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Is this some kind of really, really hilarious joke?
No, this is an attempt by DawsonCity.ca to fund a brand new gold rush, in hopes it will drive many of you up to our beautiful territory—pan-in-hand. But maybe, just maybe, you'll discover a love for this extraordinary land instead. Also the gold thing.
So, how much gold are you looking for?
A cool $100K would be pretty great. We figure that can buy us enough Klondike gold to make a real splash.
What will you do with all that gold?
Didn't you get that splash joke? We're going to invest (put) it into Yukon creeks with public access panning. The claim(s) in question will be made clear ahead of time, so don’t go jumping claim to claim willy-nilly.
Why can’t I just jump from claim to claim willy-nilly?
Because both Willy and Nilly panned where they weren’t allowed and now they’ve gone missing. We know this answer got a bit dark but that’s because claim jumping in the Yukon is no joke, so don't do it.
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The discovery of gold by Skookum Jim and Tagish (Dawson) Charlie of the Tagish First Nations, along with Kate and George Carmack, kicked off the Klondike Goldrush in 1996. Wait no, that’s the year Jerry Maguire came out. 1896! It was 1896.
Chief Isaac was a visionary First Nations leader of the Tr'ondëk Hwëch'in (Hän) people who lived in the Dawson City area of the Yukon for thousands of years before the Gold Rush. Chief Isaac helped preserve his people’s culture and language through the turbulent times of the Klondike Gold Rush and served as the bridge between two cultures.
Around 100,000 people made the arduous journey up to the Yukon during the first gold rush. Let’s just say lodges got really good use of their “No Vacancy” signs.
The Klondike Gold Rush was a time when two cultures came together, and the Yukon has since been a land where indigenous and mining communities co-exist together.
The Klondike Gold Rush has had a few other names over the years. The least correct one, in our opinion, is “The Last Gold Rush.”
Charlie Chaplin starred in a silent movie about the Klondike Gold Rush in 1925. It was good but ours will have sound.
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Why are you doing this?
Because why should guys like Napoleon Bonaparte be the only ones to go down in history as rich and famous? Just because he wrote a little-known romantic novel in addition to being a revolutionary and emperor? Just because Napoleon Bonaparte had a sensitive side that he wasn’t afraid to show in front of his men and because he wasn’t nearly as short as everyone says? We’re doing this because we think you can be greater than Napoleon Bonaparte and have an authentic Yukon experience while you’re at it.
When are you doing this?
The gold will be dropped and/or plopped into the creeks of the Yukon on August 20th. Don't take your sweet time getting up here. We'd hate to see you showing up late and missing all the golden goodies at the panning party. Yes, that's a real kind of party.
My million-dollar cheque from Nigeria is still in the mail. What can I do if I'm broke?
Well, gold doesn’t just end up in rivers all by itself. Or, at least, not gobs of it. So you’ll need that “cheque” to get involved. But until it definitely arrives, you can defeat the evil FOMO by sharing this with your friends, and by telling them to share with their friends, and so on, and so on for infinity.
Who stands to benefit from this?
We ALL do. You get the chance to see Dawson City and potentially strike gold (click here for even more nuggets about Dawson City). And we get to relive history with far better forms of transportation and cleaner clothing. Feel free to wear a floppy prospector hat, though, or even a Napoleon Bonaparte-style hat.
Are you obsessed with Napoleon Bonaparte or something? He’s got nothing to do with the Gold Rush.
First of all, obsessed is a really strong word and, if your point is that we should stay on topic, that’s totally fair. So let’s drop it like Napoleon dropped a coup d’état on the French government in 1799.
I don’t know how to pan for gold. Can I still participate?
Totally! In fact, there are many places to learn how to pan for gold in the Yukon. But if that’s not really your thing try this: Fill up your mom’s best china bowl with rocks and swirl it vigorously clockwise. That’s nothing like gold panning. Apologize to your mother.
If I do find gold, what should I do with it?
That’s up to you, but please don’t send it to one of those gold-for-cash places. They once rejected our entire coin collection just because “they had chocolates inside them.”
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