IntroductionWhitehorse gets its name from the nearby rapids of the Yukon River because of the way the foamy water resembles the mane of a blond horse. These same rapids are also the reason why the city of Whitehorse was founded just over a century ago. The Downtown and Riverdale subdivisions are located in a valley, which provides an additional level of comfort against the extreme temperatures that occur in the area (Pinard, Jean-Paul, 2007). Whitehorse is the capital of Yukon. With 26,418 residents (© Government of Yukon 2011), far more than any other community in Yukon, the town supports the majority of the territory's economy. One of the most striking cultural and technological elements of the city is the hydroelectric dam. The dam was built in 1958 and allowed the city to grow much faster. The dam also happens to be the burial site of the reason the area was settled and eventually founded as a town: the Whitehorse Rapids.HistoryIn 1897, the Klondike Gold Rush had just begun and a group of Budding prospectors from the West Coast were heading their way. north to the gold fields near Dawson City. The most popular method of getting to the goldfields was to take one of two trails, primarily through the coastal mountains. Once completed, the next step was to use a raft to travel down the Yukon River and eventually get to Dawson City. The infamous Whitehorse Rapids and Miles Canyon made this part of the trip much more difficult. Hundreds of people died along this stretch of the river (Winslow 1952, p. 132), until a tramway was built in 1898 to transport prospectors along the dangerous waters to the base of the rapids where the Riverdale subdivision resides today (Berton 2001, p. ...... middle of paper ...... November 10, 2011). Yukon Bureau of Statistics. Government of Yukon. Retrieved November 11, 2011 from http://www.eco.gov.yk.ca/stats/Lundberg, M. (November 21, 2011). The History of Whitehorse, Yukon Territory. Explore the North. Accessed November 17, 2011 at http://www.explorenorth.com/yukon/whitehorse-history.htmlPinard, Jean-Paul (January 23, 2007). “Wind climate of the Whitehorse region”. ARCTIC 60 (3): 227-237. The United States and Canada: elements of wartime collaboration. (2003, January 2). US Army Center for Military History. Retrieved November 24, 2011, from http://www.history.army.mil/books/wwii/Framework/ch15.htmWebber, B. (September 2004). Land Claims Agreements: A Summary. Kwanlin Dün First Nations. Retrieved November 24, 2011 from http://www.kwanlindun.com/Winslow, Kathryn (1952). Big Pan-Out: The Klondike Story. Phoenix House Ltd. 465425340