The Weekly Albertan

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People actually visit!
Written by Nikolett Popovics
Saturday, 21 November 2009 23:10
I have often wondered what could possibly sustain the economy of a town so far up north. I mean, there's not much here aside from mining. In the Yellowknife Visitor's Guide, the city refers to itself as the diamond capitol of north America. They even have a diamond tourism exhibit at the Visitor's Centre. But diamonds aside, the city ranks in huge revenue from tourism. Yup! People actually visit this place for fun! Why?

From what I've seen, Yellowknife lives up to every stereotype of Canada our American counterparts have. It's wild and rugged and the people are calm. Hunting and trapping are still a way of life for some people still and some even still live in cabins. American game hunters regularly visit to catch themselves a trophy in the form of a caribou.

Caribou are a huge resource for the town. Every restaurant has some form of caribou dish to try. Burgers are a popular choice. I highly recommend the Black Jack Burger at the Black Knight pub. The Explorer Hotel's lounge has a great caribou TV dinner that's worth trying. The caribou meat looks like meat loaf and it comes with steamed veggie and mashed potatoes. It even comes in a TV dinner plate.

Old Town is also a major attraction. Just like it's name sake, it really makes you feel as if you were still in "the olden days" with cabin shops and narrow one way streets. It also hosts many of the town's art galleries. I'm not sure what it is about the North. Maybe it's the isolation from the big city hustle that really brings out the creativity in people. But this town is full of artists, both aboriginal and non-aboriginal. It's hard to walk down a street and not walk by an art gallery in Yellowknife.

The first picture is the inside of the Black Knight Pub, which every visitor must go to at least once. It has a retro-British type feel and hosts local musicians often. The Yukon Gold chicken wings and a cold lager and your Friday night is set. The second picture is of the Wild Cat Cafe in Old Town. Only open in the spring and summer, tourists flock to it every year for some authentic Northern cuisine.
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