Carmacks, Yukon
| Carmacks | |
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Carmacks is seen from the Yukon River bridge with the river in the foreground.
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 Carmacks
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| Coordinates: 62°05′20″N 136°17′20″W / 62.08889°N 136.28889°WCoordinates: 62°05′20″N 136°17′20″W / 62.08889°N 136.28889°W | |
| Country |
 Canada
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| Territory |
 Yukon
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| Area | |
| • Land | 36.95 km2 (14.27 sq mi) |
| Population (2016) | |
| • Total | 493 |
| • Density | 13.3/km2 (34/sq mi) |
| • Change 2011-16 |
 18.4% |
| Time zone | Pacific (PST) (UTC-8) |
| • Summer (DST) | PDT (UTC-7) |
| Climate | Dsc |
Carmacks is a village in Yukon on the Yukon River along the Klondike Highway, and at the west end of the Robert Campbell Highway from Watson Lake. The population is 493 (Canada Census, 2016). It is the home of the Little Salmon/Carmacks First Nation, a Northern Tutchone-speaking people.
The area around Carmacks has abundant mineral resources, including coal, copper, and gold. Various mining activities are taking place on mineral sites around Carmacks. There is a small zinc-copper mine in production near Carmacks operated by Western Silver and a gold property northwest of Carmacks currently in the exploration stage operated by Northern Freegold Resources based out of Whitehorse.
Carmacks is situated at the confluence of the Nordenskiold and Yukon rivers, approximately 180 km (112 miles) north of Whitehorse and 360 km (224 miles) south of Dawson City on the North Klondike Highway. It is the site of one of the four bridges over the Yukon River. The Campbell Highway also intersects the community and carries on to Faro, Ross River and Watson Lake, providing a gateway to the Canol Road and some of Yukon's most spectacular scenery.
The name of the settlement comes from George Washington Carmack who, in 1891, found coal nearby. He created a trading post and began by engaging in commerce with local people, before opening a coal mine in the south bank of the Yukon River. The focus of his entrepreneurial energy switched a few years later when he discovered gold near Dawson City.
Carmacks is the only place in Yukon to enjoy the status of a Designated place.
The community consists of the Village of Carmacks and the Little Salmon/Carmacks First Nation and was named after George Washington Carmack, who found coal near Tantalus Butte (locally called Coal Mine Hill) in 1893. Carmack built a trading post and traded with locals near the present site of Carmacks and also started a coal mine on the south bank of the Yukon River. Carmack soon discovered gold in the Dawson region with Skookum Jim and Tagish Charlie a few years later, starting the Klondike Gold Rush. Carmacks became incorporated as a village on November 1, 1984.
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Wikipedia