SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Storytelling, music, dance, poetry and visual art are a big part of the all-ages programming planned for this year's Heritage Arts Week.

Yvonne Quick earned this year's Heritage Award for her commitment to promoting Northern aviation and mining history. - photo courtesy of Stephanie Yuill

Organized by a team of 10 hardworking volunteers with the Yellowknife Heritage Committee, the events encourage residents to explore our region's past from Feb. 8 to 14.

"Heritage Week is a celebration of Yellowknife and its unique history and culture," said committee volunteer Ryan Silke.

Silke, who researches and writes about NWT mining history, is just one of the enthusiastic community members appointed to the committee by city council for their passionate approach to local history.

"We try to be a really hands-on committee," said volunteer co-ordinator Stephanie Yuill. "We try to ignite the fire of history and spark the interest so people can fall in love with Yellowknife history themselves."

Yvonne Quick is the recipient of this year's Heritage Award. The annual award recognizes the former bush pilot and Float Plane Association member's ongoing efforts to promote aviation and mining history throughout the NWT.

She will officially be presented with the title on Thursday, Feb. 11. Other highlights planned for Heritage Week include a special noon-hour tour of the legislative assembly on Monday, Feb. 8, and a concert and open mic at Javaroma from 7 to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 9. Digawolf, Pat Braden and Rick Poltaruk are in the opening lineup.

In addition to promoting Yellowknife's past, the committee is using Heritage Week to remember Lorne Schollar, who passed away last month. Schollar was a longtime committee member and a Yellowknife historian who inspired love and respect for Northern heritage.

Before retiring from the RCMP in 1982 after 27 years of service, Schollar documented years of Northern history in photography and film during postings in the Yukon, Fort Liard, Grise Fiord and Yellowknife, where he made his home since 1976. In addition to the Heritage Committee, Schollar was active in the NWT Mining Heritage Society and the Geoscience forum, among many other initiatives.

"Lorne was a living piece of history himself," Yuill said. "He worked all across the North and he brought history to life with his stories."

Schollar built the picturesque log house on Forrest Drive and successfully campaigned to preserve a remote RCMP building on Great Bear Lake.

"That was a little piece of history that he saved," said Mayor Gord Van Tighem. "Lorne was the type of person that did more things in the community (than anybody) will ever know about. He's one of these people that when you lose them you realize you can't replace them."

The City of Yellowknife formed the Heritage Committee 15 years ago to advise council on the designation and restoration of heritage sites, while finding creative ways for residents to get in touch with Yellowknife's past. The committee produces the heritage walking tours maps of New Town and Old Town, and acquires historically-themed artworks for public display at city hall, the Yellowknife Public Library and the Multiplex.

For a complete schedule of Heritage Week events, visit the City of Yellowknife website.