Gold-rush era Westminster Hotel lost to fire in Dawson City
Posted May 17, 2026 09:02:58 PM.
Last Updated May 17, 2026 09:13:12 PM.
DAWSON CITY — A gold-rush era hotel in the Yukon has been destroyed by fire.
Dawson City Mayor Stephen Johnson says in a Facebook post on Sunday that the city woke to heartbreaking news that the Westminster Hotel — known as “The Pit” to locals — was lost.
Images and video posted to social media show flames and thick, dark smoke shooting from the wooden, three-storey structure as firefighters douse the blaze with water.
Johnson says in his post that he’s grateful no lives were lost.
The bar in the hotel was damaged earlier in January when a water main broke amid a cold snap, flooding the street outside.
Johnson says everyone in Dawson felt at home there and that “losing it feels personal because it is personal.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 17, 2026.
The Canadian Press
