Yukon Heritage Day for the year 2024 is celebrated/observed on Friday, February 24th. There are until the next observance.
On the Friday before the final Sunday in February, Yukon Heritage Day puts the history and culture of Canada’s smallest territory at the forefront of public attention. Schools and Yukon government offices close, but company owners can give their employees time off.
๐ When is Yukon Heritage Day?
This year, Yukon Heritage Day is on February 24th. It is the 4th Friday in February; in 2024, it is on Saturday.
โ Did you know: Because the Canadian government required every new prospector to bring a year’s worth of food to avoid famine, the average prospector’s equipment weighed about a ton and had to be moved in stages.
You can also see all cool things you didn’t know about and facts about February 24, 2023.
๐ History of Yukon Heritage Day
The capital, Whitehorse, hosts the Sourdough Rendezvous. Because the festival occurs in February and Yukon is located directly east of Alaska, it is rather chilly! However, Yukon locals persevere in order to be a part of the massive event. The Rendezvous celebrates its 55th anniversary in 2020. It is sponsored by several large Canadian corporations and grows in scope and attendance year after year.
Even those who are unable to travel to Whitehorse may have a day off to reflect on their culture and history, the highlight of which being the Klondike Gold Rush of the late 1800s, which saw around 100,000 gold prospectors converge on that region of Yukon. We’re not sure if there’s still “gold in them thar hills,” but we can tell you that today is a very special day.
โ๏ธ Yukon Heritage Day facts
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Not a second to turn around
Some of the “boom towns” that attracted thousands of gold-seekers had population increases of up to 6,000 percent.
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“Who are these tourists?”
The region’s native Hรคn people, who either didn’t know or didn’t care about the gold mining in their nomadic grounds, were mistreated and put on reservations.
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“Eureka!”
American prospector George Carmack and his brother-in-law Skookum Jim made the first known finding of gold on the banks of Rabbit Creek, a tributary of the Klondike River.
โจ Things to do on Yukon Heritage Day
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๐ Yukon Heritage Day Observances
YEAR | DATE | DAY |
2024 | February 24 | Saturday |
2025 | February 24 | Monday |
2026 | February 24 | Tuesday |
2027 | February 24 | Wednesday |
2028 | February 24 | Thursday |
See all February holidays, including Fun and other Canadian holidays.
We will continue to update this page with new information and cool facts about Yukon Heritage Day. So be sure to check back soon.