Richard Gleeson
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Apr 28/00) - In an effort to promote our city in communities near and far, a group of Yellowknife boosters are engaging a new partner: the Canadian Navy.

"If there's a particular market overseas, whether in Asia or Europe, there's an opportunity for us to highlight our products, whether its tourism, construction chnology, the dog derby or whatever," said Pat McMahon.

McMahon is the ship's official sponsor and a member of Friends of HMCS Yellowknife. The group of volunteers is devoted to maintaining the ties between the city and the ship named after it.

The 55-metre-long HMCS Yellowknife is one of a dozen new Kingston Class coastal defence cruisers that were added to the Canadian Navy's fleet over the last few years.

The reservists who crew the ship have maintained the connection with the city by naming galleyways and rooms aboard the ship after Yellowknife streets and attractions. The skin of a barrenland grizzly is on display in the radio room, with the head of the bear looking down on the operators.

It also carries pamphlets, souvenirs and information promoting the city and its products to those who visit the ship. And there are a lot.

McMahon said up to 3,000 people toured the ship in a day during a recent seven-day stop in Portland, Oregon.

Though HMCS Yellowknife is not designed to cross oceans, the connection it gives the city to the Canadian Navy extends the city's promotional range beyond the range of the ship it's named after.

McMahon said another naval vessel, HMCS Winnipeg, borrowed the promotional material from the ship for a tour of Pacific Rim ports.

"The HMCS Winnipeg said, 'Give us the material you want us to highlight and we'll put up a display for you,'" said McMahon.

HMCS Winnipeg has seen as many as 6,000 people touring it each day.

The relationship works both ways. Understanding that the more the crew knows about the city the more capable they will be of serving as city boosters, the Friends help organize crew visits to the city.

"It's a little different for us, because we're not on the coast," said McMahon. "We need a strong group to maintain the ties between the community and the ship."

This summer, from July 24-29, the crew will be visiting to witness the air show and the change of command at the Department of National Defence Northern Area headquarters.

The navy pays the way of the crew members coming North, but while here they need a place to stay.

McMahon said residents willing to billet an HMCS Yellowknife sailor during that period should contact her or Jack Adderly.