Harry Kern
Harry Kern was born to German immigrant parents who settled in Keno and then lived in Whitehorse until Harry was 10, when the family moved to Victoria. Harry was always a voracious reader and writer while he also gained bush skills. He left home at age sixteen and eventually pursued a degree in English. In his early 20s, in the early 1970s, he returned to the Yukon to take part in the territory’s booming economy. He worked out of Bennett for White Pass & Yukon Route. He and his partner Cynthia met in 1990.1)
Harry managed his roofing company, Haywire Industries, for 30 years. The company was named after his nickname. Harry is a man who is unconventional and able to handle all eventualities. He has always been community oriented and hired people just out of jail to give them a trade and gain back some credibility. He volunteered at the Mt. McIntyre Cross Country Ski Club, clearing and grooming trails from 1981 to 1986. He was the creative and constructive engineer behind the popular “Dog Trail.” He was a founding member of the Carcross Ranger Patrol in 1992 and remained part of that group. He also helped found the Yukon Quest and was the trail photographer for sixteen years. In 2000, he helped found the Yukon River Marathon Paddling Association, now the Yukon River Quest. .2)
Harry Kern is the author of the popular website yukontales.com that tells stories based on his enormous wealth of Yukon photographs.3)