Getting here.

Getting to Dawson can be a real challenge (as can getting away from it...)

Air North is the Yukon's airline and they are great little company. They offer flights out of Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver to Whitehorse. I would recommend getting to one of these cities and taking Air North from there. If you book them well in advance, you get a pretty good deal. From Whitehorse, you have a couple options:

1. Fly to Dawson with Air North. This is a quick, affordable, easy way to get here and is the least stressful option. We will arrange all airport pick-ups ourselves, you just have to get on that plane!

2. Drive. The drive from Whitehorse is five hours and is a really neat way to see a large portion of the Yukon. We are happy to pick people up in Whitehorse, or you could rent a car and take the drive on your own.

We are so grateful to anyone even considering making the long trek here, we want to make it clear that we will do everything and anything in our power to make it as easy as possible for you. To us this means airport pick-ups, hotel bookings, putting people up in various houses and cabins, loaning time and vehicles, basically anything at all.

Feel free to post questions on this blog and I will be happy to answer them.

Canoe come out and play?

Here's the thing, Dawson is far away. I know it, you know it, let's not pretend that getting here isn't a huge deal. Bearing these facts in mind, as well as the fact that some of our guests have never been to Canada's True North before, we are hatching a few plans to make the most of the time our "outside" guests have here.

First off the drawing board, a four day canoe trip down the Stewart River. My dad would like to organize a canoe trip for any interested guests, to take place either before or after the wedding. We need two types of people for this event:

1. Newbies- this is a great chance to see a beautiful section of the Yukon without having to do any organizing, planning, or spending. All of the equipment and expertise will be taken care of, you just need to get your butt into a life jacket and canoe and enjoy the ride.

2. Locals- we are going to need some people to help organize and guide this trip. Not that you need to be some river expert, we just need to ensure that each canoe has at least one person who has canoed a Yukon river before. We also might plan a trip for earlier in the season to scout out our camping spots.

We are still working out the details, and of course it depends on interest, but we are thinking maybe five canoes would be a workable number.

For anyone not aware, the Stewart River holds special significance for the Fraser family, as it was named after an ancestor of ours, James Stewart.

James Green Stewart, a classic example of the often-neglected second rank of the northern exploratory corps, made a noteworthy contribution to the opening of the far northwest. Although his part in northern exploration has been obscured by the more dynamic and public careers of his superior officers, most notably Robert Campbell, Stewart played a vital role in the Hudson’s Bay Company’s efforts to expand into the Yukon River valley.

- From Arctic Profiles by Richard Davis

We are hoping to have a few events over the time people are visiting, just to make sure that people get the most out of their Yukon experience. This might include a drive up the world famous Dempster Highway or a visit to the National Historic Site, Dredge #4, it all depends on what people want to see and do.

Get a ring on it.

Please be advised, the captain has turned off the "no turning back" sign, and we are now starting the final decent into marital bliss. That's right, Kyle and I have been engaged just over one year and we are getting down to business! The invitations have almost all been sent, just waiting on a few addresses. We are heading out east during the coldest darkest parts this winter and I hope to find a dress whilst in the fine cities of Halifax and Toronto.

Our plan is coming together, and our vision of a small ceremony followed by a massive party is beginning to come into focus. From where I am sitting, it looks like all is achievable and this wedding is going to go off like Mel Gibson on a visible minority. Of course, this confidence is one hundred percent the result of the enthusiasm and devotion of one Jayne Fraser and one Michael Fraser. Although Kyle and I are the betrothed, my parents have generously offered to host our wedding and if anyone knows how to throw a party, it's these cats.

Kyle and I will take our vows on the very spot where my mom and dad did 26 years ago this past August. Although present at this blessed event, I can hardly claim to recall much from my view as a one year old being handed around from one loving guest to the next. Family friends and photographic evidence assure me that it was a hell of a good time, and I believe them. Throughout the course of my life, this property has played host to birthday parties, solstice parties, epic football tournaments, backyard barbecues, pony rides and even one air show. My childhood yard holds a lifetime of good memories for me and my siblings, and I cannot think of a better place to be the backdrop for the beginning of my life with Kyle.