SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Stuffed ptarmigan is a popular Northern treat. Now it's also a popular Northern toy.

Ptarmi is a 10-inch tall plush ptarmigan filled with acetate-free polyester, not bacon and breadcrumbs. Designed by graphic artist and longtime Yellowknife resident Janet Pacey, Ptarmi is nesting in three local retail outlets this week.

Ptarmi the ptarmigan sits outside the Wildcat Cafe in Yellowknife. - photo courtesy of Janet Pacey

"I think he's just adorable," said Jacqueline Howie, owner of Flowers by Manuela, adding that Ptarmi's little purple scarf looks nice accented by irises. "He is only good for three years and over so he wouldn't make a good baby gift but he makes a great children's gift."

Howie sold her first Ptarmi on Tuesday. She developed a few special bouquets and baskets to show off the new toy.

Ptarmi stares blankly into traffic from Howie's Franklin Avenue storefront. Unlike real ptarmigan, however, he does not waddle perilously into the street. The new product is also in stock at Linco's Pottery Nook and in Birchwood Gallery, where the idea for Ptarmi was first hatched.

Pacey's original ptarmigan painting, featuring a couple of plump birds dancing on the roof of the Wild Cat Cafe, debuted in the gallery early this decade. In subsequent years Pacey has produced a covey of ptarmigan designs on quilt patterns, greeting cards, T-shirts, wrapping paper and hand-painted house signs.

"Who doesn't love ptarmigan," Pacey said. "They're hilarious. They're silly. They're a bit dumb. OK, they're a lot dumb. But, like anything round and baby-like, people just want to take care of them."

With support from the department of Industry, Tourism and Investment, and lots of advice from friends and members of the Chamber of Commerce, Pacey's Ptarmi brand began to take flight two years ago.

She partnered with a Canadian distributor, Binkley Toys Inc. in Hamilton, Ontario, but despite her best efforts she said she could not locate any North American manufacturers.

"While it's not awesome they're made in China, I had no other choice," she said, adding that she and her distributor researched the factory to guarantee all materials are safe.

The entire design and marketing process is 100-per cent homegrown, however, with Pacey nurturing her idea every step of the way.

Pacey plans to help Ptarmi migrate to stores in the Yukon and Nunavut in the fall. She also invites Ptarmi owners to snap a photo of the little guy in far-flung locales so she can post the images on her website at www.ptarmiptown.com.