Christ Church Cathedral

Whitehorse is a young city, and Whitehorse’s oldest places of worship tell the story of the gold rush that created it. Christ Church Cathedral stands on Elliott Street in the downtown area and is the cathedral of the Anglican Diocese of Yukon. It dates from the early years of the town, when the arrival of the White Pass and Yukon Route railway and the stampede to the Klondike made the settlement at the head of the Yukon River a boom town, and it was built in log, the material at hand, in a plain Gothic form with a small steeple. The building is among the oldest in Whitehorse and has long been valued as part of the city's heritage.

Anglican missionaries had worked among the First Nations of the Yukon from the 1860s, travelling the Porcupine and Yukon rivers, and the church grew along with the new town. The cathedral became the seat of the diocese when the Yukon was made a separate diocese, and it has remained the centre of Anglican life in the territory, though the congregation, like many in the North, is small. The building is modest in size, and its charm comes from its warm, honey-coloured logs, simple interior and its position among the offices and shops of the downtown, with the mountains behind.

The cathedral is an active place of worship, with services held regularly, including on Sunday, and other community events and programmes throughout the year. People of all backgrounds are welcome at services, and visitors who attend can experience the Anglican tradition in a northern setting. Outside service times, the building may be open for visits on certain days or by arrangement, with hours posted for the office, and it is wise to check the cathedral's website or contact the parish office for current hours before making a special visit.

The church is a short walk from the MacBride Museum, the riverfront trail and the SS Klondike, which makes it a handy addition to a stroll through downtown. For heritage walkers, tours of Whitehorse’s heritage buildings often include it, along with the historic log buildings, the old railway station and the wooden sidewalks of Front Street. The Yukon River flows just beyond.

Visitors should treat the building as a place of prayer, keep voices low and ask before photographing inside. Travellers interested in northern history, church architecture and the early days of the territory will find it a rewarding stop. Winter brings snow on the roof and a particularly quiet atmosphere.