Overcome with emotions and desire to soak in every inch of Yellowknife, my plan to blog every day quickly went out the window. Thank you to all those who tuned into my Facebook and Instagram Live feeds.
I’ve been back in Alberta for less than a week. Now I want to share with you more of my photos and videos in a three-part series on my time in the northern city. Today I start with a few highlights โ driving The Ingraham Trail and celebrating National Aboriginal Peoples Day and more.
Ingraham Trail
Peppered along this 70-km road are parks, campgrounds, day use areas and hiking trails. It was built in the 1960s as a resource road according to my Google search. My plan was to drive in my yellow Chevrolet Spark the entire 70K and stop at all nine spots (Yellowknife River Day Use Area, Prosperous Lake Boat Launch, Madeline Lake Day Use Area etc). A couple of bikers warned me that I would be in for a bumpy ride. I didn’t want to risk breaking the windshield or getting stuck so I turned around with a couple of stops to go.
I was really tempted to take the plunge when the sun came out … but I chickened out and I didn’t have anyone to record my jump. Because if it didn’t make it on the socials … it didn’t really happen, did it?
National Indigenous Peoples Day (formerly National Aboriginal Day)
My week coincided with National Indigenous Peoples Day, a statutory holiday in the NWT and the Yukon. (It was also the longest day of the year.) The North Slave Mรฉtis Alliance hosted a stage show at the Somba Kโe Civic Plaza near City Hall.
Like a true journalist, I heard an interview in progress and I jumped straight into the fray. I talked to the radio reporter after we turned off our devices and he was fine with my intrusion. I was thrilled to meet Bill Enge president of the North Slave Mรฉtis Alliance.
Throat singing isn’t exactly a thing in Red Deer so I was thrilled to see these two women in action. The crowd โ mostly of tourists โ were mesmerized by it. Everyone had out their smartphones and cameras.
Bristol Monument
The NWT Legislative Assembly
The NWT practices as a consensus government. Simply put it is “a government ruled permanently by a minority government”. (NWT website) There is no party system and “official” opposition. This was very interesting to me so I jumped at the chance for a short tour of the building. Yes, I took notes!
Everything inch of space from the windows, seating to the columns in the room are carefully thought out to represent the consensus government and the traditions of the Aboriginal people. I felt at ease and welcomed in this space (save for the dead animal hide on the floor).
This is called the “room of secrets” or caucus meeting room features a unique acoustic system โ there are no secrets because it’s impossible to whisper in there. The circular room also boasts a collection of A.Y. Jackson landscape paintings and Graham Shaw collages.
More to come … stay tuned for part two of my Yellowknife blog series. I will take you on a tour in Old Town and much more.