Good morning, Yukon, and happy Thanksgiving weekend.

Before we get to the turkey, let’s talk about keeping the oven on. This week’s graph follows a fuel bill that climbed from $227,000 to $45.6 million in 11 years. Behind that extraordinary increase is a familiar northern challenge: supplying dependable electricity when it’s dark, it’s cold and everyone needs it at once. We look at what changed and how fuel costs reach your household bill.

Elsewhere, we meet a fish whose romantic season begins when most of us would rather stay indoors, check in on Yukon talent in the NHL and find a few good reasons to leave the house. There’s theatre, live music and a stop at Winterlong, plus our regular look at the markets.

Pour yourself a coffee. There’s plenty happening up here.

Fuel spending by Yukon’s electrical utility rose approximately 20,000% over 11 years, from $227,000 in 2014 to $45.6 million in 2025.

On a bitter January evening, thousands of Yukoners arrive home, use their appliances, and ask a little more of their heating systems. Across the territory, electricity demand climbs.

The grid has to deliver anytime, all year. Whatever the temperature, water levels, or wind conditions, homes need heat and hospitals need power.

Meeting that demand has come with rapidly rising fuel costs.

In 2014, Yukon’s main electricity generator reported $227,000 in fuel costs. By 2024, that figure had reached $19.8 million. In 2025, it climbed to $45.6 million, more than doubling in a single year.

Spread across Yukon’s roughly 22,000 electricity customers, that works out to about $2,100 per customer in 2025. That isn’t what each customer pays, but it gives a sense of scale.

The 20,000% jump starts from an unusually small bill: hydro supplied 99.6% of the utility’s generation in 2014. By 2025, that percentage had fallen drastically, especially in winter months. Fuel spend measures growth in total fuel expenses, not the price of diesel or increases in household electricity bills.

Yukon’s main grid operates without a connection to the larger North American electricity system. When demand rises, we cannot simply import more power from a neighbouring province.

Winter also puts supply and demand under pressure at the same time. Heating needs climb while hydro’s available output is constrained by winter conditions and water availability. Solar contributes little during the darkest months, and wind output varies.

Diesel and liquefied natural gas generators provide power that can be called upon when those other sources cannot meet demand. They also help cover equipment outages. In a northern winter, that dependable supply is essential. Without diesel or liquefied natural gas generation, life in the North would not be possible in its current form.

Diesel has particular practical advantages in the North. It is an established technology, supported by experienced mechanics and an extensive network of replacement parts, making maintenance and repairs manageable at any time, even in our remote community. With suitable winter fuel, engine heaters and regular maintenance, diesel generators can provide dependable power through extreme cold. They need preparation and care, but their output does not depend on sunshine, wind or water levels.

Despite wind and solar projects, including the $29.8-million Haeckel Hill wind project, fuel costs continue to climb. Those additions may reduce fuel use, but they do not eliminate the need for generators when the system is short on power.

The next annual fuel bill will depend on two things: how much fuel is burned and what it costs.

If delivered diesel prices remain high, generating the same amount of electricity from diesel becomes more expensive. If that coincides with low water levels, equipment outages, or prolonged cold, the pressure compounds. Better water conditions or less need for diesel could offset some of that increase.

The $45.6-million figure includes both diesel and natural gas, so a change in diesel prices cannot simply be applied to the whole bill. We do not yet have the full-year 2026 result.

But households are already seeing a fuel-price adjustment.

On October 1, Rider F increased from 0.378 cents to 1.0 cent per kilowatt-hour. This adjustment accounts for differences between actual fuel prices and those allowed for in electricity rates. For a household using 1,000 kWh a month, the change adds $6.22 before government rebates.

Expanded winter rebates began the same day, covering 25% of electricity charges on the first 1,500 kWh each month through March. That helps with household bills, although it does not reduce the underlying cost of generating power.

As winter approaches, the question is how often the generators will need to run, and what each hour will cost. Yukon can have abundant renewable resources yet still be exposed to expensive fuel costs. On the coldest evenings, keeping the lights on takes priority. The fuel bill follows.

About the figures: The graph shows one generating utility’s reported fuel expense, not total spending by every electricity provider in Yukon. Amounts are nominal Canadian dollars. Generator rentals and other operating costs are reported separately.

Sources: Almanac of the Yukon analysis of public Yukon Energy annual reports, Government of Yukon, 2024–25 capital plan; October 1 fuel-rider and rebate announcement; and customer counts from the Yukon Utilities Board and utility website. Calculations by Almanac of the Yukon.

This Thanksgiving, our territory’s name will appear on dinner tables across the country, mashed, roasted and covered in gravy.

There is just one small geographical problem. The Yukon Gold potato was developed in Guelph, Ontario.

Its northern name came later. First, somebody had to convince Canadians that a potato could be yellow on purpose.

Plant breeder Gary Johnston saw an opportunity. European immigrants were familiar with yellow-fleshed potatoes and wanted varieties like those they remembered from home. Johnston’s research also took him to Peru, where potatoes came in a remarkable range of colours, shapes and flavours.

In 1966, he made the cross that produced Yukon Gold, drawing on yellow-fleshed South American ancestry. The potato we know today began taking shape 60 years ago.

Getting it from a breeding programme to Canadian dinner plates took considerably longer. It reached growers in 1981, about fifteen years after that original cross.

Along the way, it needed a name.

Johnston suggested Yukon, drawing on the river and the gold-rush country. In his account, colleague Charlie Bishop proposed adding “Gold.” The name suited the yellow flesh and borrowed a little of the Klondike’s promise: something valuable waiting to be dug out of the ground.

But Johnston understood that a good name would accomplish little if nobody saw it. Two Ontario growers printed YUKON GOLD prominently on their potato bags. Customers who liked what they cooked could return to the shop and ask for it again.

According to the University of Guelph, it became the first Canadian-bred potato variety promoted, packaged and marketed by name. An ordinary grocery staple had acquired an identity.

The potato itself helped. Its moist texture and golden interior gave it an almost buttered appearance before anything was added. That did not make butter unnecessary, whatever enthusiastic marketing might suggest. Thanksgiving cooks remain free to exercise their judgment.

The result was an unlikely piece of northern fame. A potato developed in Ontario, with ancestry reaching into South America, carried Yukon’s name into kitchens far beyond the territory.

So if Yukon Golds are on your table this weekend, we cannot take credit for breeding them.

We did, however, supply a very good name.

Sources: University of Guelph, Yukon Gold’s development and marketing history; Ontario Agricultural College, Gary Johnston’s life and research; and Idaho Potato Commission, Johnston’s account of the Yukon Gold name.

The Yukon Gold potato borrowed our name. Hinterland Flour Mill brings actual Yukon-grown grain to the kitchen.

The Amiot family began with cattle and pigs at Yukon Valley Farm, then shifted towards growing livestock feed. After years of learning which grains thrived here, they started milling flour for their own bread and pancakes. That kitchen experiment grew into Hinterland.

Today, its range includes wheat, barley and oat flours, along with mixes for biscuits, bannock, pancakes and baking. For Thanksgiving, the Barley Biscuit & Bannock Mix could put something local beside the turkey. The Yukon Icebox barley shortbread mix offers another reason to leave room for dessert.

You can browse and order online, with pickup options at Yukon Built and Takhini Gas. Wait for confirmation that your order is ready before heading over.

Explore Hinterland’s products · Read the family’s story.

The Whitehorse kid is officially on the NHL scoresheet.

Gavin McKenna scored and added an assist in Toronto’s 5–4 overtime win over Nashville on October 6, reaching the milestone in his fourth NHL game.

For the Whitehorse-born forward, it is another first in a career already full of them. For Yukon hockey fans, it is a very good reason to keep an eye on the Leafs.

Source: McKenna’s first goal in Toronto’s overtime win.

Visitors come for the mountains, wildlife and northern lights. What they spend along the way helps support the people who live here year-round.

According to the government’s October 5 economic update, visitor spending through August was nearly 21% higher than during the same period in 2025. That is roughly $121 spent for every $100 a year earlier.

For businesses serving travellers, from cafés and accommodation providers to guides and local shops, that is an encouraging result heading into winter.

The figure measures dollars spent, so it does not mean Yukon welcomed 21% more visitors. Higher prices and changes in how much each traveller spends can also contribute. Still, more visitor dollars flowing into the territory is something worth celebrating.

Source: Government of Yukon, October 5 economic update.

Local artist Ernest Chua’s work is appearing somewhere new: on a Winterlong beer can.

The brewery’s Without Saying West Coast Pilsner features his artwork through a collaboration with TOZ Studio. Alongside a licensing payment, $2 from every four-pack sold goes to the artist.

The release takes place at Winterlong on Friday, October 16, from 5 to 7 p.m., with artwork and complimentary tastings.

It is a small example of local businesses and artists helping one another reach new audiences. In this case, the gallery happens to fit in a fridge.

Source: Winterlong’s artist collaboration announcement.

Two Yukon-born players, one running tally.

2026–27 regular season, through games completed October 8. Source: NHL player statistics.

October 14–17 · 7 p.m.
Guild Hall, 27 Fourteenth Avenue, Whitehorse

The devil arrives with an offer: your soul in exchange for what you want most. A woman already treated as a witch proves a more difficult customer than expected.

Dark comedy, temptation and questionable bargains make this a suitably October evening at the Guild. Mature themes.

Witch performance details and ticket booking · See booking page for prices.

The Hobbit · October 15–18
Yukon Arts Centre, Whitehorse
Adults $30 · Youth and seniors $25

Dragons, dwarves and a reluctant adventurer are coming to the stage. Puppetry and music help bring Bilbo’s journey to life, with a Saturday matinee offering an alternative to a late family night.

Recommended for ages seven and older. The production runs approximately two hours and twenty minutes, including an intermission. The Saturday, October 17 matinee begins at 2 p.m.

The Hobbit showtimes and tickets

Friday, October 16 · 9:30 p.m.
The Boiler Room, 4220 Fourth Avenue, Whitehorse
$32, including fees

You may know Mark Forward as Coach from Letterkenny. This time, he is bringing stand-up, with Mike Lynch opening.

The late Friday performance had tickets available when checked. Earlier performances were selling out, so this is one to book before negotiating who gets the car.

Mark Forward and Mike Lynch tickets

Saturday, October 17 · Doors 7:30 p.m.; show 8 p.m.
Dënäkär Zho / KIAC Ballroom, 902 Second Avenue, Dawson City

Jason and Nadia Burnstick combine vocal harmonies and lap-slide guitar for an intimate folk performance.

An evening of live music in the ballroom sounds like a reasonable answer to the shortening days.

Burnstick concert information and booking · Check the ticket listing for admission prices.

Scott Ward · Tuesday, November 10 · 7 p.m.
Yukon Arts Centre

Comedy hypnosis and audience participation make this a night where the entertainment may end up sitting beside you. Check the booking page for prices.

Scott Ward’s Whitehorse show and tickets

The Comic Strippers · November 20–21 · 7:30 p.m.
Yukon Arts Centre · $49 plus fees · Ages 19+

An improvised comedy show about a fictional male stripper troupe. Expect ridiculous dancing, audience suggestions and considerably more comedy than coordination. No actual nudity.

The Comic Strippers ticket booking

Klondike: The Musical · December 3–13
Guild Hall, Whitehorse

Calvin Laveck and Kevin McLachlan’s musical follows a father and son into the gold rush, with folk and ragtime music carrying the story. Familiar northern names, big ambitions and the upheaval of the Klondike take the stage.

Evening performances begin at 7 p.m., with a 2 p.m. closing matinee on December 13. Check the production page for performance dates and ticket prices.

Klondike: The Musical details and booking

Most companies on our board have pulled back over the past month. The longer view looks different: Banyan remains roughly double its year-end price, while Gladiator and White Gold also retain substantial gains.

Commodity prices are in U.S. dollars. The Canadian-dollar row shows what C$1 buys in U.S. dollars.

October 9 observations except ¹copper, October 8, and ²oil, October 6. Gold, silver and currency observations are provisional. Commodity figures use spot or cash prices, rather than futures.

Sources: Gold, silver, copper, WTI oil, S&P/TSX, S&P 500 and Canadian dollar.

Prices are in Canadian dollars, except Hecla.

Canadian share quotes are provisional October 9 observations, except ¹Yukon Metals, which uses October 8. Hecla uses the reported October 9 close. Company names link to their price histories.

Sometimes the interesting ground is the space between discoveries.

On October 6, Banyan reported a drill interval averaging 1.88 grams of gold per tonne over 17.9 metres between the Airstrip and Powerline deposits at its AurMac project. It sits within a broader 36.1-metre interval averaging 1.01 grams per tonne.

The company says the results point to higher-grade mineralization near the surface in a largely undrilled gap. Further drilling will help establish how much is there and how it might fit into a future mine plan.

Banyan is targeting its first preliminary economic assessment for the fourth quarter of 2026. That study should bring the discussion closer to the question behind every discovery: could this become an economically viable mine?

Source: Banyan Gold’s October 6 drilling announcement. Intervals are drilled lengths; the company estimates true widths at approximately 90% of those lengths.

About the market figures: Changes compare the latest observations with the corresponding week, month and year-end 2025 reference points, using preceding available observations where necessary. These are price changes, excluding dividends, distributions, fees and currency conversion. Different reporting dates and quote feeds mean the rows are not a perfectly simultaneous snapshot. Gold and silver YTD calculations use Sprott’s year-end spot valuations. Figures are rounded.

That’s it for this week.

There’s a lot to appreciate about this place, from the people keeping the power flowing to the artists, athletes and small businesses giving us something to cheer for. Thanksgiving seems like a good time to notice them.

I hope your weekend includes a good meal, good company and a little time outside before the dishes call you back.

If something in this edition surprised you, send it to a friend. And if there’s a Yukon story, local find or upcoming event you think deserves a spot here, hit reply. I’d love to hear about it.

Thanks for reading,

Michael