Pioneer or squatter? YouTuber’s cabin sparks fight over Canada’s wilderness

Matty Clarke outside his self-built cabin in the Yukon territory. ‘I do not look at myself as a trespasser but a guardian or steward of the land,’ he wrote. Photograph: Skote outdoors

As much of North America was locked down during the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, Matty Clarke was in a boat full of supplies, motoring up the Yukon River. He was searching for wild lands where he could strike it rich.

“Getting myself a goldmine,” he told viewers on his YouTube channel. “Everyone’s heard about all this gold up there. You must be curious yourself – what’s actually going on up there? Can I just show up with all this stuff and end up having a goldmine? I think so.”