Yukon 2009 Vacation Planner - (Page 19) WAT S o N L A K E our community Watson Lake Located just inside the Yukon border, this regional and transportation centre is the Yukon’s third largest community. What began as a fish camp and small airstrip at Watson Lake boomed during the construction of the Alaska Highway. Today, the town still hums with highway activity as thousands of travellers visit Watson Lake on their Northern road trips. Population: 1,544 local attractions Watson Lake visitor information Centre & Sign Post Forest With over 68,000 signs and counting, Watson Lake’s Sign Post Forest grows by thousands of signs each year. Inside the adjacent Visitor Information Centre, visitors find helpful staff and an excellent interpretive display about the construction of the Alaska Highway. Ask for a Watson Lake Walking Tour brochure. Km 980, junction of Alaska and Campbell highways www.travelyukon.com Northern Lights Centre Watson Lake is home to the Yukon’s only visitor facility dedicated to the science and folklore of the aurora borealis. A multimedia show, Yukon Northern Lights, is shown six times daily throughout the summer. It features northern lights filmed in southeastern Yukon, with a surround-sound musical score, to explore age-old mysteries of the northern lights. www.northernlightscentre.ca Watson Lake recreation Centre This impressive facility offers squash courts, bowling, saunas, showers, fitness equipment, meeting rooms and a large community hall available for public bookings. The drop-in youth centre has ping-pong, pool, air hockey and videos. Don’t miss the seasonal swimming pool next door. Public Internet access is available for a charge at the nearby public library. (867) 536-8020 Historic Airport Terminal Aviation enthusiasts must check out the British Columbia-Yukon Air Service hangar and tower at the Watson Lake Airport. This is the only Yukon hangar that still stands as a reminder of the days of the great Northwest Staging Route program in the 1940s. The terminal building is a historic log structure scenically located next to the lake at the airport. A permanent display has been developed that depicts the rich aviation history. Drive 10 minutes north on the Campbell Highway and watch for the airport sign on your left. Sign Post Forest, Watson Lake – YG photo travelyukon.com 19 http://www.travelyukon.com http://www.northernlightscentre.ca http://www.travelyukon.com
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.