Cold - Focusnorth
Cold - Focusnorth Cold - Focusnorth
Cold: Put it it to the test YELLOWKNIFE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES, CANADA A PREMIER LOCATION FOR COLD WEATHER TESTING
- Page 2 and 3: TABLE OF CONTENTS Welcome . . . . .
- Page 4 and 5: 2 Forty-two inches of ice is all th
- Page 6 and 7: 4 8 Cold Facts • First year of op
- Page 8 and 9: 6 “FLYING UP HERE IS ALWAYS A CHA
- Page 10 and 11: 8 Jerry Jaud DESIGNED WITH COLD IN
- Page 12 and 13: 10 AMENITIES AND SERVICES 13 Airpor
- Page 15 and 16: Quick Facts 1. Location: 62°27N, 1
- Page 17 and 18: Hospitality Anderson Thomson Tower
- Page 19 and 20: traditional aboriginal gear and pro
- Page 21 and 22: ‘snow-prentices’ get bigger and
- Page 23 and 24: shows from around the world, from t
- Page 25 and 26: All of these features have made Aur
- Page 27 and 28: KEY CONTACTS NWT Tourism www .spect
<strong>Cold</strong>: Put it it to the test<br />
YELLOWKNIFE<br />
NORTHWEST TERRITORIES, CANADA<br />
A PREMIER LOCATION FOR COLD WEATHER TESTING
TABLE OF CONTENTS<br />
Welcome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1<br />
Ice Road Reality - Erik Madsen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2<br />
Polar Pilots - Paul Laserich . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6<br />
Designed With <strong>Cold</strong> In Mind - Jerry Jaud . . . . . . . . 8<br />
Amenities And Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10<br />
Map Of Yellowknife And Facts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12<br />
The Other Desert Race - Scott Smith . . . . . . . . . . . 16<br />
Kingdom Of Snow And Ice - Anthony Foliot . . . . 18<br />
Testing Snowmobiles On Dog-sled Tracks -<br />
Grant Beck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20<br />
Under The Lights - Don Morin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22<br />
<strong>Cold</strong> Facts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24<br />
Key Contacts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25<br />
1 2 3<br />
LOOKING FOR COLD?<br />
WE ARE IT !<br />
As soon as you arrive in Yellowknife, you feel the<br />
City’s distinctive northern character as a cold<br />
climate City . Our rocky topography is covered<br />
for a large part of the year by a blanket of ice<br />
and snow as our City bustles with daily activity .<br />
We are a small City with the infrastructure,<br />
amenities and services found in a much larger<br />
City .<br />
Whether you need an empty building to cold<br />
test an airplane, storage for your equipment<br />
and gear, a frozen lake, or comfortable<br />
accommodations – you will find what you need<br />
in Yellowknife .<br />
If work is not what brings you to our winter City,<br />
you will be kept busy with an abundance of<br />
winter activity you will not find elsewhere . If you<br />
are looking to test yourself mentally and<br />
physically, check out the hard-core endurance<br />
races at the Rock and Ice Ultra .<br />
When you have some down time, take in some<br />
ice fishing, cross-country skiing, northern lights<br />
viewing and dog sledding .<br />
The list of possibilities is endless in Yellowknife,<br />
Diamond Capital of North America.<br />
4
1<br />
WARM WELCOME<br />
FROM THE<br />
WINTER CITY<br />
Our City of 20,000 was built on cold and gold . People who<br />
live here have gone far beyond developing ingenious ways<br />
to build houses and ice roads, run successful businesses,<br />
maintain vehicles, and stay warm over eight months of<br />
sub-zero temperatures .<br />
Yellowknifers have turned this Arctic landscape into<br />
something to be celebrated . We have a variety of outdoor<br />
events during the winter season: from festivals and races -<br />
with both four-legged and two-legged species - kite-skiing,<br />
skijoring, pond hockey tournaments, ice fishing,<br />
snowmobiling… the list goes on and on . In other words, we<br />
are brought together as a community by the cold .<br />
Our winters may be long and cold, but our City is vibrant and<br />
one of the most welcoming places you will ever visit . You are<br />
guaranteed to experience two things if you travel to<br />
Yellowknife during winter: what it feels like to live and play in<br />
Canada’s coldest City year-round, and the hardy, friendly<br />
people who love to work and play outside!<br />
It’s cold and we love it.<br />
Gordon Van Tighem<br />
Mayor, City Of Yellowknife<br />
1
2<br />
Forty-two inches of ice is all that<br />
may separate a 200,000-pound<br />
18-wheeler from the unforgiving<br />
deep waters beneath the icy<br />
surface of the world’s longest ice<br />
road - Tibbitt to Contwoyto .<br />
Everything from the road<br />
planning, construction and<br />
maintenance, safety and speed<br />
limits to haul schedules is very<br />
much the business of Erik<br />
Madsen, Director of Winter Road<br />
Operations . The road is<br />
managed by the Joint Venture<br />
Management Committee, which<br />
is made up of BHP Billiton<br />
Erik Madsen<br />
ICE ROAD REALITY<br />
Every year since 1982, a seasonal road is built that starts just<br />
outside of Yellowknife . It is 600 kilometres long, bearing north<br />
of the City and extends to Canada’s northern tundra . The<br />
road, which is usually opened from January to March or April,<br />
is the supply lifeline to Canada’s first diamond mines – BHP<br />
Billiton’s Ekati Mine, Rio Tinto’s Diavik Diamond Mines, and<br />
De Beers’ Snap Lake Mine – and other resource and<br />
exploration projects along the route .<br />
The equipment is huge, the cargo precious, and the road is<br />
made entirely out of ice!<br />
“SAFETY IS PARAMOUNT. EVERY DRIVER GOES THROUGH<br />
A COMPLETE SAFETY AND ORIENTATION COURSE.”<br />
Diamonds Inc . and Diavik<br />
Diamond Mines Inc .<br />
It is the experience and effort of<br />
Erik and his team that helps build<br />
the world’s longest ice road . Their<br />
main focus at all times is making<br />
sure that everyone stays safe on<br />
the route, which takes the<br />
average driver 12-15 hours to<br />
drive one way .<br />
“Safety is paramount . Every<br />
driver goes through a complete<br />
safety and orientation course .<br />
We have three camps along the<br />
route with crews that are<br />
constantly monitoring, repairing<br />
and up-keeping the ice at<br />
all times,” says Erik .<br />
Constructing the ice road is<br />
much more complicated than<br />
letting winter take over and turn<br />
the lakes and portages to ice .<br />
Specialized, amphibious vehicles<br />
called Hagglunds are fired up<br />
and are the first on the ice . These<br />
short, stout vehicles look like a<br />
couple of sea cans on tank<br />
tracks, but are expertly designed<br />
to drive on only eleven inches of<br />
ice and they float if required . The<br />
Hagglunds start at the beginning
of the route and, with helicopter<br />
support above, drive the length<br />
of the road, dragging an<br />
electronic device behind them<br />
that measures the ice thickness .<br />
They plot the best course with<br />
GPS and identify areas where<br />
the ice thickness needs to<br />
be enhanced .<br />
The big toys are brought out next,<br />
such as the SnowCats . The<br />
SnowCats start the arduous but<br />
crucial journey of clearing snow<br />
on the route . As the snow is<br />
cleared, the road takes shape .<br />
But the snow also acts as an<br />
6 7<br />
insulator, so areas that have<br />
more snow will have thinner ice .<br />
When the snow is removed and<br />
the icy surface is exposed to the<br />
-40°C temperature, the<br />
ice thickens .<br />
When the road is cleared of<br />
snow, flood and drill crews come<br />
in to “focus flood” the area . This<br />
maintains a constant ice<br />
thickness .<br />
It is up to each driver to maintain<br />
the regulated speed limits (which<br />
vary depending on location and<br />
whether or not the truck is<br />
carrying a full load), use<br />
common sense, and drink some<br />
strong coffee .<br />
Erik and his crew know the Arctic<br />
cold well . From experimenting<br />
with hydraulics that need to<br />
survive long journeys in -40°C, to<br />
using methyl hydrate in frozen<br />
brake lines, they have learned all<br />
the tricks of the “cold” trade . It is<br />
their job to deal with the extremity<br />
of their surroundings and use the<br />
cold expertly to build this road,<br />
which is unlike any other in the<br />
world .<br />
3<br />
5
4<br />
8<br />
<strong>Cold</strong> Facts<br />
• First year of operation 1982 .<br />
• Length 568 km with 495 km<br />
(87%) over frozen lakes and<br />
73 km (13%) over land .<br />
• There are 64 over land<br />
portages .<br />
2007 was a record year for the<br />
ice road . Some facts include:<br />
• The ice road was in<br />
operation for 73 days .<br />
• 10,922 loads were hauled<br />
9<br />
north up the ice road, which<br />
weighed 331,000 tonnes .<br />
• Approximately 700 drivers<br />
were registered .<br />
• 17 security staff logged<br />
270,000 km on the group’s 10<br />
trucks . Security patrols the<br />
road 24 hours a day during the<br />
season .<br />
10<br />
11<br />
(source: www .jvtcwinterroad .ca)
5<br />
12
6<br />
“FLYING UP HERE IS ALWAYS A CHALLENGE, IT’S ALWAYS<br />
EXCITING. YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN FROM<br />
DAY TO DAY IN THESE CONDITIONS BUT IT KEEPS YOU<br />
ON YOUR TOES AND THAT’S WHAT MAKES IT GREAT.”<br />
Spend five minutes with Paul,<br />
and it is obvious that the apple<br />
has not fallen far from the tree .<br />
He exudes a rugged frontier spirit<br />
of adventure and excitement .<br />
When asked why he continues to<br />
run an aviation company North<br />
of 60, his reasons are clear .<br />
“Because I’m living the dream .<br />
I’ve been here for 49 years and<br />
there’s nothing like it . It’s more<br />
personable and I know people<br />
in all the communities . When I<br />
walk into a terminal, I know I’m<br />
going to see someone I know,”<br />
says Paul .<br />
Paul Laserich<br />
POLAR PILOTS<br />
Paul Laserich had no choice but to go into aviation . He talks<br />
about being “drafted” back in the 1960s by his father Willy<br />
Laserich, who is a legend in Canadian Arctic aviation history .<br />
Willy was considered to be an adventurous pilot who put the<br />
needs of the people in small northern communities first no<br />
matter what the aviation rules were at that time . Paul has a<br />
storybook full of epic adventures and has even survived a<br />
mid-air engine failure due to extreme wind-chill conditions .<br />
His company, Adlair Aviation,<br />
has operated in the North since<br />
the 1960s . The airline transports<br />
goods and passengers to and<br />
from remote communities,<br />
provides MedEvac services, and<br />
has strong connections to<br />
aviation industry partners that<br />
have put their planes and<br />
products to the test in Arctic<br />
conditions .<br />
Aircraft can be expected to<br />
withstand temperatures of -70°C<br />
with wind chill when operating in<br />
northern skies . As a result,<br />
companies from around the<br />
world come here to test<br />
everything, including the<br />
engine, avionics, windshields<br />
and tires on their aircraft .<br />
The Gulfstream G-450,<br />
Bombardier Learjet RJ700,<br />
Hawker 800, the U .S . Airforce,<br />
NASA, and even the world<br />
famous Airbus A380, have all<br />
used Yellowknife as their primary<br />
destination for cold weather<br />
testing . When asked why<br />
companies use Yellowknife as<br />
the testing destination and not<br />
further north or Alaska, Paul says,<br />
“Yellowknife is strategically
placed . It is close enough to the<br />
States but has the cold<br />
conditions of the most remote<br />
Arctic places in the world . At the<br />
same time, it also has all the<br />
modern facilities and amenities<br />
a cold weather testing crew<br />
needs such as hotels, Internet<br />
access and daily flights .”<br />
He gives an example of having<br />
cold tested a jet engine, which<br />
led to its sudden failure . They<br />
needed a new engine and<br />
within 24 hours, one was shipped<br />
from Tulsa, Oklahoma to<br />
Yellowknife via courier!<br />
Paul and his crew have learned<br />
the tricks of the trade through<br />
decades of operating in this<br />
extreme climate: from installing<br />
battery blankets, placing<br />
heaters around avionics, using<br />
engine tents to putting<br />
anti-freeze in the wheels .<br />
Despite the added concerns<br />
and dangers of<br />
operating aircraft<br />
in the North, Paul<br />
and his team are<br />
proud and excited<br />
to be here and part of the<br />
ongoing adventure that is<br />
the North .<br />
“Flying up here is always a<br />
challenge, it’s always exciting .<br />
You never know what will<br />
happen from day to day in these<br />
conditions, but it keeps you on<br />
your toes, and that’s what makes<br />
it great,” says Paul .<br />
<strong>Cold</strong> Fact<br />
YELLOWKNIFE IS THE BUSIEST<br />
AIRPORT IN NORTHERN CANADA.<br />
7
8<br />
Jerry Jaud<br />
DESIGNED WITH<br />
COLD IN MIND<br />
For FSC Architects and Engineers, cold weather testing is at the<br />
core of everything they do . Established as a company in 1976,<br />
they have since built themselves into one of the top Northern firms<br />
for large-scale cold regions design and construction . Their<br />
infrastructure projects stand as a testament to their expertise<br />
throughout the three northern territories – Northwest Territories,<br />
Nunavut, Yukon – and Russia .<br />
“IN OUR INDUSTRY, THE LESSONS WE HAVE LEARNED UP<br />
HERE HAVE BECOME EXPORTABLE TECHNOLOGIES.”<br />
FSC Architects and Engineers know<br />
from experience that building in<br />
Arctic temperatures takes a lot of<br />
knowledge, expertise and years of<br />
living in the North to understand the<br />
issues that need to be addressed .<br />
“It takes 2-3 years to actualize a<br />
project and another 4 years for<br />
problem solving and bug testing .<br />
The north is our testing grounds,<br />
every project is essentially cold<br />
weather testing for us… but in slow<br />
motion,” says Jerry .<br />
Some of Yellowknife’s largest<br />
buildings come with the FSC name<br />
FSC received a prestigious honour in 2008, when they made the<br />
list of Canada’s Top 100 Employers . Rather than focus on the firm’s<br />
accolades, Operations Manager Jerry Jaud would rather chat<br />
about the ins and outs of building in the extreme North .<br />
tag attached: the North Slave<br />
Correctional Centre, and the NWT<br />
Legislative Assembly Building .<br />
The nuts and bolts of building in the<br />
cold are not the only components<br />
considered when FSC works on a<br />
project .<br />
“It’s all about the cold and the<br />
logistics of remote locations like ours<br />
just as much as it is about creating<br />
good experiences and contributing<br />
to a client’s quality of life,” says Jerry .<br />
To ensure that quality of life<br />
continues for many years,<br />
Yellowknife’s climate, ground<br />
conditions and remote location are<br />
serious considerations during the<br />
building design phase, along with<br />
structural engineering, mechanical,<br />
electrical and environmental<br />
aspects .<br />
Due to Yellowknife’s extremely cold<br />
winters compared to its hot<br />
summers, there is often a 60˚<br />
expansion/contraction factor that<br />
any structure, be it a building or a<br />
road, will have to endure over time .<br />
This has resulted in transitioning to<br />
the use of Canadian wood framing<br />
in buildings and specialized<br />
concrete road .
Permafrost is another main<br />
consideration for building projects<br />
in the North, and Yellowknife is<br />
situated right in the middle of what<br />
is called a ‘discontinuous<br />
permafrost belt .’ This means that<br />
unlike many other locations in the<br />
North, the ground conditions here<br />
are variable in any given location,<br />
which requires innovative thinking in<br />
terms of building design . To counter<br />
this problem, FSC has helped<br />
develop the implementation of<br />
thermosyphon systems, which<br />
essentially counteracts the effects<br />
that discontinuous permafrost has<br />
on a foundation or road structure .<br />
Thermosyphons are subgrade<br />
cooling systems that counter the<br />
thermal disturbances below heated<br />
structures thus ensuring the ground<br />
is consistently frozen year round .<br />
Their expertise in cold climate<br />
building has even led FSC to work<br />
on projects in countries such as<br />
Russia . FSC worked in cooperation<br />
with the Russian Federation Airport<br />
Authorities to design and build a<br />
large addition to the Yakutsk<br />
International Air Terminal Building .<br />
“In our industry, the lessons we have<br />
learned up here have become<br />
exportable technologies,”<br />
says Jerry .<br />
<strong>Cold</strong> Fact<br />
THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY BLENDS INTO ITS<br />
SURROUNDINGS BY USING ZINC PANELING.<br />
9
10<br />
AMENITIES AND SERVICES<br />
13<br />
Airport<br />
Yellowknife’s airport (YZF) is the main<br />
airport in the NWT and is classified as a<br />
Gateway Hub . It is operated by the<br />
Government of the NWT and is part of the<br />
National Airports System . Air traffic control<br />
services, Instrument Landing System<br />
(Category 1) and independent<br />
secondary surveillance radar, which are<br />
provided by NAV Canada, are also<br />
available at the airport .<br />
The airport has two asphalt runways . One<br />
is 7500’ x 150’ and the other is 5000’ x 150’ .<br />
The most common types of aircraft flying<br />
in and out of Yellowknife are: Boeing 737,<br />
Dash 7/8, Hercules, Cessna, Twin Otter,<br />
F-28, ATR 42, CRJ 200, Skyvan, Pilateus,<br />
Dornier, Airbus 310 and helicopter . In an<br />
emergency, a Boeing 747 and other wide<br />
bodied aircraft can land at the airport .<br />
Transportation:<br />
BY AIR:<br />
Yellowknife boasts 5 airlines . Canadian North<br />
and First Air are long time Northern carriers, Air<br />
Canada Jazz and Westjet are major connectors<br />
to all national and international flights .<br />
The following links provide information on local<br />
airlines and departure and arrival schedules:<br />
www .cdn-north .com<br />
www .dot .gov .nt .ca<br />
www .firstair .ca<br />
www .flyjazz .ca<br />
www .westjet .com<br />
REGIONAL AIRLINES:<br />
Small aircraft and helicopter services:<br />
Adlair Aviation: www .adlairaviation .com<br />
Air Tindi: www .airtindi .com<br />
Arctic Sunwest Charters: www .arcticsunwest .com<br />
Buffalo Airways: www .buffaloairways .com<br />
Great Slave Helicopters: www .greatslaveheli .com<br />
Matrix Helicopters: www .matrixhelicopters .com<br />
Summit Air: www .summitair .net<br />
AIR CARGO:<br />
Both Canadian North and First Air support heavy<br />
load cargo capabilities with their<br />
respective aircraft:<br />
Canadian North:<br />
Phone: 1 (800) 661-1505<br />
www .canadiannorth .com/cargo/<br />
First Air:<br />
Phone: 1 (800) 568-7497<br />
www .firstair .ca/Cargo_Information/
BY ROAD:<br />
Highway 1 - Mackenzie Highway<br />
This highway, the longest in the Northwest<br />
Territories, starts at the NWT/Alberta border and<br />
continues, for approximately 690 kilometres, to<br />
the community of Wrigley .<br />
Highway 2 - Hay River Highway<br />
This highway, the NWT’s shortest, connects the<br />
town of Hay River to Highway 1 at the community<br />
of Enterprise . The highway runs through Hay River,<br />
terminating on the southern shore of Great Slave<br />
Lake . Its total length is 48 .6 kilometres, all of which<br />
is paved .<br />
Highway 3 - Yellowknife Highway<br />
This 341 kilometre paved highway connects to<br />
Highway 1 just south of the Mackenzie River ferry<br />
crossing and continues north, around Great Slave<br />
Lake, to Yellowknife .<br />
Highway 4 - Ingraham Trail<br />
This highway extends 70 kilometres east from<br />
Yellowknife and travels through numerous parks,<br />
campgrounds, hiking trails and day use areas .<br />
The first 29 kilometres are paved . The remaining<br />
41 kilometres are gravel and treated<br />
for dust control .<br />
Driving distances:<br />
Yellowknife to: .......................................... KM<br />
Behchoko, NT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108<br />
Fort Providence, NT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 314<br />
Enterprise, NT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 445<br />
High Level, AB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .778<br />
Edmonton, AB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1508<br />
Calgary, AB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1789<br />
Whitehorse, YT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1899<br />
Regina, SK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2188<br />
Vancouver, BC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2595<br />
Winnipeg, MB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2853<br />
Salt Lake City, UT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3277<br />
Denver, CO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3848<br />
Toronto, ON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4545<br />
Chicago, IL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4953<br />
Dallas, TX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5069<br />
Quebec City, PQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5157<br />
Fredericton, NB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5728<br />
Charlottetown, PE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5984<br />
Halifax, NS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6119<br />
St . John’s, NL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7335<br />
15<br />
14<br />
11
Quick Facts<br />
1. Location: 62°27N, 114°22W.<br />
2. Elevation: 206 metres at the airport.<br />
3. Area: 136 square km.<br />
4. Population 20,000.<br />
5. 512 km south of the Arctic Circle.<br />
6. No territorial sales tax.<br />
7. The Deh Cho Bridge is under<br />
construction and expected<br />
completion is November 2010. The<br />
bridge will replace the Merv Hardy<br />
Ferry and Mackenzie River Ice<br />
Crossing, providing year-round<br />
highway access to Yellowknife.<br />
8. Tourism attracts over 60,000 visitors<br />
annually, over 10,000 from Japan<br />
alone.<br />
9. Broadband communications in every<br />
community in the NWT.<br />
10. The City has 14 kilometres of groomed<br />
ski trails and endless back-country ski<br />
routes.<br />
11. Annual visitation to the NWT in<br />
2007-08, which includes both<br />
business and leisure travellers,<br />
was in the 80,000 range.<br />
12. Yellowknife is impacted by more than<br />
70% of all travellers (leisure and<br />
business) to the NWT.<br />
13. Estimated annual visitor expenditures<br />
in the NWT in 2007-08 was<br />
$140 million.<br />
14. An estimated 35,000 business<br />
travellers visited the NWT in 2007-08.<br />
15. Average family income in Yellowknife<br />
in 2006: $124,200.<br />
13
14<br />
Restaurants:<br />
A & W<br />
Centre Square Mall .<br />
4905 50th Ave . 669-7071<br />
A Taste of Saigon<br />
4913 50th St . 873-9777<br />
The Black Knight Pub<br />
4910 49th St . 920-4041<br />
Boston Pizza<br />
5102 48th St . 920-2000<br />
Bullocks’ Bistro<br />
3534 Weaver Dr . 873-3474<br />
Bruno’s Pizza<br />
5124 53 St . 920-2130<br />
Canadian Pizza<br />
5103 52nd St . 920-4499<br />
Coyote’s Bar & Grill<br />
484 Range Lake Rd . 873-8818<br />
Diamante Restaurant<br />
483 Range Lake Rd . 920-2971<br />
Domino’s Pizza<br />
10 Stanton Plaza . 920-2020<br />
Fuego International Restaurant<br />
4915 50th St . 873-3750<br />
Gold Range Bistro<br />
5010 50th St . 873-4567<br />
Hot Shots Pub & Grub<br />
100 Borden Dr .<br />
Stanton Plaza . 669-7529<br />
Coffee Shops:<br />
Jade Garden & YK Pizza<br />
5309 50th Ave . 873-3339<br />
KFC<br />
4919 48th St . 873-2777<br />
L’Atitudes Restaurant<br />
Centre Square Mall, 4905<br />
50th Ave . 920-7880<br />
Le Frolic Bistro Bar<br />
5019 49th St . 669-9852<br />
Leisure Café<br />
5018 50th St . 873-6363<br />
L’Héritage Restaurant<br />
5019 49th St . 873-9561<br />
Main Street Donair & Falafel<br />
Centre Square Mall,<br />
4905 50th Ave . 766-3910<br />
Mark’s Family Restaurant<br />
5102 50th Ave . 920-7878<br />
McDonald’s Restaurant<br />
202 Old Airport Rd . 873-9555<br />
Our Place Family Dining Room<br />
50th Ave & 50th St .<br />
on the second floor . 920-2265<br />
Papa Jim’s Roadhouse<br />
Chateau Nova 3rd Floor . 669-0070<br />
Pizza Hut<br />
312 Old Airport Rd . 669-6700<br />
Gourmet Cup<br />
Lower level YK Mall .<br />
#3 4802 50th Ave . 873-8782<br />
Quiznos Subs<br />
Javaroma Gourmet Coffee<br />
Northwestel Tower & Centre<br />
Square Mall 873-3373<br />
349 Old Airport Rd . 920-7827<br />
Red Apple Restaurant<br />
4701 50th Ave . 873-2324<br />
Robin’s Nest Restaurant<br />
Centre Square Mall .<br />
5022-49th St . 867-873-3762<br />
Sam’s Monkey Tree Pub<br />
483 Range Lake Rd . 920-4914<br />
Subway<br />
5103 50th St . 920-2727<br />
Surly Bob’s Sports Bar<br />
4910 50th Ave . 873-5626<br />
Sushi North<br />
200 - 4910 - 50th Ave . 669-0001<br />
Thornton’s Tapas Bar<br />
5125-52nd Ave . (next to bowling<br />
alley) . 669-9463<br />
Trader’s Grill Steakhouse<br />
4825-49 Ave . 873-3531<br />
Vietnamese Noodle House<br />
4609 50th Ave . 873-3399<br />
Yummy<br />
5023 49th St . 920-7992<br />
Tim Hortons<br />
309 Old Airport Rd .<br />
873-4999
Hospitality<br />
Anderson Thomson Tower<br />
5300 49th St . (867) 873-5701<br />
Capital Suites<br />
100 5603 50th Ave . (867) 669-6400<br />
www .capitalsuites .ca<br />
Chateau Nova<br />
4401 50th Ave . 1 (877) 839-1236<br />
www .novahotels .ca<br />
Discovery Inn<br />
4701 50th Ave . (867) 873-4151<br />
www .discoveryinn .ca<br />
The Explorer Hotel<br />
4825 49th St . (867) 873-3531<br />
www .explorerhotel .nt .ca<br />
Coast Fraser Tower Hotel<br />
5303 52nd St . (867) 873-8700<br />
www .coasthotels .com<br />
Northern Lites Motel<br />
5115 50th St . (867) 873-6023<br />
www .yellowknifehotel .com<br />
Nova Court<br />
476 Range Lake Rd . (867) 873-6686<br />
www .novahotels .ca .<br />
Arnica Inn<br />
4115 50th Ave . (867) 873-8511<br />
www .arnicainn .com<br />
Super 8 Motel<br />
308 Old Airport Rd .<br />
1 (800) 800-8000<br />
www .super8yellowknife .com<br />
Yellowknife Inn<br />
5010 49th St . 1 (800) 661-0580<br />
www .yellowknifeinn .com<br />
Bars:<br />
Boston Pizza<br />
5102 48th St . 920-2000<br />
Harley’s Hard Rock Saloon<br />
5018 50th Ave . 873-6789<br />
Hot Shots Pub & Grub<br />
100 Borden Dr ., Stanton Plaza . 669-7529<br />
Kingpin Bowling Centre<br />
5125 52nd Ave . 920-2695<br />
Le Frolic Bistro Bar<br />
5019 49th St . 669-9852<br />
Mackenzie Lounge<br />
5010 49th St . 873-2601<br />
Sam’s Monkey Tree Pub<br />
483 Range Lake Rd . 920-4914<br />
Surly Bob’s Sports Bar<br />
4910 50th Ave . 873-5626<br />
The Black Knight Pub<br />
4910 49th St . 920-4041<br />
Gold Range<br />
5010 50th St . 873-4441<br />
The Ravens’ Pub<br />
5030 50th St . 669-9755<br />
The Top Knight<br />
16<br />
4910 49th St . 920-4041<br />
Trapline Lounge<br />
4825 49th Ave . 873-3531<br />
17<br />
15
16<br />
The main event in the Rock and<br />
Ice Ultra is the Diamond Ultra . It is<br />
a grueling race that extends over<br />
six days and covers 225<br />
kilometres of frozen terrain<br />
on ungroomed trails .<br />
Racers train for months to<br />
withstand the brisk challenges in<br />
the Arctic climate . They practice<br />
running in snowshoes, skis and<br />
foot gear, and prepare their<br />
lungs for breathing in sub-zero<br />
temperatures . Racers must learn<br />
Arctic survival skills, like building a<br />
lean-to, and require the added<br />
strength to pull a ski “pulk”<br />
Scott Smith<br />
THE OTHER DESERT<br />
RACE<br />
It is called the other desert race, and it has put Yellowknife on<br />
the global map in the ultra-marathon racing world . The Rock<br />
and Ice Ultra Race is the dream come true for Scott Smith,<br />
who started the adventure race in 2006 . Yellowknife has<br />
welcomed countless Rock and Ice Ultra athletes from over 12<br />
countries in just a few short years . Scott now has race agents<br />
in several countries including: France, Korea, Japan, Italy,<br />
United Kingdom, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, Austria,<br />
United States and Russia .<br />
“IT’S DEFINITELY THE ARCTIC CLIMATE AND THE COLD HERE THAT ARE<br />
THE MAIN ATTRACTIONS. THESE PEOPLE RACE ACROSS DESERTS LIKE THE<br />
GOBI AND THE SAHARA, BUT OUR RACE ADDS A WHOLE NEW LEVEL OF<br />
COMPETITION FOR THEM BECAUSE OF THE ARCTIC CLIMATE.”<br />
behind them that will hold all<br />
their emergency and<br />
survival gear .<br />
“It’s definitely the Arctic climate<br />
and the cold here that are the<br />
main attractions . These people<br />
race across deserts like the Gobi<br />
and the Sahara, but our race<br />
adds a whole new level of<br />
competition for them because of<br />
the Arctic climate,” says Scott .<br />
Scott insists that having the<br />
correct understanding of the<br />
climate is crucial when it comes<br />
to acquiring the proper gear .<br />
“Definitely No Goretex” is one of<br />
Scott’s main pieces of advice to<br />
the racers . While Goretex is great<br />
for humid climates, Yellowknife<br />
boasts a dry cold, and the last<br />
thing a racer wants is to lock in<br />
the sweat and moisture . All<br />
clothes need to be warm but<br />
breathable . Northface clothing is<br />
a main staple among racers,<br />
especially their “Flight Series”<br />
layering systems . Fischer Skis and<br />
Atlas Snowshoes are often the<br />
favourites when it comes to<br />
gearing up .<br />
Scott also advises racers to use
traditional aboriginal gear and<br />
protection when possible .<br />
Inuit parkas are not only light and<br />
breathable, but also windproof .<br />
Scott prefers Moosehide Steger<br />
mukluks for footwear .<br />
“They are very lightweight, good<br />
to -40°C, and fit right into my ski<br />
bindings,” says Scott .<br />
Scott has turned his career as a<br />
prospector and expediter walking<br />
thousands of miles on frozen<br />
tundra into a world-wide race<br />
phenomenon, where over $40,000<br />
in diamond prizes welcome<br />
winners at the finish line . The<br />
diamonds are courtesy of top race<br />
sponsor BHP Billiton, owners of the<br />
Ekati Diamond Mine, Canada’s<br />
first diamond mine .<br />
RACE CATEGORIES ON YOUR FEET<br />
<strong>Cold</strong> Foot Classic<br />
(55 kilometres, one day event)<br />
18<br />
K-Rock Ultra<br />
(135 kilometre race over three days)<br />
Diamond Ultra<br />
(225 kilometre race over six days)<br />
19<br />
<strong>Cold</strong> Fact<br />
AT -40º, SKIN CAN FREEZE<br />
IN FIVE TO TEN MINUTES.<br />
Foot and Snowshoe, Cross-Country Skis<br />
Foot and Snowshoe, Cross-Country Skis<br />
Foot and Snowshoe, Cross-Country Skis<br />
17
18<br />
“...WHEN YOU LIVE UP HERE, YOU HAVE NO CHOICE BUT<br />
TO EMBRACE THE -35ºC WINTERS!”<br />
Anthony (SnowKing) has lived<br />
here for over half of his life, but<br />
he won’t tell you how or why he<br />
came here . There’s a cool,<br />
collected mystique about the<br />
man who has turned<br />
Yellowknife’s most abundant<br />
renewable resources – snow and<br />
ice - into a cultural phenomenon .<br />
After living in several smaller NWT<br />
communities like Fort Smith,<br />
Wrigley and Lutsel K’e, Anthony<br />
made his way to Yellowknife and<br />
set up shop in “the woodyard”,<br />
near Yellowknife Bay . A number<br />
Anthony Foliot<br />
KINGDOM OF<br />
SNOW AND ICE<br />
Yellowknifers’ sheer joy of living in their rugged winter<br />
wonderland is perfectly represented in the bushy and often<br />
frozen silver beard and piercing blue eyes of one of their<br />
biggest local celebrities, Anthony ‘The SnowKing’ Foliot .<br />
Originally from Quebec, Anthony embodies the fun-loving<br />
renegade spirit of many people who call the North home .<br />
of years ago, snow removal in<br />
Yellowknife meant mountainous<br />
piles in the woodyard area . Kids<br />
liked to turn snow mountains into<br />
snow fortresses . Joining in the<br />
fun, Anthony and some friends<br />
would go out to help the kids<br />
make their snow lairs bigger and<br />
better . Word spread quickly<br />
about this fantastic winter<br />
playground, until it finally<br />
snowballed into what is now a<br />
world-famous snow castle and<br />
month-long festival .<br />
Every year around the end of<br />
November, when Great Slave<br />
Lake’s water has frozen around<br />
his houseboat, Anthony gets out<br />
his custom-made, four-foot<br />
long-hand saw and starts<br />
cutting out blocks of ice to make<br />
windows for one of the world’s<br />
largest snow castles .<br />
Constructing the castle each<br />
year is done the “old school”<br />
way: windows are measured by<br />
boot, not tape measure; and<br />
deals are made over a coffee<br />
and a handshake .<br />
SnowKing and his merry band of
‘snow-prentices’ get bigger and<br />
better with each snow castle . He<br />
officially opens the castle and<br />
month-long celebration of snow,<br />
ice and all things Arctic in<br />
March . Over the course of the<br />
month, the castle is a venue for<br />
people of all ages to enjoy – with<br />
its slides, beautifully-sculpted<br />
arches, ice café, and a new<br />
design every year . Dances,<br />
music videos, live bands, hockey<br />
tournaments, film festivals,<br />
weddings and much more have<br />
been held over the years on the<br />
castle grounds . If you visit the<br />
castle, don’t be surprised to<br />
meet a local, a tourist from<br />
Japan, a political dignitary and<br />
a Canadian celebrity – all at the<br />
same time .<br />
The SnowKing has long declared<br />
Yellowknife’s winters are to be<br />
celebrated, and that extreme<br />
cold is something to be enjoyed .<br />
His chilling message has been<br />
heard by<br />
thousands of<br />
visitors and<br />
residents which<br />
has led to a<br />
growing legion of Arctic<br />
enthusiasts .<br />
“People move up here from<br />
places where they used to run<br />
from their cars to their front doors<br />
because it was -10°C, but when<br />
you live up here, you have no<br />
choice but to embrace the<br />
-35°C winters!” says Anthony .<br />
<strong>Cold</strong> Fact<br />
THE SNOWCASTLE CELEBRATED<br />
ITS 14TH ANNIVERSARY IN 2009.<br />
20<br />
21<br />
22<br />
19<br />
19
20<br />
Grant Beck, owner of Beck’s<br />
Kennels Dog Sled Tours, has a tried<br />
and true formula for his tourism<br />
business in Yellowknife .<br />
“<strong>Cold</strong> weather equals clear skies,<br />
which equals the ability to see the<br />
northern lights, which equals lots<br />
of customers,” says Grant .<br />
“The cold is a tourist attraction<br />
here in Yellowknife just as much as<br />
anything else . People want to be<br />
able to go back home to Spain or<br />
Japan or wherever and brag that<br />
they slept outside, under the<br />
aurora in -45°C .”<br />
Grant Beck<br />
TESTING<br />
SNOWMOBILES ON<br />
DOG-SLED TRACKS<br />
Grant Beck and his healthy and happy Alaskan Huskies have<br />
been in the dog mushing and tourism business for over 25<br />
years in Yellowknife . They have attracted many residents and<br />
tourists from all over the world, who are looking to try their<br />
hand at one of the oldest and most romantic forms of travel .<br />
With a team of 12 dogs all strapped in line and eager to run –<br />
the dog-sled can get moving up to 25 miles per hour!<br />
“THE COLD IS A TOURIST ATTRACTION HERE IN YELLOWKNIFE JUST AS<br />
MUCH AS ANYTHING ELSE. PEOPLE WANT TO BE ABLE TO GO BACK HOME<br />
TO SPAIN OR JAPAN OR WHEREVER AND BRAG THAT THEY SLEPT OUTSIDE,<br />
UNDER THE AURORA IN -45°C.”<br />
And true to form, throughout the<br />
2008 Christmas season when<br />
temperatures plummeted to a<br />
pretty consistent -40° C, Grant<br />
saw business pick up suddenly .<br />
“The people from Porsche who<br />
were here testing their vehicles,<br />
contacted us to find out what<br />
they could do while staying here<br />
in Yellowknife . Two doctors from<br />
Spain came to Yellowknife<br />
because they had never seen<br />
snow before and ended up going<br />
on an overnight tour for the<br />
experience and bragging rights<br />
that go with it!” says Grant .<br />
It is not only dogs and their drivers<br />
that have tested their abilities to<br />
withstand the bone-chilling<br />
temperatures of a Yellowknife<br />
winter .<br />
Grant’s dog-sled trails have also<br />
been used by Yamaha to test<br />
their 340 Trappers snowmobile,<br />
“…because of the diverse terrain,<br />
deep snow, extreme cold, hills<br />
and ice .” says Grant .<br />
Grant and his kennels have also<br />
been featured in over 14 television
shows from around the world,<br />
from the History Channel’s Ice<br />
Road Truckers to a remake of the<br />
game show “Thrill of a Lifetime”<br />
for a Japanese network .<br />
When Grant and his staff are not<br />
teaching tourists and residents<br />
how to drive a dog team or<br />
taking them on a guided tour<br />
under the northern lights, he is<br />
taking the reins himself and<br />
testing his skills as a world-class<br />
dog musher . Grant has won<br />
races in Spain, France, the<br />
United States and Canada .<br />
Grant and his team also<br />
compete in the annual Diavik<br />
150 Canadian Championship<br />
Dog Derby that is held in March<br />
during the Caribou Carnival<br />
festivities . The race started in<br />
1955, and teams from all over<br />
the world travel to Yellowknife to<br />
race in the prestigious event .<br />
Yellowknife’s Arctic climate is<br />
something that Grant has used<br />
to help him create a successful<br />
tourism operation . Like many<br />
others in our fair and chilly city,<br />
he is a leader at taking one of<br />
our greatest natural<br />
23 24 25<br />
resources – the extreme cold –<br />
and showing the rest of the<br />
world the benefits of living in a<br />
cold climate .<br />
<strong>Cold</strong> Fact<br />
DOG SLEDS TRAVEL<br />
10-15 KM/H ON AVERAGE.<br />
21<br />
26
22<br />
Growing up in a fishing family<br />
known for helping fellow fishermen<br />
in need of food and shelter, Don<br />
acquired a taste for northern<br />
hospitality and tourism .<br />
After winding down his political<br />
career in the late 1990s, Don and<br />
his wife, Gladys, researched<br />
northern tourism and the aurora<br />
borealis (northern lights) . As<br />
Yellowknife is considered a top<br />
destination for aurora viewing,<br />
Don and his wife saw an<br />
opportunity to bring together<br />
aurora viewing and aboriginal<br />
culture .<br />
Don Morin<br />
UNDER THE LIGHTS<br />
Don, a Metis from Fort Resolution, NWT, started his career<br />
building log homes and eventually ended up selling them,<br />
pre-fabricated, to the Japanese . It was both his growing<br />
involvement within the local housing corporation and his<br />
connections to Japan that would ultimately carry Don from<br />
high-profile politician to tourism operator .<br />
“WE OUTFIT THEM (CUSTOMERS) WITH SOREL -100°C WINTER BOOTS AND<br />
CANADA GOOSE PARKAS AND THEY ARE GOOD TO GO. AS LONG AS<br />
PEOPLE ARE WARM IN THEIR GEAR, THEY ARE HAPPY AND HAPPY IS JUST<br />
WHERE WE WANT THEM.”<br />
The couple opened Aurora<br />
Village in 2000 . The village is<br />
about a 20-minute drive east of<br />
Yellowknife . Today, Aurora Village<br />
has several large teepees that sit<br />
close to the edge of a lake . Some<br />
of the teepees accommodate up<br />
to 70 people for traditional<br />
dancing shows and a place to<br />
warm up while waiting for the<br />
dancing show in the sky .<br />
To stay warm while watching the<br />
world’s most brilliant, natural light<br />
show, guests use the Aurora<br />
Kotapsu, which are 70 ‘cocoon-<br />
like’ heated seats . The specially<br />
designed heated seats allow<br />
guests to lean back, rotate 360<br />
degrees, and comfortably take in<br />
the full glory of the northern lights<br />
in -40°C .<br />
Amazing aurora lights are not the<br />
only thing served at Aurora<br />
Village . The village has a classy<br />
but rustic dining hall, which has<br />
served dignitaries and thousands<br />
of tourists from around the world,<br />
and features a menu of<br />
homemade buffalo soup, arctic<br />
char, bannock and of course, hot<br />
chocolate .
All of these features have made<br />
Aurora Village one of the top<br />
destinations world-wide to view<br />
northern lights .<br />
Aurora Village employs about 20<br />
full-time Japanese staff each<br />
season, which runs from August to<br />
September and November to<br />
April .<br />
The word about the fantastic light<br />
show in Yellowknife has spread to<br />
other countries like Korea, where<br />
Don has recently signed an<br />
exclusive deal with a tour<br />
company .<br />
27 29<br />
In other words, business is only<br />
getting better .<br />
With no shortage of northern lights<br />
for his customers, it would seem<br />
that the cold is the only obstacle<br />
for convincing people to stand<br />
outside, at night, and wait for the<br />
show . But according to Don, that<br />
is not the case .<br />
28<br />
<strong>Cold</strong> Fact<br />
THE NORTHERN LIGHTS ARE MOST ACTIVE<br />
THE HOUR BEFORE AND AFTER MIDNIGHT.<br />
“People love the cold when they<br />
come here! We outfit them with<br />
Sorel -100°C winter boots and<br />
Canada Goose Parkas and they<br />
are good to go . As long as people<br />
are warm in their gear they are<br />
happy, and happy is just where<br />
we want them .”<br />
23<br />
30
COLD FACTS<br />
24<br />
Who Has Tested Here<br />
1. Bombardier Aerospace<br />
2. Audi<br />
3. Ford<br />
4. BMW<br />
5. Airbus<br />
6. Raytheon<br />
7. Gulfstream Aerospace<br />
8. Bell Helicopter Textron<br />
9. Porsche<br />
10. Yamaha<br />
11. Canadian Police Research Centre<br />
Extreme <strong>Cold</strong><br />
MONTH 2003 2004 2005 2006<br />
January - 39.9 C - 44.1 C - 42.9 C - 41.3 C<br />
February - 41.7 C - 39. 1 C - 43.7 C - 35.9 C<br />
March - 41.7 C - 43.3 C - 28.4 C - 28.5 C<br />
April - 28.6 C - 26.0 C - 14.9 C -22.8 C<br />
May - 11.3 C - 20.0 C - 10.9 C - 2.3 C<br />
June - 0.3 C 2.4 C 2.8 C 2.2 C<br />
July 8.8 C 7.2 C 6.6 C 9.8 C<br />
August 6.0 C 2.6 C 3.7 C 7.8 C<br />
September -2.7 C - 4.5 C - 4.2 C 1.9 C<br />
October -15.6 C -17.2 C - 10.3 C -11.6 C<br />
November -33.9 C -36.0 C -25.4 C - 34.6 C<br />
December -31.4 C - 42.0 C - 28.9 C - 33.1 C<br />
Source: Environment Canada<br />
Why Yellowknife?<br />
• Established service and supply<br />
sector.<br />
• Telecommunications,<br />
transportation, business and<br />
health-care centre of the<br />
Northwest Territories.<br />
• Top-notch accommodations,<br />
amenities and visitor activities.<br />
• Easily accessible by road and air.<br />
<strong>Cold</strong> Weather Champs<br />
As recorded by Environment Canada,<br />
Yellowknife is the number one City for:<br />
• <strong>Cold</strong>est winter<br />
• <strong>Cold</strong>est spring<br />
• Most cold days (-20°C or less)<br />
• Most hot and cold days<br />
• Most heating degree-days<br />
• Longest snow cover season (days)<br />
• Most deep snow cover days<br />
(10 cm or more)<br />
• Extreme wind chill<br />
• Most high wind chill days<br />
(-30ºC or less)<br />
• Driest winter air
KEY CONTACTS<br />
NWT Tourism<br />
www .spectacularnwt .com<br />
Northern Frontier Visitors Centre<br />
www .northernfrontier .com<br />
City Of Yellowknife<br />
www .yellowknife .ca<br />
NWT Chamber of Commerce<br />
www .nwtchamber .com<br />
Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce<br />
www .ykchamber .com<br />
NWT/Nunavut Chamber of Mines<br />
www .miningnorth .com<br />
NWT Construction Association<br />
www .nwtca .ca<br />
Government of the Northwest Territories<br />
(GNWT) - Department of Industry,<br />
Tourism and Investment<br />
www .iti .gov .nt .ca<br />
GNWT Department of Transportation<br />
www .dot .gov .nt .ca<br />
NWT Bureau of Statistics<br />
www .stats .gov .nt .ca<br />
Photo Credits<br />
Front Cover: Jiri Hermann<br />
1. John Schnell<br />
2. John Schnell<br />
3. Seiji Iwaihara<br />
4. Jiri Hermann<br />
5. Jiri Hermann<br />
6. Jiri Hermann<br />
7. Erik Madsen<br />
8. Jiri Hermann<br />
9. Jiri Hermann<br />
10. Jiri Hermann<br />
11. Erik Madsen<br />
12. Jiri Hermann<br />
13. Jiri Hermann<br />
14. Jiri Hermann<br />
15. William Nalley<br />
16. Jiri Hermann<br />
17. Jiri Hermann<br />
18. Patrick Kane<br />
19. Rhonda Kennedy<br />
20. Dave Brosha<br />
21. Jiri Hermann<br />
22. Martin Darku<br />
23. Kate Steadman<br />
24. Jamie DeRoose<br />
25. Jiri Hermann<br />
26. Patrick Kane<br />
27. Jan Phillips<br />
28. Dave Brosha<br />
29. Dave Brosha<br />
30. Murao Nobuyasu<br />
31. Jiri Hermann<br />
Back Cover: Jiri Hermann<br />
25<br />
31<br />
31
<strong>Cold</strong>: Put it it to the test<br />
Diamonds were discovered in the NWT in 1991. Today, three<br />
diamond mines are operating 250 kilometres northeast of<br />
Yellowknife. The NWT has been propelled into third position in<br />
the league of the world’s diamond producers, producing 15%<br />
of the world’s diamonds by value, after Botswana and Russia.<br />
In 1999, the City Of Yellowknife trademarked itself as the<br />
Diamond Capital of North America. Yellowknife is home to a<br />
successful diamond cutting and polishing industry.<br />
2010<br />
WWW.YELLOWKNIFE.CA