Robyn Gillespie, one of the Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous Princesses and Miss Big Bear Donair traveled to Saskatchewan for the Taste of Saskatchewan Festival and Ness Creek Music Festival to promote the Yukon and Whitehorse.

           

  Gillespie who owns Big Bear Donair, in Whitehorse, with her partner, was involved with the Rendezvous Queen, Quest for the Crown, fundraiser that is part of the annual Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous Festival in Whitehorse.

           

  The festival was first founded in 1945, as Yukon Carnival week but wasn't until 1964, that the festival name was changed and finally registered as the Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous Festival. It strives to be the premier winter festival in Canada.  For 2017, to coincide with Canada's 150th anniversary, the festival's theme was Connecting Canada.

           

  Gillespie is one of two princesses representing the festival, as part of the court which includes a Queen, People's Princess, Miss Congeniality as well as a male countertop , Sourdough Sam. " I was involved with the Rendezvous Queen Festival, which is the number one fundraiser. It's a little bit more serious. It's got a lot of different aspects, like a tea with senior, speech competition."  Gillespie said.

           

  Gillespie was compelled to travel to Saskatchewan as she finds a lot of common with the Yukon. "I really find that Yukon and Saskatoon have a lot in common. They both really promote the arts and love their local musicians and a passion for the wilderness. Gillespie who lived in Saskatoon for a decade, was continually drawn back to the Yukon after being born there, she felt a magnetic pull always drawing her back. "It's so pristine and you can see a billion stars and you can see the Northern Lights are out every single night."

           

  Gillespie ran as Miss Big Bear Donair, the Yukon's only Donair shop that she opened two years ago. "We had really good feedback, Classified, came up for New Years, and said we had the best Donairs west of Halifax. We make everything homemade, we've had people from the Middle East better than their Grandparents."

           

  Gillespie's passion for the Yukon drives her daily life. "A thing I really love about the Yukon is it's really pet friendly and they have a huge love of dogs. "

           

  Gillespie is excited to head to Ness Creek, which she has attended for seven years and plans to climb a favourite tree in a Leopard costume to help promote the Winter Festival.

 

"I think there's so many things you really need to see to fully absorb how beautiful the Yukon is. It's so dry up there that instead of snow, everything forms these beautiful crystals. It's just a magical place to be"