Mayo, a quaint village nestled in Yukon, Canada, is a place where history and culture intertwine. Located along the Silver Trail and the Stewart River, Mayo is home to the First Nation of Na-Cho Nyak Dun, translating to "big river people." The village, formerly known as Mayo Landing, is named after Alfred Mayo, a former circus acrobat turned settler and explorer.
Before the arrival of Europeans, the area was home to two communities of the Na-cho Nyäk Dun people, who lived by hunting and trapping. The Stewart River, known to them as the "Náhcho Nyäk" ('Great River'), was a significant part of their lives. The people resided across the Stewart River from what is now Mayo, in a district now known as "Old Mayo village".
The first gold discoveries in the area were made in the 1880s, with silver also discovered later. Until the mid-20th century, Mayo was only connected with the outside world by the river and received supplies by boat. The construction of the Klondike Highway and the Silver Trail in the 1950s provided Mayo with a road link to Stewart Crossing.
Between 1973 and 1984, negotiations took place between the government and Northern Tutchone leaders over land rights and self-government. A breakthrough came in 1993 with a treaty concerning an area of 4,739 km2 (1,830 sq mi) and a payment, over fifteen years, totalling C$14.5 million.
According to the 2021 Canadian census conducted by Statistics Canada, Mayo had a population of 188 living in 108 of its 149 total private dwellings, a change of -6% from its 2016 population of 200. With a land area of 0.98 km2 (0.38 sq mi), it had a population density of 191.8/km2 (496.9/sq mi) in 2021.
Mayo experiences a subarctic climate (Köppen: Dfc), with warm summers and severely cold winters that last half the year. Spring and autumn are very short transitional seasons, with average temperatures rising and falling very quickly. The temperature difference between the record low in February (−62.2 °C [−80.0 °F]) and the record high in June (36.1 °C (97.0 °F)) is (−98.3 °C (−176.9 °F)), one of the largest temperature differentials ever recorded. Mayo has some of the warmest summers in the Yukon with a mean average summer temperature of 14.5 °C (58.1 °F).
Mayo is serviced by Mayo Airport and its only school is the J.V. Clark School, named after James Vincent Clark (1924–1994). As of December 2022, the school had 46 students with 34 in primary and 12 in secondary. As of the 2023 - 2024 school year, the principal is Douglas Cooper.
Mayo has a rich history of mining. In May 2008, a preliminary agreement was made with Alexco Resource Corp concerning silver extraction in the Keno Hill Silver area near the far end of Mayo Lake (approximately 45 km (28 mi) northeast of the village) where the corporation operates approximately 40 silver mines.
Discover the rich history, vibrant culture, and stunning landscapes of Mayo, Yukon, a village that offers a unique blend of past and present.
