Happy Birthday, Joe Boyle: Celebrating a 'larger-than-life' Klondike hero

"Klondike" Joe Boyle is not quitea household name in Canada, or even Yukon, and Max Fraserthinks that's a real shame.

"He was a man of incredible accomplishments on a number of fronts. And I'm quite passionate about trying to champion his legacy," said Fraser, a Whitehorse-based filmmaker and history buff.

"He was one of many larger-than-life characters out of the Klondike goldrush."

Boyle died nearly a century ago (in 1923), but Fraser's working hard to keep his memory alivewith a birthday celebrationthis weekend in Whitehorse.Monday marks the 150th anniversary of Boyle's birth.

He was born just a few months after Confederation, making him "one of the first Canadian-born Canadians,"Fraser says.

"So, now's the time to have a party."

'Indiana Jones-style heroics'

Boyle's life involveda stringof improbable adventures that spanned the world from small town Ontario, to the Klondike, toBolshevik Russia, tothe Romanian royal palace.

Along the way, he demonstrated a knack for "Indiana Jones-style heroics," Frasersays.

Boyle was raised in Woodstock, Ont. and came to Yukon as a young man in search of gold. He found it.

Hebecame a major player in the Klondike, making a fortune in gold and timber, andbringing the first large-scale dredges to the Klondike gold fields. He was soona local legend, but didn't stick around long to enjoy thesuccess.

"He vanquished his rivalshe was the king of the Klondike.Then war broke out," Fraser said.

Boyle was too old to enlist as a soldier in the First World War, but he left forEurope anyway. He ended up in Russia, helping re-organize the country's railway system as the war raged on, and the Bolsheviks took over the country.

Soon, Boyle made his way to Romania where he helped repatriatesome of its treasures from Moscow. He was then also maintaining a ring of hundreds of British spies, in eastern Europe.

"It's hard to fathom that there could be a character out of history that accomplished this many things,"Frasersaid.

"By the end ofWorld War One,Joe Boyle had been awarded medals from France, England, Romaniaand Russia.He never got amedal from Canadabecause he never reported to the Canadianarmy he acted on his own."

• PHOTOS | Blank pages in the history book: Yukon during the First World War

A Romanian royal romance?

In 1918, Boylemet Marie of Edinburgh Queen of Romaniaand "became smitten," Frasersays.

The royal and the roguequickly formed a bond, but it's not clear whether there was any romance. Fraser says it's one of the enduring mysteries of Boyle's life.

"They hit it off in a big way, and the historical record's a little vague on exactly the true nature of their relationship.But it's a lot of fun to talk aboutand to speculate!" Frasersaid.

After the war, Boyle again helped the country, by securingan extraordinary $25 million in aid for Romania from the Canadian government.

Mover of mountains

To Fraser, Boyle is a truly heroicfigure that deserves special recognition in Yukon, where he first made his name.

"He always thought big, and acted big, and he was a personality even if he didn't have the dredges who could literally move mountains and rivers."

The birthday partyon Saturday afternoon is a free event open to everybody, with cake, dancing, and a life-size cardboard figure of Boyle, so people can take pictures with the legend. It's at the Mount McIntryeRecreation Centre in Whitehorse, from 12 until 4 p.m.

Fraser is also promising something special ahistoric artifact that's being brought down from Dawson City. He won't say what it is, but says it hasn't left Dawson since 1922.

"It's a surprise for Joe's birthday."