1970
The Whitehorse Star Reports in 1970
| January | |
| January 22, 1970 | Gordon Irwin Cameron retires from the Yukon Territorial Public Service after 45 years of government service. |
| January 26, 1970 | The Yukon Court decides that parking meters are illegal. |
| January 29, 1970 | The Anvil mine officially opens with a ceremony on TV. Federal cabinet ministers Jean Chretien and Arthur Laing, Yukon Commissioner James Smith, A.P. Friesen, President of White Pass, Robert Sabini, President of Cyprus Mines are in attendance.The Whitehorse Star issues a special edition. |
| February | |
| February 12, 1970 | Yukon Commissioner James Smith calls for the establishement of a new economic union in the Canadian north-west consisting of northern British Columbia, northern Alberta, the Yukon and part of the Northwest Territories to facilitate the development of the area. |
| February 19, 1970 | The federal Department of Public Works conducts a survey of facilities at Yukon's Herschel Island with a view to using the northern port as an oil transfer depot. |
| February 19, 1970 | The Yukon outlaws speed pills. |
| February 23, 1970 | The old Regina Hotel is torn down. The new Regina Motel has been built next door on First Avenue. |
| March | |
| March 9, 1970 | Hudson-Yukon Mining Company Ltd. Owned by Hudson Bay Mining and Smelting Co. Ltd. plans to open a copper-nickel producing mine for sale to Sumitomo Metal Mining Company Ltd. of Tokyo. |
| March 16, 1970 | Yukoners bring home 7 gold medals from the Arctic Winter Games. |
| March 26, 1970 | The City Council bans boats from Schwatka Lake as the lake serves as the city's water supply. |
| April | |
| April 13, 1970 | A six-storey high gold dredge, the famous Bear Creek "Gold Room" (aka as Dredge No. 4) will be an element in an exhibit spanning 75 years of Yukon gold mining history to be established in the Bonanza Creek area of the Klondike Gold Rush International Historic Park. The Y.C.G.C. dredge was built in 1911 and operated until 1958. |
| April 23, 1970 | The Bay officially opens its new addition to the Bay's department store on Fourth Avenue. |
| April 23, 1970 | Whitehorse City Council approves another townhouse project for the Riverdale area. |
| May | |
| May 14, 1970 | As announced by Northern Affairs Minister Jean Chretien, the Yukon Council gets its first two cabinet minister when Yukon voters go to the polls to elect the city council in September 1970. |
| June | |
| June 25, 1970 | William L. Drury, President of Yukon Motors, announces closure of his Pontiac Buick dealership located at Forth Avenue and Jarvis Street. |
| July | |
| July 20, 1970 | A mountain in the Yukon's St. Elias Range is named for the famous Canadian Humourist Stephen Leacock. |
| July 27, 1970 | One of the first men to orbit around the moon, veteran of Apollo 8 mission William A. Anders and his wife visit the Yukon. |
| July 27, 1970 | The White Pass celebrates its 70th anniversary. The Whitehorse Star issues a special edition. |
| July 30, 1970 | A three summer season program for the restauration of the S.S. Klondike is under way. |
| August | |
| August 6, 1970 | Prime Minister Trudeau comes to Whitehorse for an informal visit. |
| August 13, 1970 | According to official statistics, Whitehorse has 5,075 inhabitants. |
| August 20, 1970 | Bill Hamilton, a member of the first Whitehorse city council and long time White Pass official, dies in North Vancouver on August 15, 1970. |
| August 20, 1970 | Governor General Roland and Mrs. Michener visit the Yukon. |
| September | |
| September 10, 1970 | Transfer of all land rights around northern municipalities from federal government control to the administration of the Northwest Territories and the Yukon Territory has been initiated as announced by Northern Affairs Minister Jean Chretien. Effective immediately are transfers of 240 square miles around Whitehorse. |
| September 24, 1970 | Venus becomes the Yukon's fifth producing mine with the first shipment of lead concentrates to the railroad at Carcross. |
| September 24, 1970 → October 29, 1970 |
City Alderman Jim Light dies September 21, 1970 at the age of 42. A month later, city council proposes to re-name the Whitehorse Civic Arena Jim Light Memorial Arena in commemoration of the late city alderman. |
| September 28, 1970 | Commissioner James Smith opens the new Carcross Bridge leading to Venus mines. The $ 372,000 wooden decked structure spans Nares Lake. |
| September 28, 1970 | Old Crow Indians are planning to obtain an injunction prohibiting entry by others than themselves into Old Crow Flats. The action is being taken to forestall further exploration by oil and gas companies. |
| October | |
| October 1, 1970 | Ottawa declares the announcement from September 28, 1970 "a problem in communication" and says the Old Crow people had agreed last winter [1969/1970] to let the companies carry on. |
| October 5, 1970 | On October 5, 1970 the Old Crow Indian people publish in the Whitehorse Star a 1 page statement that emphasizes their cause and denies Ottawa's statement. |
| October 5, 1970 | Chuck Halliday is the new Kiwanis president. |
| October 8, 1970 | Rolf Hougen asks the city council for support to preserve riverboats. He wins a two month reprieve from Whitehorse City Council to save the two remaining river boats, Whitehorse & Casca, from destruction. One City Councilor remarked “ The best thing that could happen is someone put a match to them”. |
| November | |
| November 2, 1970 | Jim Murdoch is named Rendezvous Manager for a 2nd term. |
| November 12, 1970 → November 30, 1970 |
Hilda Watson and Norm Chamberlist are named to the first cabinet posts in Yukon history. They are sworn in November 30, 1970. |
| November 23, 1970 | The Vancouver Centennial Museum hosts an exhibition of the Klondike Days of '98. |
| November 26, 1970 | Northern Affairs Minister Jean Chretien announces November 24, 1970 that work on a portion of the Fort Simpson-Fort Liard road on the NWT will cease to permit speeding up construction of the Yukon's Dempster highway. |
| December | |
| December 29, 1970 | Magistrate John Varcoe announces that as of January 1, 1971, any driver convicted in court of impaired driving charge will automatically have his driving privileges suspended. |
