The city of Whitehorse was not named after a horse, but after the difficult stretch of rapids Klondike Goldrushers encountered here when floating down the Yukon River towards Dawson City, some 500 miles away. The foaming waves reminded someone of a group of bucking white horses. Many prospectors died when their homemade boats and rafts were destroyed in the Whitehorse rapids.
It had been 20 years since my last visit to the city and I was surprised to see how much Whitehorse had grown during that time. Lots of new shops and restaurants around, and a boom of condominium growth especially along the Yukon River. The city has also invested in public art, one piece being the focus of today’s post.
Erected near the public safety building on Two-Mile hill is a horse crafted by Yukon artist Daphne Mennel. You’ll see it as you drive into the city from the airport. The piece is made of what appears to be scrap metal, which it is, but the community prides itself that all of the horse’s components were donated by Yukon residents. For example, the magnificent tail is made from electrical cable donated by Yukon Electric , with many other interesting building blocks ranging from a frying pan, an anvil, a radiater, garden utensils and more.
The horse statue has a great view of the city and surrounding hills. To me it symbolizes the spirit of the people of the Yukon.
