For New Residents
Situated along the western shore of Kluane Lake, the largest lake in the Yukon, is the community of Destruction Bay. With a total population of 51 (2012), this small area is largely a government services community.
Destruction Bay has a much shorter history than its close neighbor Burwash Landing and many services are shared between the two communities. It was established as a centre for construction and maintenance on the Alaska Highway, and that remains its primary role today.
Destruction Bay is located 17 kilometres south of Burwash Landing, 276 kilometres from Whitehorse and 108 km northwest of Haines Junction.
The principle employer of this small community is the Yukon Government Department of Highways and Public Works, where the highway’s crew is employed year-round.
Destruction Bay is an unincorporated community where the Yukon government is responsible for delivering services to property and residents.
Services
The Kluane Lake School, a kindergarten to grade eight primary school, is located in Destruction Bay, with all seven of the students residing in Burwash Landing [link]. A school bus brings students in from Burwash Landing to Destruction Bay and back.
Health Centre
Nursing facility staffed by one nurse is located in Destruction Bay
General Services
In Destruction Bay, an RV Park and a motel offer a range of services including hotel accommodations, RV parking, a restaurant, laundromat, a general store, and a service station.
Silver City
The community of Silver City, located at the eastern shores of Kluane Lake, was the end of the road from Whitehorse to Kluane until the Alaska Highway was built in the 1940s. It was here that travelers and freight boarded boats to Burwash Landing and other destinations on Kluane Lake.
Silver City was also home to North-West Mounted Police barracks and a trading post in the early 1900s. Many of the buildings can be seen to this day and are considered a national historic site.
Once a thriving mining district, Silver City is filled with fascinating history and inspiring scenery. Today, it boasts a lovely bed and breakfast on the shores of the pristine Kluane Lake.
Kluane Lake Research Station (KLRS)
The research station is located near the Alaska Highway, 220 kilometers northwest of Whitehorse on the south shore of Kluane Lake; it is one of the most valued, celebrated, and well-established institutes of the Arctic Institute of North America.
Family operated since 1961, KLRS celebrated a remarkable 50 years of research over a wide range of disciplines, from glaciology to geology, from botany to climatology, and much more. KLRS is a very busy place in Yukon's short summer; it can accommodate up to 40 national and international researchers.
For more detailed information on Destruction Bay refer to the community of Burwash Landing.