Melissa Vejins
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Dec 22/99) - With New Year fast approaching, Yellowknife eateries are making it their business to stay in business.

"All of our suppliers, including our main supplier in Calgary, say they're 100 per cent ready to go," says McDonald's assistant manager, Andre Corbeil.

Panasonic, Corbeil notes, has recently completed a verification of McDonald's tills, so all should be in order for Y2K.

In the event that there should be electronic glitches, some restaurants say they're confident they can rely on manual operations.

"We will be able to process credit cards the old way," says the owner of Bullock's Bistro, Sam Bullock.

Should there be delays with food delivery, Bullock says, it "won't be a problem getting fish on January 1st."

Javaroma's owner, Adrian Bell, shares the same enthusiasm.

"I hand-check every bean to make sure they're Y2K compliant," he says with a chuckle. That means they'll be percolating well into the New Year.

For others, the best way to ward off Y2K doom and gloom is to ignore it.

The Diner's manager, Maureen Bernard, seems unfazed by predictions of chaos.

"I don't think that anything's going to change in here...we're all manual."

That's sunny side up for those who like it that way.

Asked if there are any emergency plans for their Old Town business, the Prospector's manager Kelly Bourgeois was quick to say no.

"We don't. We're wimps. Most of us don't believe (in Y2K)," Bourgeois says, adding, "When you look at the past, everything was done manually. We're way too dependent on technology. Maybe we should learn about survival skills."

In the event of a prolonged power outage, Sam Bullock plans on upgrading his bistro into a community information centre. Javaroma will be offering fresh coffee to any rescue worker.

"What it all comes back to is preparedness and Yellowknifers are prepared both psychologically and materially," says Bullock.