Yellowknife (May 07/04) - It was an invasion of sorts on Yellowknife streets Tuesday night, with the soldiers disguised as little girls, conquering civilians with a treat they couldn't refuse -- Girl Guide cookies.

The mood was jittery and purposeful as more than 100 girls aged 5-11 lined up for their provisions of cookies in the parking lot of Ecole St. Joseph.

An electoral map of Yellowknife pinpointed neighbourhood targets for the girls and their parent chaperons.

Lugged two cases

The more ambitious girls lugged two cases filled with individual boxes of the traditional chocolate and vanilla sandwich cookies.

Once they had culled their supplies from the 7,000 boxes lined up at the headquarters, they hurried off to sell their stash.

"It's the one night out to sell as much as we can," said Geri Elkin, otherwise known as the cookie lady.

This year the Yellowknife District Girl Guides added a second night to increase sales, so the girls will be out May 11 as well.

Temperatures hovering between -5 to -10C didn't slow down the blitz at all, said Elkin.

"It's colder than usual, but we're hardy Northern girls, so we can handle it," she said beneath her winter coat.

Nine-year-old Jeanne Yurris wasn't concerned about being able to sell her wares. With five years experience, she knows people can't resist the cookies.

"They usually say yes," she said.

She keeps her cool when walking door to door, thanking those who refuse the sale and moving on to the next house.

Over the years she's fielded requests for only vanilla cookies or the popular mint cookies, which only come out in the fall, but otherwise has no trouble on her treks.

Emily Thagard goes by some tried and true rules of being a Girl Guide in her travels.

"I say thank you if they buy cookies or even if they don't buy cookies," said the eight-year-old.

She and twins Annie and Grace Weishaupt make it a rule not to give samples out to customers, though there were a few cookies to be had at the busy headquarters.

$4 a box

The cookie campaign is the only fundraising the group does each year. At $4 a box, they expect to bring in $28,000 this spring.

A booth at the Chamber of Commerce's Spring Trade Show should also increase sales for the group this year.

There aren't enough cookies available for every hungry Yellowknifer, Elkin points out, so people better get their cookies fast.