We know that some of your spouses/partners are coming along, and also that some of you are staying a few extra days to enjoy more of what Yellowknife and the North have to offer. Here are a few suggestions, plus a couple of my personal favorites.

Water and Fishing: For those who love to be on the water (plenty of water around YK!) and/or fish, there’s lots of tour choice (prices and times vary). YKer Shona’s research has netted good replies from these companies:

• Yellowknife Sport Fishing– half day or full day (4 max): https://www.yellowknifesportfishing.com/
• Trail Blazer Tours – half day or full day (8 max, in 2 boats). Half days are for pike fishing, full day is pike and trout fishing, https://trailblazertours2019.com/
• Yellowknife Outdoor Adventures– 4-hour, 6-hour or 8-hour tours (includes a shore lunch), (8 max, in 2 boats), https://www.yellowknifeoutdooradventures.com/
• Yellowknife Outdoor Adventures– Great Slave Lake boat tour and BBQ fish fry (3.5 hours) $165.00 plus tax p.p.: https://www.yellowknifeoutdooradventures.com/

Contact them yourself to make arrangements.

Eating: if catching fish isn’t your thing but you like eating fresh, northern fish – Bullock’s Bistro is world famous for both its food and its atmosphere: https://www.bullocksbistro.ca/ . Don’t miss it! Locals will also pop in to buy a batch of their freshly-baked buns, they’re mouth-wateringly yummy.

Making (or shopping): my personal favourite is Old Town Glassworks. The company makes iconic beverage glasses out of cut-down wine bottles, then sandblasts them with northern images. You can either buy glasses in the little gift shop OR – which I recommend – sign up for a workshop to make one or two yourself. It’s super interesting and great fun (not cheap – the guy’s gotta make a living…). Check it out at https://www.oldtownglassworks.com/ .

Agriculture in the North: yes, gardeners be surprised at the robust ‘growing scene,’ whether that be community and private gardens, or some larger-scale operations selling seasonal produce. If you stay till Tuesday you can catch the late-afternoon Farmer’s Market (https://yellowknifefarmersmarket.ca/ ). There’s a new Discovery Centre about northern agriculture – explore Tastes of the North and related green endeavours at https://www.nwtagrifood.ca/. A great article on this by Cabin Radio: Agriculture ‘discovery centre’ opens in downtown Yellowknife.

Buildings: both Bullock’s Bistro and Old Town Glassworks are housed in buildings which … well, would not be found in the downtown of any other Canadian city. They’re good examples the Yellowknife independent spirit!

Mining: the City’s history is intertwined with mining, both close to Yellowknife and further out. As part of the FAN conference we will likely visit The Yellowknife Historical Museum (https://www.yellowknifehistory.com/visit-museum). You might also like the NWT Diamond and Jewelry Centre (https://www.nwtdiamondcentre.com/). To understand the darker side of mining history, I’ve always found the Giant Mine Remediation project fascinating – it’s easy to book a quick visit via the website: https://gmob.ca/.

These are just a few personally-chosen examples. Check more extensive information at https://spectacularnwt.com/. There’s just so much to choose from!