Braeburn Lodge, a beloved roadside landmark on the Klondike Highway roughly 110 km (about an hour) north of Whitehorse, closed indefinitely on May 28, 2026. Located east of Braeburn Lake and north of Braeburn Mountain, the lodge sat on the historic route of the Dawson Overland Trail, built in 1902 to connect Whitehorse and Dawson City.
Founded in the early 1960s by Joan and Arnold Veinott, the lodge began as a simple coffee shop and rest stop for travelers between Carmacks and Whitehorse. The Veinotts, originally from Ottawa and with military ties, saw the need for a reliable stopping point and developed the property after managing a store in Carmacks. The lodge’s signature giant cinnamon buns are said to trace back even earlier, to a previous operator in the 1950s.
For more than three decades, Steve Watson (35.5 years) and Leigh Knox (33 years) ran Braeburn Lodge every single day of the year. It became famous far beyond the Yukon for its enormous cinnamon buns — often large enough to feed two people — along with hearty burgers and sandwiches served on homemade white bread. The interior walls were covered with photographs and banners from the Yukon Quest, as the lodge served as a checkpoint on the traditional race route every February. Across the highway sits the Cinnamon Bun Airstrip, named in honour of the famous treats and immortalized in a song by Valdy. A short distance northwest, a small shrine and cluster of signage mark the old Dawson Overland Trail.
The closure followed a difficult winter that caused extensive damage, including frozen and broken water pipes beneath the building. Owner Steve Watson, who turned 78 on the day of closure, was also dealing with serious health issues and received care at Whitehorse General Hospital. Leigh Knox had retired the previous summer. Although Watson had hoped to open for one final summer season, it was not possible.
On May 29, Leigh Knox posted the news on Facebook, describing the end of “a great long run” and noting that a caretaker would remain on site.
Braeburn Lodge’s giant cinnamon buns, warm hospitality, and role as a Yukon Quest checkpoint made it a true highway icon for generations of travelers, mushers, and pilots. Its closure marks the end of an era on the Klondike Highway.
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