Pelly Crossing

History

The Selkirk First Nation community was established as a ferry crossing and a highway construction camp when the Klondike Highway from Whitehorse to Dawson City was built in 1950. With the completion of the Pelly River bridge and the road to Dawson City, sternwheeler traffic on the Yukon River came to a halt. Fort Selkirk, located near the confluence of Pelly and Yukon Rivers, was virtually abandoned. The Government of Canada forced members of Selkirk First Nation to move from Fort Selkirk to Minto Landing before settling at Pelly Crossing. Today, the restored Fort Selkirk is a common stop for Yukon River travelers.

Geography

Pelly Crossing is located on the Pelly River, 155 miles south of Dawson City on the Klondike Highway.

Climate

Pelly Crossing has a severely continental subarctic climate (Dfc) with short but warm summers, but with the vast majority of the year being dominated by the bitterly cold winters. During cold snaps temperatures approaching -60 C has been recorded. The weather is rather dry and summer nights remain cool. |Jan record high C = 10.0 |Feb record high C = 12.2 |Mar record high C = 12.8 |Apr record high C = 23.5 |May record high C = 32.5 |Jun record high C = 35.0 |Jul record high C = 33.0 |Aug record high C = 33.0 |Sep record high C = 25.6 |Oct record high C = 23.0 |Nov record high C = 13.9 |Dec record high C = 12.8 |year record high C =

|Jan record low C = -58.9 |Feb record low C = -60.0 |Mar record low C = -50.0 |Apr record low C = -38.3 |May record low C = -12.2 |Jun record low C = -4.0 |Jul record low C = -2.8 |Aug record low C = -7.0 |Sep record low C = -20.0 |Oct record low C = -37.0 |Nov record low C = -51.0 |Dec record low C = -56.7 |year record low C =

Demographics

|1981|182 |1986|177 |1991|216 |1996|238 |2001|328 |2006|296 |2011|336 |2016|353 |2021|316

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Pelly Crossing had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of 32.28 km2, it had a population density of in 2021.

Attractions

The local community is based on hunting, trapping, fishing and guiding. There is a school, curling rink, baseball field, swimming pool, and youth centre.

Sports

Every February, Pelly Crossing hosts a checkpoint for the long-distance Yukon Quest sled dog race.

References

References

1. (September 1987). "1986 Census: Population - Census Divisions and Census Subdivisions". [[Statistics Canada]].
2. (April 1992). "91 Census: Census Divisions and Census Subdivisions - Population and Dwelling Counts". [[Statistics Canada]].
3. (April 1997). "96 Census: A National Overview - Population and Dwelling Counts". [[Statistics Canada]].
4. (August 15, 2012). "Population and Dwelling Counts, for Canada, Provinces and Territories, and Census Subdivisions (Municipalities), 2001 and 1996 Censuses - 100% Data (Yukon Territory)". [[Statistics Canada]].
5. (August 20, 2021). "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2006 and 2001 censuses - 100% data (Yukon Territory)". [[Statistics Canada]].
6. (July 25, 2021). "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2011 and 2006 censuses (Yukon)". [[Statistics Canada]].
7. (February 8, 2017). "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2016 and 2011 censuses – 100% data (Yukon)". [[Statistics Canada]].
8. (February 9, 2022). "Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), Yukon". [[Statistics Canada]].