Arms of the Caribou Hotel
Arms of the Caribou Hotel
Blazon
Azure the silhouette of a woman affronty holding an antique lantern Argent, a chapé embowed Azure bezanté charged with two triangular flaps issuant from the chapé line Or;
Symbolism
Blue is the traditional colour of the Caribou Hotel, while gold refers to the hotel’s creation during the Klondike Gold Rush. The discs represent the gold deposits found in the tributaries of the Klondike River. The design evokes the open flaps of a tent and, therefore, the hotel’s origins as a wholesale liquor outlet set in a canvas wall tent at the prospectors’ camp in Bennett, British Columbia. The ghostly figure alludes to Bessie Gideon, a former hotel owner who is reputed to haunt the establishment. The lantern represents the kerosene lamps that have welcomed guests for over 100 years.
Crest of the Caribou Hotel
Blazon
A yellow-naped parrot proper perched on a birdcage Or;
Symbolism
The bird on its cage represents Polly the Parrot, an institution at the Caribou Hotel from 1918 to 1972.
Motto of the Caribou Hotel
Blazon
STRANGE THINGS DONE;
Symbolism
This line is from the poem The Cremation of Sam McGee written by Robert W. Service, known as the “Bard of Yukon.” It alludes to the experiences of the miners during the Klondike Gold Rush, when the hotel was first created, as well as to the hotel’s haunted reputation.
Supporters of the Caribou Hotel
Blazon
Two caribou that to the dexter supporting a shovel that to the sinister a pickaxe, both standing on a tundra set with two burlap sacks and strewn with fireweed, all in front of snowy mountains proper;
Symbolism
The caribou are a canting reference to the name of the hotel, as well as an allusion to the importance of the species in the history of the town, whose name Carcross is a short form of “Caribou Crossing.” The ground on which they stand symbolizes the terrain of the Chilkoot Trail, along which prospectors travelled to reach the Yukon. The shovel, pick and sacks of provisions represent the “ton of goods” that prospectors were required to carry in order to make the journey, including food and mining supplies. Fireweed is the territorial floral emblem for the Yukon and is commonly found in the area surrounding the hotel.
