Above All, Yellowknife

Volunteers Needed Today to Help Clean Up Downtown Yellowknife

It's that time of year.  The snow has melted, leaving behind an unwanted bounty of Bounty wrappers, among other things.  As in years past, the Yellowknife Trash Pick-Up Artists will be getting together on Wednesdays at 5pm at Javaroma to take on this perennial pest.  Today is our first session of 2012. 

The Pick-Up Artists have been around since about 2008 and were originally formed to bridge the gap between the annual melt and the launch of the City of YK's litter cleanup season.  The City tends to wait until every last drop of snow is gone before beginning their cleanup work and it was felt that this left our town in an unacceptable state for several weeks.  Although the entire city is in need of cleanup, we chose to focus on the downtown core, because of its visibility and its importance to the overall image of the town.  Several of the co-founders also happened to be downtown residents and business owners - cleaning up our own back yard, if you will.

There really isn't all that much to it.  We meet at Javaroma between 5 and 5:30 (where all volunteers receive free coffee or tea), pick up garbage bags, latex gloves and reflective vests, and then we spread out and attack the trash.  It can be cold and windy work, although today that doesn't appear to be likely.  We ask volunteers to work for as long as they feel comfortable.  You'd be amazed at what you can accomplish in a half hour.

The good news this year is that we likely won't have to do this more than once or twice.  Unless I'm mistaken, our downtown core looks a lot cleaner than it has in years past.  Furthermore, the snow melted rather quickly this year.  We won't have to revisit the same old snow piles numerous times waiting for the sun to tease out our targets.

So at any rate, I hope you'll join me at 5 p.m. today at Javaroma to practice your pick-up skills.  It is fulfilling work that truly does make a difference in our quality of life.

To keep an eye on upcoming events, join the facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/groups/ykpickupartists/.

A huge thanks to our 2012 sponsors:

- Camco Construction
- UNW
- Javaroma
- Bellanca Developments 
- Wallbridge Law Office
- Capitol Theatre

Are Vacancy Rates on the Rise in Yellowknife?

This is a re-post from my new Yellowknife Real Estate Blog (for my new enterprise as a Century 21 agent).  I promise I won't take over Above All, Yellowknife for commercial purposes, but this post seemed like it might interest AAY readers.

As most Yellowknife renters know, the apartment vacancy rate in our city tends to be very low.  In the spring of 2011 it dipped as low as 0.7%.  It real terms this meant that of the 2,119 rental apartments and town houses in Yellowknife, only 14 were vacant at the time of the spring 2011 survey by the Canada Housing and Mortgage Corporation (CMHC).  For aspiring renters this meant fierce competition for the few vacant spaces.  It also meant rents were likely to keep rising. 

Century 21 Greenway Realty is Now Open in Yellowknife

After many years of encouraging people to move to Yellowknife, I've decided to make a business of it!  Century 21 is the most recognized consumer brand name in the real estate industry worldwide.  We can market your property from coast to coast using powerful tools like the Multi Listing Service (Canadian Real Estate Association) and the Century 21 nationwide referral network.  And if you're looking to buy in Yellowknife, I can help you avoid costly mistakes and find the home that is right for you.

For more information go to www.century21yellowknife.ca or call me at (867) 446-9800.

If you have a QR code scanner on your phone, scan this to see my mobile website:

 

 

Today is "Dust Freedom Day" in Yellowknife

City Councillor Paul Falvo is reporting on his Facebook page that earlier today City Hall released the streetsweepers from their painfully long winter captivity.  In honour of this occasion I propose we declare today Dust Freedom Day!  This is of course a rather poor rip off of Tax Freedom Day (the day after which our peronal income stays in our pockets rather that going to the tax man). 

Next year I'll update this post to see whether or not the City is reaching this monumental day earlier or later in the year.  As I wrote in my last post, I'm pretty sure they can release the dust hounds whenever they want to.

So let's give credit where it's due.  It was minus 20 degrees out this morning, and yet the streetsweepers received the green light.  Good work, City Hall.

Mini-rant: This Town is Waaaaay Too Dusty!

It's time for a good old fashioned examination of assumptions.  Why on earth do we choose to leave gravel and dirt on our roads at this time of year?  It is absolutely gross. There is dirt EVERYWHERE in this town right now. 

Yes, I understand that we have to put the gravel down in the wintertime because it's too cold here to use salt on our roads.  I get that.  But now the snow is off our roads.  Only the gravel remains.  Why?

Is it that we're afraid we might have another snowfall?  If we did, 90% of the gravel out there would be useless.  It's all on the shoulders and in the middle of the road.  Nobody drives there.  If we have a snowfall, the gravel trucks will come out again.

Inspired Ice Time Lapse Video

All credit to Kyle Thomas (YK Online) for finding this great video.  Mike and Stephan Koch won the first annual Inspired Ice competition at the Long John Jamboree from March 23rd to 25th.  As it turns out, they had a camera set up the whole time.  I really hope I get the chance to thank them in person some day for making this video.  What a great record of the event.  Truly awesome.

Toronto Star Article About Things to Do in Yellowknife

This is a great article if you're looking for things to do in Yellowknife: Link to Star article

It comes complete with a Pat Kane photo.  Good job, PK.

Long John Fashion Show: Top Prize is 2 Round-Trip Tickets to Edmonton!

Seriously folks, nothing could be more simple.  You pay a $40 entry fee, for which you get a pair of awesome fleece long johns.  You take the long johns home and customize them - infuse them with your style, or something like that.  Then you show up at the Long John Jamboree at 3:30 on Friday and parade around on the stage a bit.  If the judges choose your outfit over those the other contestants (let's call them fashion Philistines), you take home two round-trip tickets to Edmonton.  I challenge you to come up with a better effort/potential reward ratio than this!

For the full details, as well as those for another awesome event - Terriers and Tiaras - go here.

Or check out this screenshot of our ad that will be appearing in tomorrow's Yellowknifer:

The Ice Harvest 2012

Update: Sorry, the Vimeo clip of our ice harvesting session dissappeared.  I'm fairly certain a rival ice carving nation is behind it.  I shall investigate the situation promptly.  If you don't hear from me within 72 hours, please call Mikael Blomkvist.  

Update: Found it, but I thought my first update was clever so I'm leaving it there.

Today was just an amazing day.  Keith MacNeill and his crew of volunteers succesfully harvested nine GIGANTIC blocks of ice out of Great Slave Lake for De Beers Canada Inspired Ice - NWT Ice Carving Championships.  The pictures below this post are from my phone, so the quality is poor, but you get the idea.

Inspired Ice - The First Block from Terry Kruger on Vimeo.

 

The noise you hear in the background is Don Finnamore's chainsaw. It malfunctioned last weekend and then had some trouble again this morning, so it was a pretty tense day until all the blocks were cut. I had been at the site at ten a.m and everyone was just patiently waiting for Don to get back from Ron's Auto where the chainsaw was being repaired (for free of course, Ron's has come through for us huge). Then Allison and I checked in again at noon, just as they were carrying the first block to the flatbed.  We were absolutely ecstatic.  Don was making some minor adjustments to the chainsaw in the back of his pickup and his floater suit was just completely covered in icicles and frozen spray.

The whole operation was seriously, seriously impressive. My hat is off to Keith MacNeill, the event organizer. Undoubtedly we will have many surprises as we get ready for the Long John Jamboree, but having this project in the bag is a colossal weight of everyone's minds. A huge thanks to all the volunteers who helped with the Ice Harvest and to Greg Short and Inder Kanwal who helped Cory and I transport thirty picnic tables to the site. That was some hard work. We owe you big time.

Long John Red Prevails Over Old Man Winter

You can try to tell me that this ad isn't awesome, but then I'll have to call you a liar.  And that would just be uncomfortable.  Let's not go there.

Jay Bulckaert of Collective9 (he made the ad) and Alastair Gamble (he's the guy with the unreal eyebrows) are two of the greatest people on earth. 

Snow King Cup - 4 on 4 Pond Hockey Tournament

Check it out!

Call For Volunteers! The Long John Jamboree Needs Your Help! #yzf

Folks, it's crunch time for the Long John Jamboree.  The event organizing team has been working hard for months pulling this thing together - and we're now working pretty much around the clock on final preparations.  We've secured many sponsors big and small and we've organized a bunch of great events, but we're short on volunteers.  

The Board is concerned that unless we add to the volunteer ranks we'll burn out those Yellowknifers who have been kind enough to put their names forward so far.  If you've been in YK for a while, you know that this is a recurring problem and is partly to blame for the demise of Raven Mad Daze and Caribou Carnival.  Yellowknife deserves a premier winter festival perhaps more than any other Canadian city.  We simply cannot let the Jamboree suffer the same fate as the Caribou Carnival.  So please, even if you only have a few hours to spare from March 20th to the 25th, get in touch with our event organizer, Nancy MacNeill (nancy@longjohnjamboree.ca), and she'll find a suitable volunteer role for you.

Just to give you an idea of the potential of the Long John Jamboree, here are a few highlights:

• De Beers Inspired Ice: NWT Ice Carving Championships (a NICA sanctioned event)
• Kids Tent - crafts, magic shows, carnival games, etc.
• Dene Hand Games Tournament
• Cultural programming from the YKDFN
• Music tent with great local bands, storytellers, fiddlers, etc.
• Cabane a Sucre
• Helicopter rides by Trinity Helicopters 
• Beer Garden
• Ugly Truck and Dog Contest
• Terriers and Tiaras: canine fashion show and talent contest
• SPCA skijoring race
• Snowmobile races adjacent to the Jamboree site
• Snow King's Castle programming throughout the weekend
• Heritage photo booth
• Frozen Eyes photography exhibit
• Ice Fishing outings
• Kite-skiing clinics
• Flaunt Yer Skivvies long john fashion show
• Snow King Cup 4 on 4 pond hockey tournament
• Erebus and Terror concert on Friday night 
• Oil Drum fires on Friday night
• Long John Decathlon/YK Chamber of Commerce team challenge - a series of ten northern-themed contests
• Server relay
• Snowboard Rail Jam competition
• Artists Market
• Abominable Snow Race - YK Multi-Sport Club 13km race on the Dettah Ice Road

As you can see.  We have a lot planned.  To pull it all off in a manner befitting the awesomeness of our city we need a lot of help.

I'll try to add links later to each of the event bullets so that you can go directly to the info page from our website.  For now, check out www.longjohnjamboree.ca.  And please, PLEASE sign up as a volunteer if you have the time to spare.  With your help we'll ensure that this event has a life beyond this year.

One final detail: site setup will be happening from Wednesday to Thursday - day and night.  We'll be erecting tents, marking off parking areas, etc.  Then we'll be tearing it all down on Sunday night and Monday.  We need a small army of folks to help lighten the load.  During the event proper, volunteers will be helping us administer the individual events/tents, providing information to visitors, etc.

Long John Fashion Show and Contest: Flaunt Yer Skivvies!

Another event description from Janet Pacey.  It should be up on the Long John Jamboree website shortly.

FLAUNT YER’ SKIVVIES LONG JOHN FASHION SHOW AND CONTEST!

FRIDAY MARCH 23rd at 3:30 PM 

Come stomp, strut or sashay the runway! Design, decorate and create your very own look then flaunt your stuff on stage. Your entrance fee of $40 will get you a brand new pair of red long johns to decorate or for $15 you can use your own. Enter one of five categories – Haute Couture; Sparkly; Manly; Northern; and What the…?!

Email janet@longjohnjamboree.ca for more information. 

POSTED MAR 14, 2012

 

 

Photo Contest: Northern Gothic

Check out this great photo contest, dreamt up by Janet Pacey and Jackie McKinnon for the Long John Jamboree:

Go here for more details.  The winner will receive a gift certificate for one of Dave Brosha's photgraphy courses.

Long John Jamboree: Terriers and Tiaras

This poster by Janet Pacey is destined to become a collector's item.  Go here for info on this awesome event.

Long John Jamboree: Quilt Some Long Johns!

Okay, I'm officially commandeering this blog for the next three weeks to advertise Jamboree events.  Janet Pacey, our Marketing Coordinator, keeps e-mailing me event summaries.  Although I recognize that this blog doesn't have thousands of followers, it does do well in Google searches.  So I figure, why not take advantage of that to spread the word.  So here is the first.  If you're impatient and want to see all the events right now, go to the Jamboree Website.  We have some seriously cool stuff planned.

By the way, on the subject of Google, this blog has officially cracked the first page of results when you search "things to do in Yellowknife".  Long-time readers may recall that cracking the first page was a goal of mine back when I started Above All, Yellowknife.  I know this is a pretty insignificant accomplishment, but I'm pretty pleased with it.  I think I'll buy myself a cupcake to celebrate. I'm in Vancouver for the week.  Lots of great cupcake shops here.  But I digress.

Another awesome event of the Long John Jamboree... March 23-25,

2012. www.longjohnjamboree.ca

QUILT SOME LONG JOHNS!

Thursday, March 15

6:30-9:30 pm

Quilters Getaway - Stanton Plaza

Master quilter Hazel Wainwright will teach a class on how to create Janet Pacey’s Long John Jamboree wall hanging quilt pattern, Thursday, March 15 from 6:30 to 9:30 pm.

The class is free – you only need to purchase the pattern and supplies! A portion of the sales of the pattern go to Long John Jamboree.

To register please call Quilters Getaway at 920-2935.