Yellowknife is Not Up North

Like many Canadians living on the coast or along the US border, I thought Yellowknife was up north. Now I know the truth because I have been there. My son and his wife to be moved there in December and I recently spent a week with them. Once I had my flight booked, I really paid attention to the map and realized that there are hundreds of kilometers above Yellowknife and in fact it is roughly in the centre of Canada. on the edge of the Artic and in the wilderness. The North West Territories is an area of 1,349,000 sq km. Yellowknife has a population of about 20,000 and growing. This growth is fueled by government services , the gold and diamond mining industry.

The airfare from Vancouver to Calgary or Edmonton, then direct to Yellowknife is approximately $1,000 flight time less than three hours. I spent more time than that waiting at airports. The pilot on the second part of the flight was a woman and I looked forward to a female voice announcing “This is your Captain speaking” but it was not to be. On this flight the only announcement was a male voice letting passengers know they could buy a drink for $6.00 or be served complimentary coffee or tea.

Vancouver to Calgary was familiar scenery, but soon after leaving Calgary the landscape changed from quilted fields of green, yellow and brown, to rocks and hundreds of lakes. It seemed there was more water below than land.. The forests were replaced with scrub and small pines growing out of dusky pink patches of the Canadian Shield. I began to understand the feeling of isolation in the wilderness as there was no sign of human habitation until Yellowknife came into view. We flew over part of Great Slave Lake and there it was, a city in the wilderness. high rises, roads and houses.

It is a small but busy airport with regular airport trimmings, check in desks, baggage carrousels and lost luggage. I had checked in one large back pack and a bicycle. Previous enquiries had informed me that I could replace one of my suitcases with a bike as long as it was in a bag or box. Air Canada would supply one when I checked in. This turned out to be incorrect. as they no longer provide the bag or box. Fortunately I had sewn a cloth bag 6' x 4' with a draw string top from a piece of gold and brown large flowered print. You really couldn't miss it, or so I thought. Wrong.. It had been missed and did not arrive with me and my other baggage. Ten minutes later I had lost luggage file claim number.. It showed up next day, still in its hideous bold bag, wearing a tag that read ”Express delivery. Priority.”

Yellowknife is a small city and one of the best ways of getting around is by bicycle. It gives you the freedom to explore unpaved roads, parks, trails and the city centre. . It is built on the Great Canadian Shield and trails lead over great boulders not at all suitable for bikes. You end up pushing or carrying it when the boardwalks and blacktop surfaces just disappear. From the 9km Frame Lake trail you can get to the centre of town, the library, the legislature and the museum. It was at the museum where I learned some of the history that explained the development and location of Yellowknife. By 1937, with a boost from the brand new bush plane industry, Yellowknife became a boom town. As the “Old Town” community of shacks, tents and log cabins outgrew its Yellowknife Bay location, a new town site was established further up the hill. The city was named capital of the Northwest Territories in 1970,. The legislature building was opened in 1994 prior to that members met in the mall.

Several big box stores have arrived, including Extra foods enabling restaurants to offer a variety of meals from authentic Vietnamese dishes to a muskibou burger (musk ox and caribou) with brie cheese. French fires made from Yukon Gold potatoes have a lovely yellow centre and fine flavour. Fish is the one food item that does not need to be trucked or flown in. Trout, Northern Pike, Walleye and Whitefish are easily obtained from the nearby lakes. .

When leaving Yellowknife I was asked by security in a lilting Newfoundland accent, if I had any liquids or gels, I declared my 500grams of cream cheese. She smiled and agreed with me she didn't know if it was either and to ask at the next security check

It was in my hand luggage and raised no questions as it went through the scanner.. Not being one to volunteer information I also raised no questions. This cheese was the partner to the box of crackers that would be my lunch.. My window seat was beside the wing restricting my view of the lakes that sparkled in the early morning sun, rocks and small trees. Remote, wild and beautiful said it all.

I will go back to Yellowknife to discover stories of native residents and people passing through. There are many stories to be told, I would like to talk to the taxi drivers from Somali, the Australian female ramp worker at the airport, the Newfoundland bar tender, the Vietnamese chef, the English waitress and native artists. I only stayed a week, they have stayed for years. The north and Yellowknife have a lot to offer enquiring minds, people who enjoy adventure and the outdoors life. If you get the opportunity to visit., say Yes and go North.