Jessica Klinkenberg
Northern News Services
Wednesday, June 20, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - Where can you get your boat serviced, pick up an ice cream and buy a new chainsaw?

Pier One Marine, of course.

The firm opened early this year to accommodate the demand for maintenance work ahead of the boating season.

General manager Roger Thuroo said he's already worked on 15 boats since May.

"Right now, it's really busy," he said.

Thuroo's job is to help boaters - from fishers to cruisers - get on the water as painlessly as possible.

Pretty soon he'll be helping folks in search of canoes, too.

"The canoes are new for us. They should be here probably in the next 10 days," he said.

With the arrival of summer, Thuroo said he has five new part-timers aboard helping him with the increased demand.

The marina draws boats from as far away as the other end of Great Slave Lake.

"We get a lot of our customers from Lutsel K'e," he said.

"We have 50 slips and we've got about four or five left," he said, adding anyone hoping to book a spot to park their boat better act soon before they're gone.

Thuroo said previous renters always get first chance at the slips before they're offered to new customers.

With ice cream and other snacks available onsite, Thuroo can also see the store getting busier in the coming weeks as people stop by for a quick treat to take out on the lake.

As the true heat of the summer hits, the store will stay open later - the gas pumps, as always, never close for those registered for the 24-hour cardlock service.

Thuroo said he likes his job even though he can never take summer holidays.

"That's why we have to take our leave in the off-season," he said.

He said he expects things at Pier One to stay busy until about September depending on the weather.