I was out for a little trip on one of the snowmobiles we are taking care of while their owners complete an assignment with the Mennonite Central Committee in Mexico. I was two turns from home on the streets of Yellowknife when I noticed that the Sports Utility Vehicle approaching me was slowing down. I had to look closely to realise that it was braking for ptarmigan (there actually is quite a popular bumper sticker in Yellowknife that reads 'I brake for ptarmigan'). As they were crossing the street in front of him, and therefore in front of me, I also had to brake for them. That's Yellowknife Moment Part One - a snowmobile and an SUV on the city streets braking for ptarmigan - hard to picture that happening anywhere else. But wait, I'm not done - I continued around the turn and then made the next turn on to our street, down our street and then in to our driveway where there is a trail into our backyard where I turn the snowmobile around to be ready for the next trip. As I drove into the back yard, there perched on the rock outcrop that overlooks our back yard was a nice bushy fox watching me.
All that was a bit of an aside, a fond memory of my last Yellowknife Moment before tonight. It is typical of the kind of experience we've come to expect in this place, but one which still impresses us. The occasion is the yearly Peter Gzowski Invitational golf tournament for Literacy. This is an event which moves around the north - from eastern arctic to western arctic and lots of places in between. However, we usually get a concert in Yellowknife regardless of where the golf tournament is taking place. A few years ago the golf tournament was played on a miniature golf course carved out of the snow on Great Slave Lake right next to the Snow Castle which also is on Great Slave Lake - built pretty much entirely out of snow and ice (ice is frozen in sheets to make the window panes). Apparently they used flourescent red balls, and I'm not sure what they used for clubs. This year the golf game is being played on the ice in Hay River, but as the invitees and performers usually have to come through Yellowknife anyway, and as this is the community with the largest population and therefore the best place to do some fund raising, it was time for the Peter Gzowski Invitational Fund Raising Concert for Literacy.
Where else but Yellowknife can you attend an intimate little concert with such well known names as Russell De Carle (of Prairie Oyster), Barney Bentall, Connie Kaldor, Jonathan Torrens along with the fantastic harmonica playing of Mike Caribou Stevens (follow the link to find out more about this amazing musician and his work with "at risk youth" in the north). However, the evening was not limited to these great 'imported' musicians, because we have some of our own. Yellowknife is a treasure chest of fantastic local musical talent that can challenge some of the best in the country and tonight was no exception - Sophie Léger - fresh from a gig at the Vancouver Olympics and Pat Braden - who plays the Chapman Stick and all of it hosted by Shelagh Rogers.
Now before you think that you might be able to attend a concert like that somewhere near where you live, let me just say that I'm pretty sure it just would not be the same, because you see there is a certain 'northern spirit' which always accompanies these kinds of event - and believe me we've seen some pretty well known musicians and other artists in our four+ years here - for example, Murray McLauchlan and Ian Thomas performing a little concert in the room next to my office for about twenty people a couple of years ago! This "northern spirit" is such that it welcomes celebrities like the ones who were here this evening (and they'll be back for another concert tomorrow night - in case you can arrange a quick flight to Yellowknife!) but it doesn't do so with a large amount of fanfare. It's just all laid back - as Canadian as it gets I think - and you can mingle with them at the intermission, or have your photo taken with them, and share a story or two. It's as if Yellowknifers just know we have a good thing going here, and anyone - celebrity or otherwise - just has to find that out. I'm pretty sure that's why Peter Gzowski liked the north so much (in fact Shelagh Rogers practically said that this evening - that this is where Peter could just be Peter - and I think Shelagh nailed that 'northern spirit' nail on the head with that comment) and that's why this Peter likes the north so much as well.
north literacy:
fine people from near and far
sing and play for funds
Yellowknife,
March 22, 2010
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