Yukon Lady: A Tale of Loyalty and Courage

Caroline M. Hallsworth is a librarian at Cambrian College in Sudbury.

In September 1905, Emma Smythe, a newlywed from New Brunswick, set out with her husband Waldron for the gold fields of the Yukon. After a long winter spent working a claim on Hender-son Creek, Emma and Waldron moved to the settlement of Stewart, taking over the Stewart River Grocery, which, in addition to selling foodstuffs, served as an outfitter for the prospectors and other area residents. Eventually, Emma and Waldron assumed other duties, including the distribution of mail over a vast area. By 1910, Waldron began showing signs of ill health and, during his trips “outside” for treatment, Emma was forced to continue their business alone, overcoming daunting obstacles — not the least of which was that of being a woman in a primarily male world. Faced with the realization that Waldron’s illness was terminal, Emma, with courage and determination, made a hazardous journey, during spring break-up, to Victoria, in order that she might bring her husband home to die. The period following Waldron’s death was a difficult one for Emma, but she continued on, adding fur trading to her business ventures. In 1921, recognizing the demise of Stewart, Emma Smythe left her beloved North forever.

Like Laura Berton, who also travelled to the Klondike in 1905 and who recounted her adventures in I Married the Klondike (McClelland and Stewart, 1972), Emma Smythe has a retentive memory and is a true raconteur. In fact, one quickly forgets that this story is told through the intermediary of Hugh Maclean, and hears instead the voice of Emma Smythe, describing the many adventures of her life in the Yukon. Despite the many tragedies of which she tells, Smythe neither complains nor becomes overly sentimental, but confronts her feelings honestly, thus evoking a genuine response from the reader.

The descriptions of Smythe’s contacts with Canada’s native people are disturbing in that they reflect stereotyping and racism. However, one should remember that these accounts reflect a particular epoch in Canadian history.

Yukon Lady is a story of challenge and adventure, of personal strength, and of the compelling beauty of the North.