Here are some frequently asked questions about why we moved, what life is like in the North, and general things about the Yukon.
Why did you move to Whitehorse?
It took a few weeks, but we started thinking hey, we should consider just moving anyways! We took advantage of a conference I was attending in Whitehorse in June of 2024 and tagged on a vacation. It didn’t take us long to decide that this was, in fact, the right move for us. By October, things were official, and we then began telling people a while after.
Moving to Whitehorse was somewhat by chance. In late 2023, my company was bidding on work in Whitehorse and asked if I’d be interested in a move, to which I gave an emphatic YES. Kayla and I went through the process of planning what our life would be like, telling no one. We’d never even been to Whitehorse. Ultimately, we lost the work and Kayla and I were devastated.
We’ve always loved the outdoors and our hobbies which need space, and we were not getting that in Toronto. We loved it there, but needed a bit of a change, and hey, if doing a bit of a change, why not a big one?
May 29, 2025, we made the move, cat in tow, flying across the country.
Wow, it must be so expensive living up there!
Actually, no it is not! Don’t get me wrong, some things are certainly costly, but overall, cost of living is lower than it is in a lot of other places. This, of course, is only talking about Whitehorse. Things are much more expensive out in the communities.
For major grocery chains, we have Real Canadian Superstore, Independent, and Save on Foods. Prices at these stores are generally “set” by region by corporate, with logistics costs split across the region. We’re part of the Western Canada region, so the price you see at one of these stores in BC or Alberta is the same price you’ll see on the same item in Whitehorse.
Similarly, the Canadian Tire, Home Hardware, and Walmart run the same way.
Where we do run into expense is on shipping. Many places have Canada-wide shipping, but not all places, especially furniture. You’ll see some places say they ship to “all Canadian provinces” but alas, we are a territory. This means making a list of places which do ship here, which ship here cheaply, or using a freight forwarder. We’ve wound up using this as justification for buying better furniture, stuff we’ll use for the foreseeable future.
How do you deal with the darkness?
We have SAD lamps at our desks and turn them on as we start our day. I don’t know if it truly works or if it’s a placebo, but either way, I feel energized. We also make sure to take advantage of the daylight and spend some time basking in the sunbeam during daylight hours.
The apparently controversial take – being super far west AND on perma-DST means the sun rises late, but it also means it sets late. There are only a few days of the year where the sun sets before I leave work. Who cares if it doesn’t get light until 10:50 AM, if it rose one hour earlier I would still be at work when it comes up, but then I’d also be at work when the sun sets. Having some “free time” with daylight makes me actually feel better than I did in Toronto, where it was dark when I went into and came home from work just as much.
How do you deal with the sun?
In midsummer we have 20+ hours of daylight, and basically 3 hours of golden hour and one hour of twilight. This is awesome for doing things after work and feeling like you have a “day after your day.”
I can sleep just about anywhere, but for Kayla, having blackout blinds does the trick. If you are sensitive to light when you sleep and aren’t sure if you’ll have blackout blinds, make sure you also bring an eyemask.
You just need to catch yourself and not rely on the sun to tell you when to go to bed!