Yellowknife (Sep 26/03) - One of Yellowknife's first teachers has died.

Daisy Halladay died in a Calgary nursing home Aug. 31. She was 94.

Halladay arrived in Yellowknife in 1946, with hopes of becoming a teacher. Her husband Kurt said at that time no positions were available so Daisy worked three jobs at different cafes in town, including the historic Wildcat Cafe.

In 1948, she was hired for one of two positions at Yellowknife Public School. Opened by Mildred Hall in 1939, the small log cabin has since been refurbished and is now a heritage site.

"It was just a two-room school in a little shack," said Kurt, who worked for Giant Mine during their nearly 20 years in Yellowknife.

Married 53 years, Kurt and Daisy had one child, Janice, and no grandchildren.

The Halladay's left Yellowknife in 1964 to settle in Calgary, where Daisy continued teaching for four more years before retiring.

Kurt said Yellowknife always stayed close to her heart.

"She very much enjoyed her years in Yellowknife," he said. "She loved the outdoors. She loved the birds and the flowers."