Peter Crnogorac
Northern News Services
Friday, January 26, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - A long-time resident of Yellowknife is the winner of the 2006 Yellowknife Heritage Award.

Wayne Bryant beat out teenaged historian Tyler Heal, and two boat restorers, Ray Bethke and Laura Seddon, for the prestige.

Wayne Bryant

Mayor Gord Van Tighem, who is on the Yellowknife Heritage Committee, said Bryant seemed the proper choice due to his commitments to Yellowknife.

"Wayne was a long time member of the Heritage Committee, and a stalwart for the Mine Heritage Committee," he said.

Bryant seemed surprised when he heard that he was the winner.

"...I'm the Heritage winner?" he asked. "I used to be on the Heritage Committee, and if it was up to me, I would have probably chosen Tyler Heal." Bryant and his wife Mary first moved to Yellowknife in 1975.

An environmental engineer by trade, he ran his own company, Bryant Environmental Consultants, in the 90s. Since 1997, he and his wife have been involved in another business, Bayside Bed and Breakfast, located in Old Town.

Bryant was a founding member of the NWT Mining Heritage Committee. This is a group set up to preserve and display NWT mining and geological history.

Bryant was on the city's Heritage Committee for nine years, and he and Mary have been involved in many theatre and storytelling events over the years, including the Caribou Capers, which is the opening event to the yearly Caribou Carnival.

This is the second time Bryant has been nominated for the award; he was not selected in 2005.

According to the written reason for Bryant's selection, the committee noted that he and Mary are moving to Ontario for their retirement and the committee wished to ensure his contributions to the city were recognized.

Coun. Mark Heyck said Bryant stood out from the other candidates for the 2006 Heritage Award.

"He has always been involved in numerous heritage activities in the city," he said. "Every Year during Heritage Week he is involved in story telling and doing tours. We thought that he was the best candidate for the award," Heyck added.

Bryant will receive his award at the Heritage Dinner on Feb. 21 at the Heritage Cafe in the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre.

Nominations for the Heritage Award are open to any individual or organization that has made a contribution to the promotion and preservation of the heritage of Yellowknife.