Janice Cliff
Janice Cliff has a fine arts degree in photography. She moved to Dawson in 1993 where she worked two full-time jobs and opened Peabody’s Photo Parlour with no background in business. She offered custom darkroom work, old time photos, and services as a wedding photographer. At first, Janice had an unheated building so she could only be open in the summer. She was worried about the effect of deep cold on her equipment and processing material, so she soon moved to a heated building and expanded to a year-round clientele. The only thing she then had to deal with was the grit from Dawson’s unpaved streets.1)
As an interpreter with Parks Canada, Klondike National Historic Sites in Dawson, Janice was involved with the development of the Red Serge, Red Tape: From Tr’ondëk to Klondike interpretive program. It was an innovative program developed with the assistance of the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in First Nation.2)
In 2024, the Yukon Government presented its annual community recreation leadership award to Janice Cliff, Verna Nukon and Courtney Terriah. This award recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to community recreation in the Yukon. Janice Cliff was instrumental in building a thriving and growing women’s hockey community and continued to volunteer hundreds of hours each year organizing, coaching, officiating, fundraising, recruiting and supporting new players. The Klondike Ice Queens Women’s Hockey Women’s hockey was/is a vital component of mental and physical health for many in Dawson and it would not exist if not for Janice.3) In 2024, Janice Cliff was the Parks Canada site manager for Klondike National Historic Sites. She finalized negotiations to transfer the Red Feather Saloon land to the Yukon government that began in 1987. The original saloon was built in 1902 and was one of the last saloons built and licensed in Dawson. After the saloon was destroyed by fire, the Yukon government built a replica in 1990. In 1991, the territory and Parks Canada struck an agreement to transfer the land and that was fulfilled in August 2024.4)