Smile!

Let's face it, in larger city centres, you don't go around smiling at everyone you see on the street. There are many reasons for this, but the bottom line is that it is a matter of personal safety. You never know what creeps are out there lying in wait. I am above average in the paranoia department due to my cop's kid upbringing, however, most females are pretty careful these days. Or maybe that is just me.

When I left my friendly, warm land of Nova Scotia the unfriendliness of the general public of British Columbia really floored me. In Halifax the standard stranger eye contact in public places etiquette seems to be:
a) Acknowledge other individual with a brief glance and quick closed lip half smile. Eyebrows remain level.
b) Keep face neutral, avert eyes. Continue briskly on your way.
c)If the person seems really sane a full fledged eye squint combined with a full closed lip smile may be appropriate.

Now, in BC the standard procedure is ALWAYS B. Never A or C. It just doesn't happen. When you are used to A and C, it is alarming at first. However you get used to it pretty quickly.

Yellowknife seems to have a scale all on its own in the stranger eye contact department. It is commonplace to have complete strangers execute a FULL teeth exposed, eyes squinted, warm faced smile. Imagine my complete surprise after the coolness of BC!

To this day, the friendliness and warmth of complete strangers still takes me off guard. I must say, it is another asset of this wonderful little place North of 60.

Grocery Rant

The first ever time I grocery shopped in YK, it was absolutely scary. The cashier wildly scanned each item and then flung it down the conveyor belt. Hubby and I stood there waiting for her to bag our groceries (as that is what happens at every other grocery store I have ever shopped at in my life...) while she continued the wild scanning and flinging. When she was done she stared blandly at us and announced the HUGE price. (First grocery trips are always so expensive, I hate having to re buy everything that was once in your cupboard.) While she smacked away on her gum she completed the transaction and then, as she handed us our bill told us to bag our own groceries.

I hate grocery shopping in YK. However, nine months down the road I feel I have become a marathon grocery shopper, I have learned to ALWAYS bring Hubby to the grocery store, he loads up the front end of the conveyor belt while I run to the end part of the conveyor belt and start bagging. It works well, and I am contemplating applying to the Northern Olympics to see if we can start it up Northern Grocery shopping as a new Northern Olympic event.

Having boycotted EF and I have now returned as the high prices as Co op became far too expensive to continue to exclusively shop there. The last trip to EF grocery store illuminated exactly why I cannot handle shopping there.

Hubby and I set up for the unloading and packing of the groceries. His mother was even there to help me pack. As I filled a bag with groceries I sat it at the end of the conveyor belt as Hubby was still unloading the cart. That same cashier was practicing her expert scan and fling technique. Soon the end portion of the conveyor belt was jam packed with bagged groceries and groceries still requiring bagging. MIL and I worked at top notch speeds. As the cashier was in her happy place, scanning and flinging away (while smacking loudly on her gum) she did not notice that the groceries were piled high and there was no more room for more bagged groceries. (No, putting bagged groceries on their filthy floor was not an option!) I loudly yet politely called out for her to stop for a second until Hubby could push the cart down so we could start loading up the cart and finish bagging the groceries. She ignored me and within these few seconds the influx on new groceries caused all the bagged groceries to squash together at once. I heard a huge crunch as the bags of chips crushed together and the bread bag was flattened to a pancake like state.

So here’s my problem. I am sick and tired of the dingy half empty store filled with half spoiled produce and often empty shelves. I KNOW there are people on this earth who don’t even have the luxury of a grocer or even food while others are stuck paying $20 for a litre of milk. I SHOULD probably not complain.

But here in YK, it’s almost like a tease. We have produce, but it half rotted. There is a grocery store (Three to be exact) but the shelves are half filled. The bread is set to expire in four days. The milk goes bad after two... and then there is the often times poor service at that certain grocery store. My grocery order is ALWAYS between $300ish to $400ish every 3ish weeks. I hate paying all that money to a national grocery chain to consistently have these bizarre and stressful shopping experiences.

And NO, I really don’t buy into the whole, “We have a hard time finding good workers here in YK” thing. The difference in customer service and overall store quality between Co op and EF proves that is not the case.

Another photo caption contest!

I have LOVED Ferry Tale's Photo Caption Contest this past week. So to continue the fun, here is my photo that needs a good caption! I eagerly await your captions or short stories.

(For my family who read this, you can leave a comment in the comments section, just click on the comments section at the end of this post, select anonymous and leave your name in the body of the comment.)

Of course there will be a prize for the award winning caption or story.

Summertime in the Knife

Almost every YKer that I have met has assured me since the first day I arrived in the metropolis that YK has fantastic summers. The summers are so marvelous that they actually "make up" for the long, cold, dark winters. In the midst of the long, dark winter, these individuals would seem to develop a longing, far away, dreamy state when even thinking of the wonder that is the summertime in YK. Let me be very honest when I say that I didn't believe a word of it, even though numerous people sang the praises of the Northern Summer.

Well, now I am living it and I must admit, Yellowknife in the summer is truly a lovely place. The long days without any darkness are certainly a little wonky when you are not used to it, however I much prefer this to the long, dark winter days. A nice room darkening curtain will do the trick of eliminating the daylight from shining though into your bedroom. Walmart in YK carries a few different styles, so they are available here in town.

Now, I am not naturally a Nature person. I don't enjoy being in wild animal's homes or territories. I wouldn't want them in my home, so I tend to grant them the same respect. One of the most fantastic aspects of the Yellowknife summer is going outdoors and experiencing the awesome hiking trails, day parks, lakes, and other attractions such as Cameron Falls. So I have recently been facing some of my biggest fears (wild animals) and getting out and enjoying all that the North has to offer out of doors. Hubby and I have taken up fishing (heart stoppingly FUN!) and are looking to purchase a canoe right away. While I am constantly phobic that a bear or any other wild animal is going to come wandering out of the forest to where I am hanging out, I am facing my fears and hopefully will come to feel more comfortable amongst wilderness.

There just may be hope for me yet.

Here are some photos from the beautiful lakes around the Yellowknife area.

Prosperous Lake at 11:15 pmProsperous Lake, around 9:30 pm, this was one of the most calm and peaceful places I have been in a very long time. All around us we could hear the calling of birds, the splashing of fish in the lake and a muskrat entertained us swimming all around the wharf where we were fishing.


This little guy was spotted in Frame Lake, just next to the Frame Lake Walking Trail. This trail is accessible at various places around Yellowknife, including by the hospital, Ruth Inch Pool as well as City Hall. It is a satisfying and beautiful hike from the hospital to City Hall and back.

Frame Lake

This is Madeline Lake, located just off the Ingraham Trail. They have picnic tables and little camping stoves if you are looking for a nice place to have a picnic and do some fishing or boating.

I encourage anyone coming to the Yellowknife area to get out and experience the wilds of the North. It is absolutely spectacular as Tourism NWT claims and if I can do it, so can you.

Lunch au Wildcat Cafe

Le Wildcat Cafe
3186 Wiley Street, Oldtown, Yellowknife
Opens at 7am
Prices range from $$ to $$$$$



Today I had the pleasure of having lunch at one of Yellowknife's more famous restaurants, Le Wildcat Cafe. My friend and I decided to go at 1pm in order to avoid a big noon lunch rush. We were pleased to see that while le Wildcat was nice and full, it was not overcrowded. Before entering the restaurant you are greeted with this sign that helps to explain the seating procedure of le Wildcat.

There are long benches and wooden tables on each side of the restaurant that will comfortably sit around six adults. In three of the corners of the room there are smaller tables that will sit two to four adults. This restaurant is separated into two rooms, one for the kitchen and the other is the main dining area. The walls are beautiful, rustic, stained wooden logs and boards. Olden day artifacts adorn the walls and corners. Be sure to look up to see an old saw strung across the rafters as well as a well used paddle.


Le Wildcat also has additional seating available on the patio adjacent to the restaurant. A sign advises patrons to be sure to go into the restaurant to let the server know that you are there. With temperatures hovering around eight degrees Celsius today, we decided to dine inside!

The ambiance of le Wildcat is fantastic, you truly feel as if you have been transported 60 years into the past. I wouldn't have been at all surprised to see a burly woodsman in a plaid jacket with an axe slung over his shoulder saunter in through the front door. Actually, in Yellowknife that probably wouldn't be too far fetched anyway.

The servers were highly competent, something I always appreciate when dining in our lovely metropolis. As for the lunch menu, the prices range from reasonable to quite pricey, depending on the items. The menu is quite a bit larger than what I had suspected, so the selection was quite plentiful.

My friend and I both ordered the arctic char burger which is served on a scrumptious and fresh kaiser bun. The bun is smeared with slightly overpowering garlic mayonnaise, lettuce and thin slices of red onion. As for the arctic char itself, it was sheer culinary perfection, lovely and soft, not at all overcooked or hard, allowing the obviously fresh flavor of the arctic char to dominate the burger. I wasn't so fond of their fried potato wedges, they were a very dark brown colour... chewy on the inside, overly crispy and over fried on the outside. I would have greatly enjoyed the option for either a fresh salad or a roasted potato in it's place.


At $18 a plate for each arctic char burger plus a soft drink each our bill totaled just over $40. A little steep for lunch in my opinion, however I will be back to try both their breakfast and dinner menus.

Lakeshore Drive, Penticton

This is one of my favourite places on Earth. It is so calming and beautiful to walk along the boardwalk with the sparkling lake bordered by big BC mountains.

If you are ever looking for a fun Canadian vacay, I suggest checking out BC's Okanagan Valley. Westjet offers great seat sales into Kelowna and the outlying areas are absolutely breathtaking. If you are a fan of wine, the OK Valley has well over a hundred wineries according to the last vineyard map I saw, my favourites are Lang Vineyards and Elephant Island in Naramata. Burrowing Owl, just south of Oliver is another gem, nestled at the tip of the Sonora Desert. The other big attraction for me is the beautiful beaches with amazingly clear and warm water.

I am definately feeling home/BC sick these days, especially when the temperatures in the Okanagn have reached +35C in the past week.



I would love any suggestions from the YKers out there for fun things to do around town or things to look forward to in the coming summer months.

Catching Up

Hello Readers,

For the last two weeks I have been without internet, with the exception of my cell phone. The blog is now updated, all of your comments have been posted and hopefully replied to. I want to thank everybody who stops by and takes time to read this, it surprises me every day.

Now, getting back to business, here are some photos of my dogs in their most favourite place on Planet Earth, the Dog Beach and Lakeshore Drive in Penticton. Those are some happy puppies.


Can you spot the chihuahuas? They look so tiny compared to the scenery!


Sun, sand and a curb to walk on. That's all Olivia asks for in life.