Berton House Writers Retreat Program

The Berton House Writer's Residence Retreat provides a unique opportunity for a professional Canadian creative writer to work in a remote Northern community. The writer is housed free of charge in the boyhood home of author Pierre Berton in Dawson City, Yukon. This program was initiated by Pierre Berton and is organized by the Yukon Arts Council in WHitehorse and the Klondike Visitor's Association and the Dawson City Libraries' Association in Dawson City.

The program is intended to provide professional Canada writers an opporutunity to concentrate on their work in a remote yet exiciting location, where they can become familar with a part of the country they might otherwise not experience. It is also hoped that their writing will be influenced by their Yukon experience.

The program began in 1996 by welcoming Russell Smith. Originally it was a summer only operation. It quickly progressed to a year round operation with four (or more) writers per year.