Proudly independent until the end, the Whitehorse Star leaves behind an unparalleled legacy and history. And as a former reporter, I am glad that I got to be a small part of that.

From its earliest days operating out of a tent on Main Street, the Star has kept residents and visitors up to speed on the current events of the territory and larger world. In doing so, it recorded the territory’s history for the world.

The building of the Alaska Highway, First Nations land claims and self-government agreements, Arctic Winter Games, Canada Games, annual Yukon Quests, 9/11, countless elections, a global pandemic and so many more major events were all featured in the pages of the Whitehorse Star.

And it wasn’t just those major events that made their way into the Star.

Large and small community events have long been a staple of the Star’s coverage. Local theatre, sports, concerts and other events highlighted the character of the territory.

Editorial pages gave community members a voice and readers perspectives they may not otherwise get. Over the years, countless people have come to recognize the Star’s role in their career — that was evident in the nostalgia blasted out on social media when the Star announced its impending closure.

For many who grew up in Whitehorse, it seemed a Star paper route was that first job where you learned to sling a heavy bag of papers over your shoulder and set out in all kinds of weather to drop papers off on doorsteps — all valuable skills that moved with them long after they gave up their route and moved on.

Other staff — reporters, editors, photographers, those in sales, press workers, stuffers and more — came and left over the Star’s 124 years, becoming part of that larger history.

For many of us, it changed the course of our lives. Like many Yukoners, including myself, the story of coming up to the territory to take a job for a year somehow turned into years with no plans to leave.

For my husband and I, it would take a move Outside (which, thanks to the Star, I now spell with a capital O) to find out this is where we wanted to be and I’m glad to say the Star hired me back at that time.

For the 19 years I was at this Star — minus those six months Outside and a maternity leave — and like so many others who have taken to the Internet to highlight their own history, I am grateful for the opportunities that have come my way.

Without the Star, I would not have found this place I now call home. I would not have gotten to know the community of unique characters that have made their way through the doors of the Star, some who became good friends and made for the best memories.

I would not have gotten what often felt like a front row seat to so much of the territory’s history. I was incredibly fortunate to have had the opportunity to cover everything from a Margaret Atwood book release to Air North’s first Alberta flight, the Yukon Quest, countless elections for so many levels of government, the 2007 Canada Winter Games (and, of course, the opening of the Canada Games Centre), major breaking news events and so much more. To share that information, those stories about community with the community was a privilege.

It has been impossible to look back, sift through the list of stories and choose a favourite, but I am happy that I had the chance to be a small part of this history.

Illegitimus non carborundum.

By STEPHANIE WADDELL