Watson Lake, Yukon

Watson Lake is a town on the Alaska Highway in the in the southeastern Yukon Territory. Population in December 2004 was 1,547 (Yukon Bureau of Statistics).

Watson Lake is near the Liard River. Watson Lake is at the junction of the Campbell Highway and the Alaska Highway. The Cassiar Highway's northern end is a few kilometres north of Watson Lake.

Watson Lake is the centre of the small forestry industry in the Yukon and has been a service centre for the mining industry, especially for the Cassiar asbestos mine in northern British Columbia and the Cantung tungsten mine on the Yukon-Northwest Territories border in the Mackenzie Mountains.

Tourist attractions in Watson Lake include the Northern Lights Centre and the much-imitated original "Signpost Forest". The Signpost Forest was started in 1942 by a homesick U.S. Army G.I. working on the Alaska Highway, who put up a sign the name of his home town and the distance. Others followed suit and the tradition continues to this day. There are today more than 10,000 signs pointing to locations across the world.

Watson Lake and the neighbouring Upper Liard settlement are the home of the Liard First Nation, a member of the Kaska Dena Council.

Climate

Like most of the Yukon, Watson Lake has a subarctic climate. Watson Lake experiences annual temperature average daily highs of 21°C in July and average daily lows of -29°C in January. Record high temperature was 34°C in May 1983 and the lowest was -59°C in January 1947. Watson Lake has more precipitation other parts of the Yukon with an average annual snowfall of 197cm and 255mm of rainfall, resulting in larger trees and a more viable forest industry.

Community profile

According to the Canada 2001 Census:

Note: data also includes Upper Liard Settlement

Links

• Community Profile
• Town of Watson Lake
• Kaska Dena Council