Whitehorse, Canada's wilderness walking trail city
Just want to walk? LOOP WALKING TRAILS, 100+ walks, 100s kms of trails to tempt locals and tourists.
WhitehorseWalks works to make walking more attractive, more intriguing, to get more people out on the trails. The Hepburn Tramway is a recent whitehorseWalks project (Small addendum page).
Yukon Walking Strategy looks at walking for recreation, health, tourism, education.... and Ideas to improve walking is a list of opportunities for better walking here, and walking ideas for active elders
Third & Hawkins, a 6-story, 20-suite, green condo
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October 30, 2019. A walker's delight... Third & Hawkins presents a new choice in downtown condo living. I've been working with a few others to build this project in the walkable, residential, south end of downtown. Design by Northern Front Studiom construction by NGC. Photo from alongside the river on the Riverdale side of the bridge.
Very energy efficient, bright, spacious, great views — we can't wait to move in. Insulation, siding going on outside! What really thrills us is that this is an easy 10 minutes walk from our front door. This map shows a 5-minute walkshed centered at Third & Hawkins.
Units still available. Descriptions of unsold units
Blog
January 11, 2020. Walking — A Pedestrian Pursuit CBC's Michael Enright
January 6, 2020. Watching the fireworks on New Year's Eve made me want a walk along the ridge opposite the waterfront. I called it Views over downtown. It's another in the Elderactive set of walks and part of my hospital trail plan.
January 5, 2020. Changes in downtown entertainment map: new Gather Café and Tap house at Lumel Studios; The Poor Creature closed; The Coffee Shop moved into Hamilton and Son Guitar Works.
December 24, 2019. Walking helped me discover the slow unfurling joy of reading books aloud
December 16, 2018. And coming very soon is The Railway Lounge at the new Raven Inn! Lots of walking needed to get to all these places, that's for sure!
December 13, 2018. Always new people with new passions. Welcome to The Coffee Shop!
December 10, 2019. How media coverage of car crashes downplays the role of drivers. How do some of our local media report?
vehicles travelling very fast; a person is struck by a vehicle; pedestrian was fatally hit by a truck; truck hit and killed him; man is dead after being struck by a pick-up truck; southbound truck failed to stop and struck him; Merle Gorgichuk died after being struck by a pickup truck; man is dead after being hit by a pickup truck; driver and passenger in the pickup were not injured; Police and the coroner say a man died after being hit by a pickup truck; he was struck by a vehicle that failed to stop; a man was crossing the street near Tim Hortons when he was hit by a southbound car; van struck two people; a number of vehicles travelling very fast along there
We know that these vehicles are driven by people. It appears that the road is seen to be owned by one group of people who have a goal of getting somewhere as smoothly and quickly as possible. We have a Second Avenue background study being almost 95% complete. Was it from the point of view of said vehicles, or from the point of view of all street users? We'll see
Researchers design headphones that warn pedestrians of dangers
November 24, 2019. It seems to me that walking needs to be doable at all times of the year. The City should clear and sand the Millennium, Lower Escarpment and Waterfront trails. Either enforce sidewalk clearing and sanding or accept that this is a City duty. We are a winter city. Let's have some action on this!!
November 22, 2019. More than 80% of adolescents not active enough, warns WHO, Sedentary lifestyles focused on screens are jeopardising health, says World Health Organization. "Adolescents are recommended to do an hour’s moderate to vigorous physical activity a day, including walking or cycling to school and playing games."
A map looking at walking, the city's Bicyle Network Plan and highways not including an underpass under the coming highway upgrade. This seems to put the government's strategy for climate change in question. Highways doesn't see health, community development, less focus on cars as part of things I'm thinking.
November 18, 2019. 17-mile hike to unite San Fancisco A motley alliance decided a single trail could unite this divided city. SF Crosstown Trail neat. How's our Yukon River Trail coming?
November 15, 2019. Downtown observations from a walker
November 10, 2019. New loop : Long Lake-Fat Tire, a 10.1 loop with hills, views, forest.
November 9, 2019. Want a more active lifestyle, to drive less and walk more? Check out these walkable downtown destinations!
November 6, 2019. Here's what happens when cancer patients are prescribed exercise
October31, 2019 So how many kids did you get tonight? We're at 8!
October 30, 2019. Why Walk? 100 reasons
October 29, 2019. “A livable city is a city where people live because they want to, not because they have to,”Maria Vassilakou, Vienna’s former deputy mayor.
October 23, 2019. We feel what we hear: The impact of sound on our well-being The takeaway...get some time in nature!
October 19, 2018. Urban density done right now to find a good article on winter cities and walking!
October 3, 2019. Collision course: why are cars killing more and more pedestrians? "factors such as the design and condition of the road, the quality (or absence) of a marked pedestrian crossing, the speed limit, the local lighting, the weight and height of the car involved."
September 30, 2019. "Cities are primarily for living, and that transportation needs to complement rather than displace that life." What Does This Street In Zürich Mean?
September 24, 2019. Bicycle path winter maintenance in Oulu, Finland
and
September 23, 2019. Walking, friendship and tiramisu: Genoa’s centenarians share secrets of longevity Walking — no warranty for long life, but you do get an entertaining activity!!
Interesting article on our Hillcrest page about public consultation. Most public engagement is worse than worthless
September 11, 2019. Thought I’d see what was new before I waded in on the culvert. Step 1 is to read the Pedestrian System Connectivity Guide. Step 2 is to find the summary doc from the closed Alaska Highway Engagement Survey. Step 3 is to read up on the roundabouts (like why can Europe do them so easily and not Whitehorse) https://letstalkhillcrest.ca/highway-upgrades
September 4, 2019. The five-minute walk
We need a pedestrian culvert at north end of airport to cross Alaska Highway Dan Bader found this neat underpass
August 15, 2019. Technology at work Versatile, portable exosuit assists with both walking and running
August 6, 2019. San Francisco Legalizes Itself Parking. What's the story around downtown parking?
CityLab University: Induced Demand When traffic-clogged highways are expanded, new drivers quickly materialize to fill them. What gives? Here’s how “induced demand” works. (Alaska Highway?)
July 28, 2019. Walking neighbourhoods A walking neighbourhood is a safe and welcoming place to be a pedestrian. Residents have easy access to streets with plantings and a variety of green spaces - from community gardens and allotments, to pocket parks and city farms. Networks of green walking routes connect people from their doorsteps to the places they want to go. UK-based Rambler's initiative but unless we see neighbourhoods as walley villages that don't want stranger in their woods.....
‘It’s a superpower’: how walking makes us healthier, happier and brainier
July 22, 2019. Slamming a fist into that 'please-let-me-cross' button again
July 16. More on city growth: The City of Whitehorse is currently in Phase 2 of an OCP review which is called “Explore New Concepts”. It takes some of the big ideas collected from the public in Phase 1 and exploring them in more detail. A major part of Phase 2 is the OCP Ideas Workbook at www.whitehorse.ca/ocp. It contains over 20 questions on a number of big topics, including transportation and recreation; return by August 4.
July 14, 2019. Walkers are middle aged, hikers are cool. No longer just an activity for older people with sticks, rambling in the countryside is catching on with a new generation
July 9, 2019. One place to stay in the know on the Highway project, and to give feedback is Highway's project site https://letstalkhillcrest.ca
This would be us: The resulting densities are also too low to sustain high-frequency public transit. Line from an interesting article. Talks about how 'mundane road regulations embed automobile supremacy into federal, state, and local law'. Good article as we talk about updating the OCP, updating the perennial downtown parking plan and twin the Alaska Highway.
July 3, 2019. Top 10 books about walking in Britain
Before the late 18th century most people walked only because they had to, or if they were on pilgrimage. Walking was the preserve of the horseless poor.
June 28, 2019. June 30, 2019 is the 3rd Reckless Raven. Here's a peek at the route! Sunday we'll do our 3rd annual Cheer on the Ravens Hike.
June 25, 2019. Pedestrian safety: SF's plan to increase crossing times between signals
June 21, 2019.If you go out in the woods today, you'll surely walk into catepillers dangling on thin threads. Go've gotten face fulls! This page needs a key to the booklets but none the less, the info's here.
June 4, 2019. 225 miles and 100 parks: one woman's epic hike around New York City why walking in our cities is important for our well-being
May 13, 2019. City with a female face: how modern Vienna was shaped by women “if you want to do something for women, do something for pedestrians”.
April 18, 2019. An update to my input to YESAB for the Range Road extension.
April 14, 2019. I heard by the proverbial grapevine that there was federal funding looking for shovel-ready trail projects. I thought I'd respond with some things I see as we walk around Whitehorse. I called it Shovel-ready, a selection of trail ideas from a walking point of view. Stuff for walkers, runners, and bicyclists as we share the same trails! Feel free to suggest other things.
if you have access to a colour tabloid, double-sided printer (flip on short edge) you can use this pdf to print a booklet version:
April 14, 2019. The healing power of being in nature — go for a walk!
Bored with your walks? No time to walk? Think lunch hour or after supper, a walk with a friend, kids, or if hosting guests and want to dazzle them! Here's some 1-3-km loop walks around town that are easily accessible, with some parking, and provide a treat: a pond, a spot by a river, a cliff, a view, an unusual hike, or maybe a nice neighbourhood walk...?
March 7, 2019. Range Road extension and walking. My YESAB submission.
March 4, 2019. Teen helped off clay cliffs A teenager rescued from the clay cliffs Sunday was not injured, the Whitehorse Fire Department said this morning. This is the area the downtown south area development scheme says needs a staircase.
February 20, 2019. Short Loop Walks The healing power of being in nature — go for a walk! Bored with your walks? No time to walk? Think lunch hour or after supper, a walk with a friend, kids, or if hosting guests and want to dazzle them! Here's some 1-3-km loop walks around town that are easily accessible, with some parking, and provide a treat: a pond, a spot by a river, a cliff, a view, an unusual hike, or maybe a nice neighbourhood walk...?
February 2, 2019. Watch this York student struggle to get to class in a wheelchair due to uncleared snow
January 21, 2019. Worst walk on my commute is city-owned. A winter city doesn't have to be this painful
January 7, 2019. there's some senior-focussed events on the walking ideas for active elders pageJanuary 5, 2019. A senior’s resolution: No more falling down in 2019
January 2, 2019. A stark illustration of how much light pollution obscures the stars
Next OCP is in process. This one will be for 20 years!!! So it's a good time to think about your ideas on community values. How can we up the ante on walkability? Are there things we can do to make a more vibrant downtown?
December 13, 2018. Barrier breakers The fight to make the outdoors a more inclusive space
December 6, 2018. ‘Home is a state of mind. You don’t need walls’
December 3, 2018. Watch your step! Falls are sending more Canadians to the hospital than ever before
- There were 653,808 ED visits reported for injury after unintentional falls in Canada, accounting for 32% of all reported ED visits for injury and trauma.
November 19. 2018. Pedestrian & Bike Underpass of Alaska Highway?
- The recent paved trail along the airport unfortunately focused a pedestrian crossing need at Burns Road. Realistically speaking, neither the airport nor Spook Creek Gulch will change locations so the crossing to downtown makes most sense where Forest points out.
- This fits nicely with Concept A of the 2012 Tank Farm workshop the owners of the Tank Farm held with residents. It seems fitting that the most historical group of local walkers, local First Nation people, many of whom live in the McIntyre subdivision, would benefit hugely from this location.
- For walkers coming from downtown to the CGC this location is also well situated.
- Looking at the Tank Farm plans and green space available outside the Tank Farm, for Hillcrest residents, accessing this underpass from the west side of the highway makes so much more sense than the Burns Road/Roundell/Hillcrest Drive options.
- This underpass should not be confused with the desperate need for traffic lights along the highway in Hillcrest.
November 17, 2018. Attention Whitehorse: shovel your sidewalks YES!!
November 14, 2018. Can local walking groups help solve urban issues? Dutch cities are using wijkwandelingen, or neighbourhoods walks, as a hyperlocal way of improving cities, from fixing signs to adding playgrounds
October 24, 2018. Elections are over. What does this mean to walking? Young couples 'trapped in car dependency'
The city that gives you free beer for cycling This is how the Italian city of Bologna is getting people to leave their cars behind.
October 22, 2018. CMBC has been at work in the WCCSC trail area to make winter use of the city trails safer and more acessible. The area around Rocky Canyon, Collective, Lichen it and Birch is undergoing some work. Thanks all! I've made a new loop-in-progress that takes advantage of new trail abilities. It isn't entirely usable, yet, for winter use as it goes on ski trails in a few spots, but it works until snow flies! Its working name is WK+PJL's Choice, 12 km. (Right: Blue Moon on Collective bridge doing this loop yesterday.)
October 16, 2018. Middle McIntyre Brown, 4.0 km updated with a 1.1 km option
October 14, 2019. Fun read on Paul's thinking behind some of our local trails: GNAR WALL story of a build 2016-2018.
Hear more about trail ideas as CMBC has a trail planning session: Monday, October 29, 2018, 6:00 to 8:30 pm, Grey Mountain Primary School Library
October 9, 2018. In the Kingdom of the Bears The human-bear bond is ancient, but across the northern hemisphere, only a few societies remember the art of neighboring bears
October 1, 2018. The parks where kids (and their parents) walk and read at the same time
September 22, 2018. What would a truly walkable city look like? if we fail to accommodate those on foot, we ignore an essential part of what makes a city great
The UK walking charity Living Streets says ... cities with ambitions for pedestrians should appoint a walking champion, alongside tougher moves to tackle air pollution and reduce motor traffic volumes...
It's an election year, and a current study is a parking study.... Hmmm! Ask your candidates what their vision is for walking. More parking lots, bigger roads so people can drive downtown quicker?
September 17, 2018. It’s fascinating, the things you see when you’re out on foot
September 10, 2018. Exploring Spook Creek in Whitehorse, Yukon
August 31, 2018. 'I feel safer on a trail than at the store': hiking is my escape from sexual harassment After a terrifying experience with stalking, I resent that I’m safer backpacking in the woods than I am in the place I live
August 26, 2018. Always a thing to be aware of.... bear encounters, by wildwise Yukon
August 23, 2018. Urban walking isn’t just good for the soul. It could save humanity. I’m exaggerating, but only slightly. Understanding how cities are put together is vital, given more than half of us live in them
July 31, 2018. 'Bad things happen in the woods': the anxiety of hiking while black
July 30, 2018. Walking in Whitehorse (2018): playgrounds, public right-of-ways, trails+names, viewpoints, motorized trails...
Best foot forward: the world's most striking pedestrian bridges
July 27, 2018. Here's some wheelchair/walker/stroller-style places to go. I'll work more on this but here's a start.
July 17, 2018. Residents in tourism hotspots have had enough. So what's the answer? Tourism brings money and jobs to cities – but can also damage residents’ day-to-day lives, culture and heritage. Here are some solutions...
July 3, 2018. People not getting enough exercise from long walks Strengthening and balance activities are vital for future wellbeing, says Public Health England
July 1, 2018. Happy Reckless Raven day! We did our Cheer on the Ravens Hike. The Ravens ran the big loop!
June 23, 2018. What the happiest places have in common Citizens’ wellbeing is often the result of careful planning—not serendipity.
June 18, 2018. We designed Canada's cities for cars, not people – and the people are dying. Toronto’s latest toll of cyclists and pedestrian deaths is hardly unique – cities all bought the myth that cars give us freedom
June 8, 2018. A simple trick to help you identify any insect. This knowledge will help you figure out the bug's order — which is a major clue to determining its species
June 4, 2018. Foreign tourists to pay double to use New Zealand's great walks
March 30, 2018. Here's my submission to the City Trail Development Policy process
Draft: Yellow Green BoogaLOOP, 4.6 which our ElderActive group hiked on Tuesday and quite liked.
March 27, 2018. What counts as 'real' city planning? The traditional canon of urban planning excludes people and practices that could greatly benefit it—and society. That needs to change. "It is time to recognize that our shared identity as planners is based on privileging the contributions of certain individuals and groups over others."
March 25, 2018. Meet the man living with Alzheimer’s who climbs the same mountain every day
March 15, 2018. Here's my submission to the Parks and Recreation Master Plan process.
March 14, 2015. Beyond shared-use trails
- Presents a suggested process for planning, design, and construction of mountain bike–specific trails
- The distinctions between shared use trails and those designed specifically for mountain biking access are explored.
March 9, 2018. draft new loop: Lower BugaLOOP, 6.1 km
February 28, 2018. Liberals' gender-based budget moving on equality in sports A 2016 study by the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport found 41 per cent of girls aged three to 17 do not participate in sport — and 84 per cent of adult women don't either. Yes, but they walk, and walking isn't consider a sport (non-competetive). So gender-based support would include things like making trails more attractive for walking groups, especially seniors: switchbacks, trail repair, high-quality trail markings...
February 26, 2017. Here's a short loop with variety: Yellow Brick Road-El Camino-My Trail.
January 16, 2018. Walking Portugal's coastal Rota Vicentina trail (Porto Covo to Cape St.Vincent). Nine Days/165 kms. Whitehorse Public Library downstairs meeting room,
Tues. Jan. 23, 2018, 7:15 p.m. Free.
More: www.activetwa.org and at www.rotavicentina.com
January 11. Yukoners invited to help the Government of Yukon and the City of Whitehorse improve public engagement ...what we can do to better engage with the public and help us to become more accountable, transparent and responsive.
January 6, 2018. How to survive a fall through the ice
January 5, 2018. How ‘Not in my backyard’ became ‘Not in my neighborhood’ The expectation that homeowners should be able to reach beyond their property lines has become deeply embedded.
When we travel I really like to walk well designed paths done in rock. So Johnny Clasper carefully places stones to create amazing works of art is a great look at rock and design.
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