The community has an airport located 13 kms north on the Robert Campbell Highway.  The airport has a runway capable of supporting Boeing 737 aircraft. The airport building has been declared a heritage building and restored to its original state. Several charter fixed-wing and helicopter companies are based in the community, offering passenger, freight, and courier services. A float plane base is also located at the north end of Watson Lake (the body of water, not the town itself) near the airport.

Watson Lake - "Gateway to the Yukon"
The Town of Watson Lake is the first community travelers discover as they enter the Yukon from the south. Its strategic location has made it an essential supplier for mining and mineral exploration in the southeastern Yukon. Vehicles traveling the Alaska or Campbell Highways find Watson Lake an essential service stop on their trips. Many hunters, fishers, and trappers use it as a base to explore the rich wilderness in the area. Watson Lake lies within the area that people of Kaska-Dene lineage claim as their traditional territory. Land claims are in final negotiations and should be settled in the near future.

Watson Lake is a very active community and has recreational facilities surpassing any of those in southern communities of the same size. It has a heated swimming pool for summer use, tennis courts, water slide, skateboard park, golf course, a ski hill (with 10 runs, two T-bars, and night skiing). There are 96 kms of multipurpose trails around the town and numerous parks including Wye Lake Park in the town centre; Lucky Lake (just outside of town); and the Signpost Forest--a major tourist attraction. A new recreation complex will be completed by July 2000. It will house a three-lane bowling alley, hockey arena and curling rink (both with artificial ice).  The Recplex will include:

• a weight room
• squash courts
• meeting rooms
• a community hall capable of seating 500 people

The Northern Lights Space and Science Centre, opened in 1997, is dedicated to explaining the Myth and Mysteries of the Northern Lights.  It features information about the Canadian space program. On a flight in 1999, Julie Payette, a Canadian astronaut with connections to the Centre, took artifacts from the town with her.  These are on display at the Centre along with other mementos of the space program.

Climate
The climate in Watson Lake, as elsewhere in the Yukon, can vary considerable. In 1997, weather reports showed the average daily temperature in January was minus 27.7 degrees Celsius, while in July the daily average was plus 15.3 degrees. The record high in 1997 was plus 27 degrees while the record low was minus 49 degrees.

Cost of Living
In general, Whitehorse has the lowest prices in the Yukon. Due to the fact that Watson Lake is on the Alaska Highway, a major supply route from the south, some prices are slightly lower than those found in Whitehorse, other prices are substantially higher. On average, it costs about ten percent more to live in Watson Lake than in Whitehorse.

The Economy
Watson Lake is the regional service and business centre for the southeastern Yukon and has a diversified economy. Forestry is important, and energy exploration provides some further activity. Business travel and commercial transportation, linked to resource exploration and to Watson Lake's role as a transportation hub, are important to the local economy. Tourism has been increasing in importance, especially in the markets of Europe and southeast Asia.

The government services sector is a major source of employment, as are accommodation and food services. Employment in forestry, at eight percent of total employment, is significantly higher than it is for the remainder of the Yukon. Since Watson Lake provides community services to the surrounding area, the share of employment in health and education services is fairly close to the overall Yukon pattern. For a more detailed economic profile, go here.