PD Week 2019 – Part 3

I had an extra day in Yellowknife because my flight to Iqaluit wasn’t until Sunday afternoon.  I decided to use the extra day to explore the territorial capital.  Luck was on my side; the weather was sunny and clear.

I left my hotel in the morning and walked along Franklin Avenue towards downtown.  The city centre is a collection of government buildings, corporate offices, banks, apartment blocks, several restaurants, and a small mall.  There wasn’t much happening in the downtown core because it was Saturday.  There were several vehicles driving around and little pedestrian traffic.  I think the city has tried to beautify the area by letting local artists decorate the sides of buildings with large art works and colouring the traffic light cabinets with acceptable graffiti. 

I went inside the YK Centre, the small mall, to warm up, and maybe do some shopping.  The only interesting outlet I found was a gift shop.  I bought a polar bear licence plate that was labelled “Ragged Ass Road”.  It’s a road that really does exist in Yellowknife!  You can see it on Google Maps and it has its own Wikipedia page!

I continued walking northeast towards Old Town Yellowknife.  The road gradually descends a small hill.  I photographed a ptarmigan walking along the road, looking for food.  This was my first time seeing a ptarmigan up close.  Ptarmigan are hunted around Arctic Bay but I never saw them while out on the land.  The NWT Brewing Co is located in Old Time Yellowknife.  Ten cars occupied the small parking lot.  I wasn’t in the mood for beer so I kept walking.  There’ll be another time to visit.   

Past the brewery are the Down To Earth Gallery & Gallery of the Midnight Sun.  I stepped inside the Down To Earth Gallery to see what was on sale.  The store sells art, carvings, books, music CDs, postcards, birch syrup, and tourist souvenirs.  I bought a small bottle of birch syrup and a “I Brake For Ptarmigan!” bumper sticker.  I didn’t go inside the Midnight Sun gallery but I did photograph the six large information panels in front of the place.  The panels provide a brief history of the town, culture, and wildlife.  They look like they were put up by NWT Tourism many years ago.

I continued walking until I came to the end of Franklin Avenue.  The road splits into two directions: Wiley Rd to the left and McDonald Drive on the right.  However, there was a third direction I could go.  There is a boat launching bay at the Y intersection that turns into an entrance point for vehicles wanting to drive onto the frozen lake during winter.  I decided to go this way and check out what the people of Yellowknife do when Yellowknife Bay becomes thick ice.

Yellowknife Bay is quite busy during the winter.  Residents live in cabins, shacks, and boathouses out on the ice.  There is also the Dettah Ice Road that connects the southern town of Dettah to Yellowknife.  The two communities are already connected by a land road but the ice road is a shortcut.  The ice road heads directly south whereas the land road goes north, around the lake, and then south.

I was glad I was wearing sunglasses because sunlight was reflecting off the ice in all directions.  I took off my sunglasses for several seconds and then had to put them back on.     

A large ice castle was being built in Yellowknife Bay.  The windows were made out of clear ice.  Ice carvers were also surrounding the castle with various sculptures of inuksuks, birds, and fish.  A large sign indicated that the castle was being built as the centrepiece for the annual Snowking Winter Festival.  It’s a shame I wouldn’t be in town to experience it.

I walked off the ice after some time and made my way to the Bush Pilots Monument.  The monument sits on top of a hill and has a viewing area for visitors.  I took pictures of Yellowknife and the surrounding landscape in all directions.

Latham Island

Old Town & Downtown Yellowknife

I returned to downtown Yellowknife and stopped into Vietnamese Noodle House for pho.  Having soup was the perfect choice after spending several hours outside in the cold.  I stayed in the restaurant close to an hour, enjoying my large bowl of soup and warming up.

The new Stanton Territorial Hospital.

The last place I explored was Frame Lake.  Winter walking paths are made using snowplows and they criss-cross the lake.  The paths are marked by plastic orange posts with reflectors on them.  The level of thickness varies and the city doesn’t want its citizen to fall through any cracks.  I also took photographs of the new Stanton Hospital being built.  The hospital is said to cost $350 million and will offer much more space & services than the old Stanton Hospital.    

I flew to Rankin Inlet and onward to Iqaluit on Sunday.  I overnighted in Iqaluit and then flew up to Arctic Bay on Monday. 

I really enjoyed the Advanced Wilderness First Aid course and my stay in Yellowknife.  I can now say that I’ve been in all three Canadian territories.  I will definitely visit the capital again in the future.  I feel more confident and prepared to deal with emergency situations out on the land.

End of PD Week 2019 Mini-series.