Yellowknife

By Hélèna Katz

The sound of dogs howling and barking greeted us as we climbed out of the van at Beck’s Kennels. As we walked down the path and rounded the corner, three sleds and 178 dogs came into view. “Pick me, pick me,” they yelped as a musher began hitching up some of the canines to one of the toboggans. Everyone wanted to go for a run around Kam Lake, on the edge of Yellowknife.

Our guide from Raven Tours helped tuck the three of us into the sled as we sat in a neat little single-file row. The team of 16 dogs ahead of us tugged impatiently on their leads. Then the musher pulled up the anchor and hopped on the back. The only sounds were those of the sled scraping along the snow and the squeals of my two Japanese companions as we chugged up a hill and flew down the other side. Every so often, the musher would yell “Austin” to urge one of the dogs to step on it. It was a relaxing ride, and the only leg power that was required was on the part of the dogs – making this a good activity for people with mobility-related disabilities.

Until the advent of cars and snowmobiles, dog sledding was a vital means of transportation for Aboriginal people in Alaska and Canada’s North. Dog sleds hauled supplies and carried explorers into North America’s most inhospitable wilderness. Annual dog sled races still pay homage to dog sledding’s historic importance, although it has become a recreational sport.

It’s just one of the activities you can try around Yellowknife, the capital of the Northwest Territories. Located on the north shore of Great Slave Lake, this town of 18,000 people combines modern conveniences with a slice of the outdoors. Its name comes from the copper-coloured knives the area’s Dene people originally used when explorers arrived.

The Dogrib nation had been occupying the area when gold was found on the shores of Yellowknife Bay in 1934. Two years later, the area was booming with gold seekers. By 1939, Yellowknife had a population of 1,000 people. After the Second World War, overcrowding in Old Town sparked the construction of New Town. It was named the capital of the NWT in 1967.

Old Town is built on a rocky peninsula that sticks out into Yellowknife Bay. Contrary to New Town’s neatly arranged streets in perfect rows, Old Town’s winding streets seem improvised. It looks as though people built their houses wherever seemed opportune and a surveyor came by later to build the streets around them.

This area is home to Ragged Ass Road, made famous by a Tom Cochrane album of the same name. It’s actually named for a now-defunct mining syndicate. The name of another street, Lois Lane, was inspired by a Superman character popularized by actress and well-known Yellowknifer Margot Kidder. We drive by the famous Wild Cat Café, which is only open in summer. Out on Yellowknife Bay, houseboats lie wedged in by the winter ice. This is probably the most northerly houseboat community.

Before leaving Old Town, stop in at the wheelchair-accessible Gallery of the Midnight Sun. One side of the store shows beautiful soapstone carvings and jewellery while the other offers a variety of gift items such as dream catchers, northern canned pâtés and jerky, T-shirts and cards. The gallery also gives workshops for about $40 showing people how to make dream catchers. Call ahead to find out when the next one will be offered or how to organize your own session.

With the opening of two diamond mines about 300 km north of Yellowknife since 1998 and the presence of four diamond cutting and polishing facilities in town, Yellowknife now lives up to its trademarked slogan, “the Diamond capital of North America.” It’s rather telling that the Dogrib name for Yellowknife, Somba K’e, means the money place. To learn more about how diamonds were formed and are recovered from the ground, drop by the street-level storefront of the Diavik Visitors’ Centre downtown and just glide right in.

Then head over to the wheelchair-accessible Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre, which takes visitors through the history, flora and fauna of the Northwest Territories. A big polar bear greets visitors at the door, and one of the displays features 10 spectacular images of places in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories.

Another display takes you through the North’s history, from its peoples to the search for the Northwest Passage, the fur trade, whaling, the presence of the police and missionaries as well as prospecting and mining. The aviation gallery, at the end of the hall, features a real bush plane and explains how bush pilots were a lifeline to the North. Then head up the ramp to a display of paintings by a local artist and an accessible café that offers the best lunch in town on weekdays.

Cross the parking lot and follow the path to the wheelchair-accessible Legislative Assembly, the round building discreetly tucked behind the trees. Tours are offered weekday mornings. Until this building was opened on November 17, 1993, the legislative assembly would meet in communities around the territory. That meant disassembling the Speaker’s chair and loading it onto a plane along with the MLAs’ seats.

While standing in the legislature’s foyer, known as the Great Hall, visitors can get a clear view of the circular chambers where the 19 members of the legislative assembly sit. There are no political parties up here; each MLA is elected as an independent. The Premier is chosen from among the elected MLAs a few weeks after the territorial elections are held. The consensus-style government stems from the Aboriginal traditions of the NWT. A polar bear rug lies sprawled in the middle of the legislature, a gift from an MLA who shot it when the ursine beast threatened his community.

One part of the legislature faces Yellowknife’s downtown core, while the other looks out towards the bush. It’s a reminder that most communities in the NWT have fewer than 500 people and few have roads leading into their community. They’re surrounded by nothing but the bush and the lakes that dot the landscape. A path outside the museum leads to the Ceremonial Circle and the flags of the 33 communities of the NWT. It’s another reminder that there’s life beyond Yellowknife.

As you head back towards downtown, you might notice big, fat ravens the size of housecats. Yellowknife has the largest concentration of ravens on the continent, with about 2,000. In December, 1991, biologists apparently counted 800 ravens within about two city blocks.

Built up an appetite from all that sightseeing and shopping? Try a bison burger or some Arctic char at Le Frolic, a terrific bistro-bar on 49th Street. There is one step at the front door, none at the side entrance. The ambience is lovely, but it was so dark inside that I nearly asked the waitress for a flashlight when I dropped something on the floor. No matter, the artichoke dip and Arctic char were delicious.

If you’re lucky during a winter visit, you just might see the aurora borealis. Yellowknife is said to be one of the best places on earth to catch a glimpse of it. Raven Tours brings visitors out to its camp on the edge of the Ingraham trail east of Yellowknife to see the lights away from the brightness of the city. They don’t have wheelchair accessible vehicles but will do their best to accommodate your needs when you call. Their viewing platform isn’t wheelchair accessible but their main cabin is, so you won’t freeze as you wander in and out to gaze heavenward for the colourful signs of the northern lights. If you listen carefully, perhaps you can hear the spirits as they dance across the sky.

(Hélèna Katz is a freelance writer living in Montreal, Quebec.)

IF YOU GO:

Northern Frontier Visitors Centre
1-888-877-4262
www.northernfrontier.com

Northwest Territories Arctic Tourism
1-800-661-0788
www.discovernorth.ca

Raven Tours
Dog sled rides, aurora viewing, city tours and a variety of other options.
(867) 873-8131
www.raventours.yk.com

Gallery of the Midnight Sun
(867) 873-8064
www.gallerymidnightsun.com

Where to Eat:

Le Frolic Bistro and Bar
(867) 873-9561
www.lefrolic.com

Vietnamese Noodle House
(867) 873-3399

Pascal’s French Bakery
(867) 920-2048