Michael Gates
Michael Gates is a Canadian historian and writer who was appointed the Yukon Territory’s first Story Laureate and the author of several historical books, including From the Klondike to Berlin, Dublin Gulch: The History of the Eagle Gold Mine, and Hollywood in the Klondike. He was formerly the curator of collections for Klondike National Historical Sites in Dawson City.[1]
Biography
Gates was born and raised in Alberta and received his Bachelor’s Degree in Archaeology in 1970 from the University of Calgary. He imagined himself working as an archaeologist in Central America, hunting for hidden pyramids in the jungle. Gates took a year off from study and found himself working as an archaeological assistant in the southern Yukon. After watching historic cabins be bulldozed, he quickly appreciated that history was fragile and vulnerable, and could be lost forever. So, the Yukon became his lodestar, displacing his dreams of working in the Yucatan for good.[2]
When a position with Parks Canada opened up as curator of collections for the Klondike Historic Sites in Dawson City in early 1978, Gates was hired and spent the next 20 years building his knowledge of the Klondike Gold Rush era. From the late 1990s to his retirement in 2008, he worked as Cultural Resource Manager for the Yukon Field Unit of Parks Canada.[3] Since 2007 he has written a weekly history column for the Yukon News entitled “History Hunter.”[4] He currently lives in Whitehorse.
Works
- Gold at Fortymile Creek (1994)
- History Hunting in the Yukon (2010)
- Dalton's Gold Rush Trail: Exploring the Route of the Klondike Cattle Drives (2012)
- Hollywood in the Klondike: Dawson City’s Great Film Find (2022)
Awards and honours
· Story Laureate of Yukon (2021-2023)
· Axiom Business Book Award – Silver Medal: Dublin Gulch: A History of the Eagle Gold Mine. March 2021.[5]
· Fred Kerner Book Award Short List: From the Klondike to Berlin. 2018.[6]
· Yukon Heritage Award. (Lifetime Achievement in Heritage Award) Issued by Yukon Historical and Museums Association. 2007.[7]
References
- ↑ "Commissioner introduces first Story Laureate of Yukon". yukon.ca. 2020-10-16. Retrieved 2023-12-14.
- ↑ Listen to Michael Gates, author and Story Laureate of Yukon, explain what motivates him to write. Écoutez Michael Gates, auteur et messager d'histoires... | By Office of the Commissioner of Yukon | Facebook, retrieved 2023-12-14
- ↑ "Gates, Michael". ABC BookWorld. Retrieved 2023-12-14.
- ↑ "History Hunter 2021 - Yukon Historical and Museums Association". 2022-07-27. Retrieved 2023-12-15.
- ↑ "2021 Medalists". axiomawards.com. Retrieved 2023-12-15.
- ↑ "2018 Fred Kerner Book Award Winner and Shortlist | Canadian Authors Association". 2018-06-13. Retrieved 2023-12-15.
- ↑ "Previous Recipients - Yukon Historical and Museums Association". 2022-07-21. Retrieved 2023-12-15.
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