This is the mighty paddlewheeler S.S. Klondike. She is beeing "grounded" as a museum in Whitehorse, Yukon. (Canada). Picture taken by me on our trip to Yukon & N.W.T in late summer 2009.

The S.S. Klondike I was built in 1921. She had a cargo capacity of 270 metric tonnes without having to push a barge. The S.S. Klondike I ran aground in 1936. She was salvaged and carried freight until 1950. Due to the construction of a highway connecting Dawson City and Whitehorse, many sternwheelers were decommissioned. In an attempt to save the S.S. Klondike II, it was converted into a cruise ship. The venture shut down in 1955 due to lack of interest, and the S.S. Klondike was beached in the Whitehorse shipyards. The ship was donated to Parks Canada and was gradually restored until 1966. On 1 July 1981, Canadian government declared the S.S. Klondike II a national historic site, and it is now open during the summers as a tourist attraction.

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Stefan