Adventure

A jaunt around Old Town

Text and photos by Doris Ohlmann

If you’re deciding to embark on a Staycation this summer, consider the eclectic places of interest in Old Town, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories.

Boats and sometimes float planes are a common sight during the summer months on the shores of Great Slave Lake in historic Old Town, Yellowknife. Bullock’s Bistro is a popular eatery for all things fish, like fish tacos, whitefish, trout, and a lot more like deep fried moose donuts, Bullocks Bistro homemade salad dressing and fish sauce! Bullock’s Bistro was a participant in this year’s Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce’s “Be a Tourist in Your Own Town” promotion, in partnership with the City of Yellowknife, Government of the Northwest Territories - Industry, Tourism and Investment, and Northwest Territories Tourism.

First prize was a two-night stay for two people at Blachford Lake Lodge. Winner: Kerrissa Maclean. Second prize was a four-hour Pike Fishing Trip for four people with Yellowknife Outdoor Adventures. Winner: Renske Ball. The Eat & Relax third prize package was won by Anita Akuluklyc and included a $200 gift certificate for Etandah Organic Day Spa, a $200 gift certificate from Bullocks Bistro and a bottle of their famous salad dressing, and two Northern books from the Yellowknife Book Cellar. The fourth Prize package donated by Northwest Territories Tourism was won by Erin Suliak.

Yellowknife’s historic Wildcat Cafe has been a fixture in Old Town since 1937 and is the oldest restaurant in the territory. The popular eatery is usually open in the summer months.

Top left: After 18 years, Yellowknife’s Just Furs shut its doors, and moved online in 2021. Top middle: Old Town sign. Top right: An artist decides to beautify the surroundings of Old Town with a paint brush on an unusual canvas. Left: The Down to Earth Gallery displays art from about 130 Northern artists. Bottom left: Wanting to take a break from your leisurely stroll around Old Town, this colourful bench will do the trick. Bottom middle: This signpost seen at the Gallery of the Midnight Sun, refers to a landmark road in Yellowknife. Named by prospectors who had gone broke (ragged ass), the road has been described as one of the most famous streets in Canada and has been immortalized in a song and album by Tom Cochrane. Bottom right: The creativity in Old Town is even seen on the large trash bins.