The City of Yellowknife officially unveiled the new visitor centre on Monday.

Located in Centre Square Mall on 49 Street, the facility provides information for tourists about activities, events, services and more. It is also a part of the City of YellowknifeSA国际影视传媒檚 downtown revitalization project.

SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 awesome to be able to open it today,SA国际影视传媒� said Yellowknife Mayor Rebecca Alty, SA国际影视传媒淚 love the art gallery, and to be able to have tourists and residents alike come downtown and check it out.SA国际影视传媒�

As opposed to the last visitor centre, which was located in the boardroom at city hall for the interim, Alty foresees the new centreSA国际影视传媒檚 location as being better suited for travellers and local merchants.

SA国际影视传媒淥ne thing we saw with the last visitor centre when it was in the basement of city hall was that tourists came and then they went back to their hotel. So we really wanted to find the next location for the visitor centre in the downtown area so people will come, check it out, and then hopefully check out the shops around them and support the local businesses a bit.

SA国际影视传媒淭he other thing thatSA国际影视传媒檚 helped is that we were able to get the mall to open the 50 Street entrance so we really feel like foot traffic and parking will even come return to this street.SA国际影视传媒�

The visitor centre replaced the Northern Frontiers Visitors Centre, which closed in 2017 after encountering financial issues. That venue, located across from the Explorer Hotel, faced major structural issues and repair costs.

Tracy Therrien, who served as the Northern Frontier Visitors AssociationSA国际影视传媒檚 executive director until the organization dissolved, said, SA国际影视传媒淭he quote to repair the windows alone was $500,000.SA国际影视传媒� The building was ultimately demolished in 2020.

SA国际影视传媒淭his really ticks a lot of the boxes,SA国际影视传媒� add Kerry Thistle, the citySA国际影视传媒檚 director of economic development and strategy. SA国际影视传媒淭he non-commercial gallery art space just adds to that, so weSA国际影视传媒檙e anticipating weSA国际影视传媒檒l see visitors and residents alike.SA国际影视传媒�

There will also be an accessible ramp, expected to be ready for use in the near future.

SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 kind of like, hopefully a sign that the times are changing, instead of shutting doors, weSA国际影视传媒檙e opening them up again,SA国际影视传媒� Thistle said.

Close to $125,000 for the project came out of the citySA国际影视传媒檚 downtown reserve. The Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment (ITI) typically provided $161,000 a year for visitor services, but that figure was increased to around $347,000 for the relocation year.

The Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency also provided funding $400,000 toward the initiative.

The location was expected to open in time for this yearSA国际影视传媒檚 summer tourist season, but was delayed by supply chain issues and the Covid-19 pandemic.

Kristen Au Johnston, a director for the Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce, attended the visitor centre on opening day.

SA国际影视传媒淚 first came to Yellowknife back in October 2017 when they just closed the previous visitor centre that was sinking, across from the Explorer Hotel. I just missed that,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淭he city did have a temporary visitor centre at the city hall, which I was actually a tour guide for when I first moved here. That was my first job.

SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 better to have a space than not having one,SA国际影视传媒� said Au Johnston. SA国际影视传媒淭he space (at city hall) was also very small. One tour bus that fits 24 passengers would pack up the place and if there were multiple tour buses visiting at a time, they would have to wait outside. So that was not the most ideal place but I appreciate that we had a temporary solution. This space, itSA国际影视传媒檚 so great. ItSA国际影视传媒檚 right downtown, also close by some of the hotels like Quality Inn and itSA国际影视传媒檚 a great space for people to come in. People can see local arts and sit down to read the brochures. ItSA国际影视传媒檚 really great.SA国际影视传媒�

Cathie Harper, who was also stopped by the visitor centre, remarked that SA国际影视传媒渋tSA国际影视传媒檚 very fascinating.SA国际影视传媒�

SA国际影视传媒淚 mean, itSA国际影视传媒檚 a good use of this space. A lot of us have thought for years that this was a great space to be used for something better than it was, but with no easy access it was kind of useless. There were also a lot of repairs that were needed to make it totally functional. ItSA国际影视传媒檚 really great being used this way. There definitely has been a need for a new visitor centre. Parking, I think, is going to be an issue for guests, unfortunately SA国际影视传媒� especially those who have large campers. But the actual facility is gorgeous looking.SA国际影视传媒�

The first artist in the gallery

Another facet of the grand opening was the highlighted work of Indigenous artist and educator Melaw NakehkSA国际影视传媒檕.

SA国际影视传媒淚t feels really amazing,SA国际影视传媒� said NakehkSA国际影视传媒檕, who is also co-founder of Dene Nahjo, an organization that promotes Indigenous language, culture, art and leadership.

SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 quite an honour to be the first artist to show in this gallery space,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淚SA国际影视传媒檓 not a full time painter. ISA国际影视传媒檓 a filmmaker and a land-based Indigenous educator. I do a lot of hide camps. I teach hide-tanning,SA国际影视传媒� she continued. SA国际影视传媒淪o painting is something that I do in between a lot of my projects and I do wish one day that ISA国际影视传媒檒l be able to paint more, but itSA国际影视传媒檚 really a practice that I have that helps ground me in between my bigger projects.

SA国际影视传媒淚 like to challenge myself and I only recently started painting figurative pieces, so ISA国际影视传媒檓 really grateful for all of the subjects in this show that have allowed me to work with their image and try to represent them as best as I can.

SA国际影视传媒淚SA国际影视传媒檓 working on a feature documentary right now,SA国际影视传媒� said NakehkSA国际影视传媒檕. SA国际影视传媒淚 also have an experimental, three-dimensional instillation piece that will be at Nuit Blanche in Toronto at the beginning of October.SA国际影视传媒�