Mike Swasey, KHNS - Haines
New COVID surge hits Skagway the week before this year’s first cruise ship visit
“What I have seen is mostly kids, some adults. Seems like it affects the kids a little harder this time,” said Skagway’s Dahl Memorial Clinic’s Medical Director Brent Kunzler.
Canada relaxes border rules, but not enough for the White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad
Skagway’s largest tour outfit, the White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad, says its trains won’t cross the border this season.
Training requirements for new commercial drivers in Alaska got tougher this week
The new regulations call for more thorough instruction for anyone seeking a new class B license or higher.
Private catamarans will provide ferry service between Juneau and the upper Lynn Canal this month
The catamarans will be operated by Goldbelt, Inc., Juneau’s urban Native corporation.
Skagway’s blue mussels were nearly wiped out last year
Reuben Cash says blue mussels are best served steamed with melted butter. But this year, he doubts you could find enough for a meal.
Matanuska repair delays could mean longer ferry service gaps in upper Lynn Canal
This latest delay could mean nearly a monthlong service gap for Skagway.
New geothermal hot springs to open soon near Whitehorse
The Takhini Hot Springs near the capital city of Canada’s Yukon Territory has been closed to the public for more than a year. A new facility with a new name is on track to open this coming February.
Skagway works to pioneer one of the first electric ferry programs in the country
The Skagway Assembly recently passed a resolution that establishes an electric ferry pilot program.
Canadian border relaxes COVID testing rules for residents returning from short trips to the U.S.
Starting Tuesday, Canadians traveling to the U.S. for trips of three days or less will no longer need to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test to cross back into their home country.
US land border opens to Canadians for nonessential travel
The U.S. land border opened Monday at 12:01 a.m. to fully vaccinated, nonessential travelers from Canada.
After more than 30 years at sea, a message in a bottle washes up near Skagway
A Skagway resident has found a message in a bottle washed up on a beach with no indication of who sent it — or from where. Now she’s looking for help to find its...
A trip through Canada’s newly-reopened border: ‘So empty for so long’
To get through the border, you’ll need your passport, your vaccination card, proof of a negative COVID test within 72 hours and a completed ArriveCan application.
Here’s what you’ll need if you’re crossing the border into Canada next month
Any forged vaccination records will be subject to a $750,000 fine and up to six months imprisonment under Canada’s Quarantine Act.
Are non-native mule deer a threat? Fish and Game wants to find out.
Reports of groups of up to 10 mule deer in Southeast Alaska near Skagway have been received by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, and there is evidence that fawns are being born here. Studies show that nearby populations harbor a variety of diseases that have biologists concerned.
The Yukon’s largest COVID-19 outbreak intensifies, Skagway looks to avoid a similar fate
Canada’s Yukon Territory is in the middle of its largest COVID-19 outbreak to date with 54 active cases and one confirmed coronavirus-related death.
COVID-19 outbreak in Yukon Territory linked to high school students, unvaccinated adults
The Yukon Territory’s COVID-19 outbreak climbed from 18 to 21 active cases on Monday. That’s despite nearly three-quarters of the territory’s adult population being fully vaccinated.
Contamination from December rain disaster forces Haines farmers to vacate land
Fearing that runoff from the December rains might have carried contamination to Henderson Farm in Haines, the American Bald Eagle Foundation has told its renters they won't be able to farm their plots this year.
An uncertain summer: Skagway businesses scramble to prepare for short cruise season
Many businesses are unsure how to operate for what looks like a short cruise season in 2021.
Heather Lende of Haines named Alaska’s Writer Laureate
The Alaska State Writer Laureate program was established back in the 1960s as a partnership between the arts council and the Alaska Humanities Forum. Earlier this month, after a two-year gap in program funding, Haines-based writer Heather Lende was awarded the honor.
Alaska’s side of the Chilkoot Trail will be open this summer, but hikers have to turn around at Canada
The Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park and Parks Canada have teamed up to open the U.S. side of the Chilkoot Trail to American hikers on June 1. Parks Canada will begin taking reservations on April 27th for multi-day trips starting on or after June 1.