Samantha Dickie's ceramic poles at the ODD Gallery. Photo by Valerie Salez.

Taking a Stand

Story and Photos

by Valerie Salez

With a baby under one arm and 24 boxes of clay under the other Samantha Dickie undertook the daunting feet of creating a new body of work in just 3 months. This is no simple task. As KIAC's recent artist in residence she not only experimented with building large ceramic sculptures, which she had never done before, but she had to complete them for exhibition at the ODD Gallery. As is Samantha's brave and bold character so is the development of her work.

While attending art school in Nelson, BC Samantha was surrounded mostly by ceramic artists who made functional pottery. Her work tended to move away from the functional and toward more conceptual pieces. The resulting forms were primarily discs or pillars. They where built either on a manual wheel or by hand pulled slabs. What these ceramic sculptures had in common was the physical process involved in making them. While spinning a potter's wheel by foot is meditative it also can be a highly active physical work out at the same time. At the time she was more concerned with building challenging forms and experimenting with layering and manipulating glazes and surfaces. The finished pieces reflected the textures and colours of places she had traveled, be it by canoe, or foot or vehicle. Samantha was concerned with combining both the grand vistas and minute details of landscapes.

During a residency at the Banff Center for the Arts she experienced a traumatic personal loss. For the first time she let go of working with clay as she had always known. Instead she simply began to gouge and carve into loose clay forms and slabs as though they were canvases. This method proved both cathartic and transformative. By the end of that residency Samantha had created hundreds of 4 inch carved pillars. The way the forms were grouped and what space they were displayed in dictated what mood or story they told. After imagining herself as a tiny person moving through the forest of her tiny pillars she decided it necessary to go big. This directly lead to her recently exhibited group of 4 to 5 feet high ceramic sculptures titled STAND. The pillars or columns felt delicate, precarious, and vulnerable, while at the same time sturdy, ancient, and timeless. Samantha took a great leap of faith in producing this work but her solid technical abilities and work ethic as well as a strong spirit helped her create a solid and daring exhibition.

If you did not get a chance to experience Samantha Dickie's work at the ODD Gallery, or if you did, a second chance will be possible as the Yukon Arts Center in Whitehorse has commissioned her to create a new work in 2005. STAND has been packed up and will be exhibiting across Canada with it's first stop on Vancouver Island

Union Women Organize!

Dawson women represented by the Public Service Alliance of Canada are pleased to announce the formation of Dawson's first Regional Women's Committee. The RWC is a means by which Dawson women can come together to address issues and concerns such as systemic discrimination, barriers to working women within and outside their workplace and building stronger links with other local organizations seeking social justice. These committees provide important forums to strategize for positive change in women's lives.

Committees have a mandate to develop projects and activities to promote:

- work with coalitions from within the Labour movement and from the social justice community that have a shared vision and common strategy.

- active participation and advancement of women in the union and labour movement;

- mobilization of women around specific demands such as:

- universal, accessible and quality childcare

- ending violence and harassment

- maternity/parental leave

- and many others.

Union women held their founding meeting in September. Interim organizers for the RWC include Nicola Walch and Louise Ranger (National Component, Parks Canada employees), and Helen Winton (Yukon Employee=s Union, Yukon College Employee).

RWCs are part of the formal structure of the Public Service Alliance of Canada. They are independent decision-making bodies that meet regularly. The committee is beginning the process of setting goals that meet the needs of women in the Dawson area. Look for posters around town for future meeting dates.

All interested women, regardless of union affiliation, are welcome!

If you would like further information, contact Nicola Walch at 993-6805.

BERTON TRIBUTES in the Yukon Legislature

In remembrance of Pierre Berton

From the Yukon Party Government:

Hon. Mr. Jenkins: It is my honour to rise on behalf of all Yukoners today to pay tribute to Pierre Berton, who passed away yesterday, Tuesday, November 30, 2004.

Pierre was a man of vision, an independent thinker, a Yukoner who was not afraid of a challenge or a critic. He was a true son of Canada's true north, with a colourful history and flamboyant style. It was the promise of the 1898 gold rush that lured his parents, Frank and Laura, to the Yukon, where his father worked as a government mining recorder. Pierre was born July 12, 1920, in Whitehorse. They moved shortly thereafter to Dawson City.

Now, there were no bookstores in Dawson City during Pierre Berton's youth. As a boy, he spent much of his time at the library. He told the audience at a recent dedication of a library that bears his name at Woodbridge, Ontario, that it was his love of reading pulp magazines The Shadow and Nick Carter Magazine, which led him to real books ó any books that would entertain.

He strongly encouraged parents to let their children read what they wished, saying, ìGet them reading. That's the main thing.

Pierre Berton believed books were meant to entertain. ìThat's what great literature does,he said. ìIt entertains you.And he certainly crafted entertainment into his own life as well. Dubbed journalist, editor, veteran broadcaster and author of 50 books, Mr. Berton worked in Klondike mining camps during his university years and spent four years in the army, rising from private to captain instructor at the Royal Military College in Kingston, Ontario.

He was educated at the University of British Columbia and was chief announcer in 1940 for the university's radio society. He began his newspaper career in 1942 at the Vancouver News Herald, where at 21, he was the youngest city editor on any Canadian daily.

He moved to Toronto in 1947, and at the age of 31 was named managing editor of Maclean's magazine. In 1957 he became a key member of the CBC's public affairs program Close-Up and was a prominent panelist on Front Page Challenge for most of the program's 39 years, Canadian television's longest running program.

Several episodes of Front Page Challenge were filmed in the Palace Grand Theatre in Dawson City, due in large part to the efforts of Pierre. During this time, he received The Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour in 1959 and the first Governor General's Literary Award for non-fiction with The Mysterious North in 1956. He would go on to receive this prestigious award twice more for his works ó The Last Spike: The Great Railway, 1881-1885, published in 1972, and Klondike: The Last Great Gold Rush, 1896-1899, published in 1958.

He joined the Toronto Star that year as associate editor and columnist and eventually left journalism for television, hosting his own show in 1962, followed by appearances as host and writer on My Country, The Great Debate, Heritage Theatre and The Secrets of My Success.

He also received numerous honorary degrees in addition to other literary accolades, such as the Canadian Authors Association Literary Award for non-fiction in 1981, the Canadian Booksellers Award in 1982, the Biomedical Science Ambassador's Award in 1997, and the John Drainie Award for significant contribution to television broadcasting in Canada in 1999.

Berton was a man of many words, spoken and written. He was a man of enthusiasm and immense energy. He loved flamboyant style ó thick white sideburns, huge butterfly-like bowties and dramatic opera cloaks.

When writing, he sometimes churned out 15,000 words a day, including a 1,200-word daily column for the Toronto Star, but he always made time to speak to anyone by telephone and to answer all of his mail.

He said, ìYou never know when you're going to get a usable idea.His usable ideas were given to children's literature as well. He began a 40-book series of paperback histories for children and produced several books of children's fiction; the most notable is The Secret World of Og, featuring his own children who discover little people living in a huge cavern under their playhouse. During the humorous and exciting adventures, the children learn about courage, unselfishness and tolerance for others.

Of all his honours and accolades, Pierre Berton particularly cherished a letter from a young Og fan. He wrote, ìI am six years old, and this is the best book I have ever read in my whole life.

This six-year-old perhaps one day read the railroad books, The National Dream, published in 1970, and The Last Spike, published in 1972, which told the story of the background and construction of Canada's first transcontinental railroad in a colourful and detailed style.

These two works were later adapted to a television series that provided Canadians with insight into the early history of the Canadian Pacific Railroad and its fundamental role in the development of our nation. This contribution earned Mr. Berton the Canadian Railway Hall of Fame Annual Award of Recognition in 2002.

Pierre Berton wrote with an eye to detail, which held the attention of the professional historian and the lay reader alike. Of his 50 works, 20 titles were about the north, showing his strong attachment to this land. In his book, The Arctic Grail: The Quest for the Northwest Passage and The North Pole, 1818-1909, Pierre Berton presented a narrative account of the heroic efforts of British-American Scandinavian explorers as they sought out the Northwest Passage through Canada's north and up to the North Pole.

When Arctic Grail was written, few others except for professional historians or archaeologists had begun to explore the role of aboriginal people and Arctic exploration, including the search for Sir John Franklin.

Pierre Berton deserves much of the credit for bringing to the attention of Canadians the role of aboriginal people in Arctic exploration. He rightly stated that Arctic exploration, whether it be Parry's search or Amundson's successful navigation of the Northwest Passage, would not have been successful without the participation of our native peoples of Greenland and Canada's north and their intimate culture and scientific knowledge of the vast territories. Without them, the Europeans would not have survived.

It is through his prolific writing that we can now satisfy our hunger for compelling, readable Canadian history that brings the past into the present. Pierre Berton also nurtured the dreams of aspiring writers by investing in and donating his childhood home in Dawson City ó the Berton House Writer's Retreat, writer-in-residence program, which was launched in 1996. It was John Gould from Dawson City who convinced Mr. Berton to begin this program of purchasing back the family home. The program is now organized in partnership with the Canada Council for the Arts by the Berton House Writer's Retreat Society in Whitehorse and the Klondike Visitors Association as well as the Dawson City Libraries Association.

The Berton home became the newest addition to the famous authors block in Dawson City, with Robert Service's cabin across Eighth Avenue from the Berton home and Jack London's cabin just around the corner to the south.

When Pierre Berton visited Dawson City and spoke at the dedication, his words were to the effect that his father would roll over in his grave if he knew how much he had paid to purchase back the family home. And his father would probably roll over again when he realized that his son had the money to make that purchase.

It was Pierre Berton's original concept to bring professional Canadian writers to the north to experience a part of the country that might otherwise never be seen. He wanted their time spent in the north to infect their writing and show up as a part of their literary works in the future. Pierre Berton donated not only his childhood home, but a large quantity of books at the onset. He continued his enthusiastic support by promoting the program, carrying out fundraising campaigns, and actively assisting with the selection of its writers. Beginning in 1996 with Russell Smith from Toronto, there have been more than 25 writers in residence at the Berton home retreat.

They wrote about military history, biographies about Canadians, children's literature, books about dinosaurs, supernatural and political thrillers, river stories, poetry, small business and investment survival guides, cross-cultural literature, theatre plays and aboriginal stories for children.

In the words of Pierre Berton, the Berton House retreats provide professional writers with the most precious of assets ó uninterrupted time in which to work or contemplate their work. It also provides a unique opportunity to live with history and experience life in a remote northern community.

During Pierre's lifetime, he was the first Chancellor of Yukon College and a Companion of the Order of Canada. For Pierre, the Yukon was a frontier land that stimulated his sense of adventure and hunger for facts, excitement and achievement. As a young man, he was known as a natural show-off who loved to sing and recite verse, often applauding himself. He was smart; he was irresistible; he was a Yukoner.

Flamboyant certainly, honest always. He crafted historical prose in ways that opened up our national history to all Canadians and, more than any other writer, he turned our history, once considered dull and boring, into a tapestry as colourful as his plaid jacket, as enduring as his bushy sideburns, as bountiful as his flowing opera cloaks. He was a man of words who lived by his word and he left a rich historical legacy to be added with others who shaped the Yukon, such as Robert Service, Martha Louise Black, Edith Josie, Jack London, Angela Sidney, Diamond Tooth Gertie, Joe Boyle, Skookum Jim, George Johnston, Sam Steele, to name but a few.

For a man who avoided computers and insisted on using one of six Smith Corona electric typewriters, he wanted to be remembered for his books. ìI enjoy them,he said. ìI can hardly wait to get to work, because I've been thinking about writing all night. I have the story in my head. I am anxious to sit down and type it out.

And luckily for us he did. This year his 50th book was published, his final work, which is titled Prisoners of the North.

In the 1950s he was involved with a series of films made by the National Film Board. One in particular, City of Gold, showcased Dawson City. This film won prizes worldwide. During a gold rush festival held in Dawson City in the 1960s, a theatre group from New York came and presented the play Foxy at the Palace Grand Theatre. Renovations had just been completed and the theatre reopened ó work that was in part spearheaded by Mr. Berton. That festival launched change and economic growth for Dawson and the territory. Roads were improved, businesses were built or renovated, and people came to Dawson to make it their home.

As a panelist on Front Page Challenge, Mr. Berton championed Yukon at every opportunity, making reference to his childhood home, letting Canadians know that he came from the Yukon, and that Yukon was indeed a part of Canada. He was one voice among many lobbying in the late 1960s for natural historic sites, particularly wanting Dawson City to be recognized. He was involved with the nomination of Dawson City as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and he will be remembered as a champion of this cause.

Drifting Home, which was published in the early 1970s, traces the entire family's steps from Skagway, Alaska down the Yukon River to Dawson City. This book was the first time I had an opportunity to personally meet with Mr. Berton and his family.

On behalf of the Government of Yukon, I wish to convey our sincerest condolences to the family of Mr. Berton. He will receive many accolades in the days ahead. He will be remembered as a true statesman and gentleman to all those touched by his creativity and generosity.

As a Yukoner and a Dawsonite and a member of the Yukon Order of Pioneers, Pierre Berton took his strength and courage into the world and showed many of us how to fly. He bustled with a brash sense of confidence, a willful, stubborn belief that we acknowledge our country, our history and our people ó aboriginal and non-aboriginal alike ó who make up this great land we call Canada. His legacy will live on in the Yukon; his memory will live on with Canadians.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, for this opportunity to pay tribute to a fellow Dawsonite, a fellow Yukoner ó Mr. Pierre Berton ó a master storyteller of epic proportions.

From the Official NDP Opposition:

Mr. Hardy: Yesterday Canada lost one of its giants, and Yukon lost one of its sons. Pierre Berton was a historian, he was a journalist, a television personality, and most of all, as has already been said, a natural storyteller. His book, Klondike: The Last Great Gold Rush, 1896-1899, published in 1958, did almost more than anything else to put the Yukon on the map for Canadians, or even back on the map for Canadians. It's telling of his love for the Yukon that, almost half a century after Klondike, he was still writing about Yukoners. We can see that in the 50 books he published. That theme, that touching, that reaching back to the north was always there.

His final book, Prisoners of the North, published this year at age 84, contains compelling profiles of Robert Service and Joe Boyle, and it's fitting that that was his final book. This is where he started. He was born in Whitehorse, lived in Dawson City and the final book he wrote is about people of the Yukon once again.

He served the Yukon as the first Chancellor of Yukon College. His most lasting legacy to Yukoners, apart from his written work, is probably the Berton House in Dawson and its writer-in-residence program. That has had a profound impact on keeping the name of the Yukon in the Canadian identity.

Every year, Canadian writers are given an invaluable and unique opportunity to concentrate fully on their writing while becoming truly a part of the Yukon community. That contribution cannot be underestimated. Just as we have other residences now being set up throughout the Yukon ó the artist residence down in Carcross, Ted Harrison's residence, is an example of something that has blossomed from this idea, and it will contribute and have a lasting legacy for people of the Yukon.

People come to the Yukon and stay at the Berton House; when they leave, they write about that experience and share that experience through their art form, which enhances the Yukon for other people Outside.

And we can be thankful that we knew him and that he continued to contribute. Can you imagine 39 years on a game show, called Front Page Challenge? Can you imagine that contribution, the work, that effort? Can you imagine 50 books in 50 years? And anybody who has ever read or seen any of Pierre Berton's books will recognize that many of them are very, very well researched and a lot of work has gone into them. Many of them are not light reading.

Actually, last night, I was talking to my family about Pierre Berton. My son, who is an avid reader ó as all my children are ó mentioned that his favourite book that he read when he was in grade 8 was Vimy, written by Pierre Berton. It had a powerful, powerful impact on him. So young people are touched by what he has written, his contribution. There is so much to say about this man, but there is also so much to read. It may take a lifetime to go through the books and the contributions that he has made.

I grew up in the Yukon, and anybody who grew up here knows of Pierre Berton. Years ago, when Front Page Challenge used to be on TV, that was the only channel we had. Whether we liked it or not, we saw Pierre Berton, along with the other guests who were on that show year after year. And that was part and parcel of living up here and watching that.

Mr. Speaker, I liked his history. I envied his life in many ways ó the contributions he made, the passion he brought to his art form, his tremendous work ethic, his dedication as a family man, his generosity not just to the Yukon but to all of Canada.

I liked his politics ó they were politics I could understand ó and the passion he brought to that. And he never shied away from debate or discussion. And I applaud his accomplishments, as I think most people in this room do, as most people in Canada do.

Mr. Speaker, last night I watched The National, and they did a piece on Pierre Berton, in honour of him, and a Yukoner was interviewed, Max Fraser. He mentioned that he considered Pierre Berton to be one of the greatest Yukoners, and I have to agree with that. His contributions have been huge and will continue for a long time ó one of our greatest ambassadors for this northern corner of Canada.

The NDP offers its condolences to his family, to those who are close to him, and we wish that people do not forget the contribution he has made.

Thank you

From the Liberal party:

Ms. Duncan: I rise on behalf of the Liberal caucus and Yukoners to pay tribute to Pierre Berton today. Pierre Berton was one of Canada's best known and most respected TV public affairs personalities. He was a tireless defender of public broadcasting and the importance of Canadian content. And, of course, as has been mentioned earlier by my colleagues, he is one of Canada's best known writers.

His writings empowered readers with a love of Canadian history and a pride in where we have come from. Many Yukoners have their own memories and stories of Pierre Berton, and I have enjoyed listening to them on the radio, in the broadcasts, and in the Legislature today. Together, we honour and pay tribute to one of Canada's best known Yukoners.

Thank you, Pierre Berton, for your tremendous contribution to our country and, most of all, for your recognition and dedication and for remaining true to your Yukon roots. We will not forget you.

Our thoughts and prayers and sincere sympathy go to the friends and family of Pierre Berton.