Haines Junction
Haines Junction is a village in Yukon, Canada. It is located at Kilometre 1,632 (historical mile 1016) of the Alaska Highway at its junction with the Haines Highway, hence the name of the community. According to the 2006 Census the population was 589.[1] It is next to Kluane National Park and Reserve. It is a major administrative centre for the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations.
History
For around two thousand years, the Southern Tutchone people had seasonal hunting and fishing camps in the area of present-day Haines Junction. The original name of the area was "Dakwakada", a Southern Tutchone word meaning "high cache". It was common for Tutchone people to use raised log caches to store food year-round or temporarily while they hunted and fished in an area.
The Haines area was also important for trade between the coastal and interior peoples. It lies at the interior end of the Chilkat Pass, one of only three passes that allowed travel between the coast and the interior, which was used extensively for trade between the coastal Tlingit and Southern Tutchone people.
The current town of Haines Junction was established in 1942 and 1943 during the construction of the Alaska Highway. In 1943 a second highway, the Haines Highway, was built to connect the Alaska Highway with the coastal town of Haines, Alaska over the Chilkat Pass. Situated at the junction of these two highways, Haines Junction was a construction camp and a supply and service centre for the US Army Corps of Engineers building the highway. The 626 mile long Haines - Fairbanks petroleum pipeline was constructed in 1953-5 and a pumping station was built just north of Haines Junction.[2]
Climate
| Climate data for Haines Junction | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 7.0 (44.6) |
13.0 (55.4) |
14.0 (57.2) |
21.0 (69.8) |
27.0 (80.6) |
33.0 (91.4) |
30.5 (86.9) |
31.0 (87.8) |
23.0 (73.4) |
22.0 (71.6) |
12.0 (53.6) |
14.5 (58.1) |
33.0 (91.4) |
| Average high °C (°F) | −15.3 (4.5) |
−8.1 (17.4) |
−0.1 (31.8) |
8.4 (47.1) |
— | — | 19.1 (66.4) |
17.1 (62.8) |
14.0 (57.2) |
4.8 (40.6) |
−8.3 (17.1) |
−10.9 (12.4) |
2.1 (35.8) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −20.6 (−5.1) |
−15.0 (5) |
−7.8 (18) |
0.9 (33.6) |
— | — | 12.5 (54.5) |
10.6 (51.1) |
7.2 (45) |
−1.0 (30.2) |
−13.2 (8.2) |
−15.9 (3.4) |
−4.2 (24.4) |
| Average low °C (°F) | −25.9 (−14.6) |
−21.1 (−6) |
−15.2 (4.6) |
−6.5 (20.3) |
— | — | 5.9 (42.6) |
4.0 (39.2) |
0.4 (32.7) |
−6.7 (19.9) |
−17.4 (0.7) |
−20.5 (−4.9) |
−10.3 (13.5) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −48.0 (−54.4) |
−47.5 (−53.5) |
−42.0 (−43.6) |
−32.0 (−25.6) |
−11.0 (12.2) |
−3.5 (25.7) |
−1.5 (29.3) |
−4.0 (24.8) |
−11.0 (12.2) |
−27.0 (−16.6) |
−42.0 (−43.6) |
−44.5 (−48.1) |
−48.0 (−54.4) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 33.8 (1.331) |
24.5 (0.965) |
12.5 (0.492) |
7.9 (0.311) |
18.0 (0.709) |
35.3 (1.39) |
45.5 (1.791) |
37.7 (1.484) |
35.0 (1.378) |
26.7 (1.051) |
36.3 (1.429) |
40.1 (1.579) |
353.2 (13.906) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 0.3 (0.012) |
0.5 (0.02) |
0.3 (0.012) |
2.2 (0.087) |
15.8 (0.622) |
35.3 (1.39) |
45.5 (1.791) |
37.7 (1.484) |
33.1 (1.303) |
11.2 (0.441) |
2.7 (0.106) |
4.9 (0.193) |
189.3 (7.453) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 33.6 (13.23) |
24.0 (9.45) |
12.2 (4.8) |
5.7 (2.24) |
2.2 (0.87) |
0.0 (0) |
0.0 (0) |
0.0 (0) |
1.9 (0.75) |
15.5 (6.1) |
33.6 (13.23) |
35.3 (13.9) |
163.9 (64.53) |
| Avg. precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 8.4 | 5.6 | 3.5 | 2.7 | 5.5 | 7.8 | 8.4 | 8.5 | 8.7 | 7.0 | 8.4 | 8.3 | 82.7 |
| Avg. rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.8 | 5.2 | 7.8 | 8.4 | 8.5 | 8.3 | 3.1 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 43.1 |
| Avg. snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) | 8.4 | 5.4 | 3.5 | 2.0 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 3.8 | 8.2 | 8.0 | 40.2 |
| Source: Environment Canada Canadian Climate Normals 1981–2010[3] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
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Transportation
By road, Haines Junction is served by Alaska Highway and Haines Highway (Yukon Highway 3). By air, it is served by Haines Junction Airport.
Tourism
The widely-publicised local tourist information centre, funded by Parks Canada, is only open regularly during the peak May 25-September 25 season. Local residents and some out-of-town commentators suggest that year-round operation would boost local income levels and job opportunities, as well as increase winter tourism to the region.
See also
References
- ↑ Population and dwelling counts Statistics Canada
- ↑ http://www.arlis.org/docs/vol1/AlaskaGas/Report4/Report_CEMML_2003_HainesFairbanksPipeline.pdf
- ↑ "Haines Junction YTG" (CSV (2874 KB)). Canadian Climate Normals 1981–2010. Environment Canada. Climate ID: 2100631. Retrieved 2014-02-20.
- ↑ "2006 Community Profiles". Canada 2006 Census. Statistics Canada. March 30, 2011. Retrieved 2009-02-24.
External links
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Coordinates: 60°45′10″N 137°30′24″W / 60.75278°N 137.50667°W