Congratulations!” she said. “I’ve got a Golden Host Award (nomination) downstairs. There have been loads of nice comments on you.”

Darren feels that he was just doing his job, which he enjoyed.

“I had a great time. People were taking my picture because they’d never seen a happy flagger before. There were people getting out of their vehicles and hugging me.

“Yeah, I met a lot of people this summer, quite a bit, people I didn’t even know that lived here.”