Skip to content

Yk Shell station closed

The Shell gas station on Range Lake Road was closed and fenced off on Tuesday.

The Shell gas station on Range Lake Road was closed and fenced off yesterday.
Dylan Short/NNSL photo

Crews were working on the exterior of the building on Tuesday morning in what appeared a re-buff of the faded siding on the outside of the gas station.

From the street it appeared the inside of the convenience store was also undergoing renovations and that new exterior signage had appeared in the parking lot.

Shell is one of five traditional gas stations in town. Requests for interviews were not returned as of press time by Shell Canada and phone calls to the Yellowknife location were unanswered.

 

Yk Co-op drops weekly fee

The Yellowknife Co-op will no longer charge a one dollar weekly membership fee.
The move was spurred after surveys and consultations with the community said Justin Nelson, the store's general manager.

Nelson said the move will make it easier for the community to become members of the locally owned grocery store.

“This has been something the board has been discussing for years but this year we decided to go ahead and make it easier for people to join the co-op,” said Nelson.

“We are looking to get more people to shop locally and be members. This is a truly local business and (our profits) stays in the community, this is Yellowknife's store.

While members will no longer be required to pay each week, new members will still be required to pay a one dollar fee when they register.

Jeff Kincaid, the store's business development manager says this registration fee is mandatory due to the ownership structure of the business.

“All of our members are part-owners, that’s part of the purpose. You have to buy one share and our shares are one dollar,” said Kincaid. “You still have to buy a share in the business but its now just a onetime purchase.”

Both Kincaid and Nelson state members will continue to receive rebates on gas and home heating fuel despite waiving the weekly fee and that the home heating rebate will even be increased in the next year.

 

Lucky 13 eateries receive national exposure

As the weather cools and tourism heats up in the North, a major airline is giving the local food scene a boost.

WestJet Magazine recently featured an article titled “13 places to Eat and Drink Yellowknife, Northwest Territories” which, as the title would suggest, highlighted a number of restaurants in the city, Some on the list included: Zehabesha Traditional Ethiopian Food; Javaroma; Sushi North; Quarry Restaurant and Lounge; Korea House; Dancing Moose Cafe; and Bullocks Bistro.

“We’re very humble, grateful and we were certainly pretty excited when we got a call from them asking if we would be a part of it,” said Bullocks co-owner Jo-Anne Martin of the August issue mention. “It’s a big boost for us for sure.”

With the winter tourism season gearing up, Martin says the timing of the issue’s release couldn’t be better, especially since it will be featured in all WestJet flights across the country.

“With the magazine being this month’s feature on their flights and stuff, it’s obviously excellent advertising for people coming into Yellowknife right away,” said Martin.

Martin also said that the feature can be seen as a testament to the growing food industry in Yellowknife and that having local competition featured beside each other is a good thing rather than bad.

“With so many restaurants opening it means our economy must be good and opening small local business’ is always good,” said Martin.

Tourism in the Northwest Territories is a 90-million dollar industry. A large portion of that comes from viewing the Northern Lights.

 

Crazy Cookie Lady sweetens the city

Those looking to sweeten their birthday and holiday parties now have another option in the city.

Tania Oosting is a full-time graphic designer and with her new business Crazy Cookie Lady, she will now be designing sweet treats. Oosting bakes designer decorated sugar cookies on a by-order basis, but will be selling holiday themed treats at ‘pop-up shops’ in the city.

“Most of my custom orders are for birthdays but I've done many baby showers, anniversaries and a few just because,” said Oosting. “I do a lot of pop-up shops for (special) holidays.”

Oosting will be taking orders throughout the winter, but will close custom orders two weeks before each holiday to have extra prep time for her seasonal cookies.

Oosting said she has already started accepting custom orders and that the support from the community has been great so far.

“I am amazed how much people love Crazy Cookie Lady. I spend almost all my free time doing cookies but I love doing them and all the different theme requests,” she said. “I love to see how happy they make people. It does get stressful at times but the results are worth it.”