Hiro arrives in Whitehorse, Yukon!!

After staying two days in Vancouver, BC, Hiro flew to Whitehorse Yukon in the afternoon of July 27, 2007. Hiro was matched with Max Parker, both 13 years old, to spend some time up here and learn about northern Canada. Hiro is from Ushiku, Japan (near Tokyo), a sister city of Whitehorse.

It only took about two minutes before Hiro hooked a fish. It turned out to be a good-sized and tasty lake trout.

Enjoying lake trout for dinner the next day!!

Yukon is well known for the 1887-89 gold rush when tens of thousands of Americans and Canadians went north to the Klondike River to look for gold. Most went back home empty-handed (with empty pockets), but a few struck it rich or found a way to make money from the miners before they became penniless. A number of copper, silver, zinc and lead mines produced and shipped minerals for many years after the gold rush. The picture below is from the Railway and Mining Museum in Whitehorse.

Although agriculture is not a big industry in the North, some things grow well during the summer months--especially with the sun rising at 3:30 am and setting at 10:30 pm at the end of June. Here we are watering a local garden operated by a cooperative group, with Jean Francois in the background (Jean is also hosting an exchange student and chaperone). We had a chance to pick (and eat!) ripe raspberries.

Hiro Isogami and Max Parker (both 13) picking tasty raspberries.