Cara Loverock
Northern News Services
Published Wednesday, September 12, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - After a successful 70th season in operation, employees were cleaning and packing up the Wildcat Cafe on Monday.

Teresa Gervais destroys a tape from the Forrest Gump soundtrack heard all season at the Wildcat Cafe as the building is packed up for winter. - Cara Loverock/NNSL Photo

The popular eatery opened during the May long weekend and closed up this year on Sept. 3, an indication that winter is just around the corner.

With boxes and dishes piled up on almost every surface, there is a lot to be done in order to prepare the building for the long winter season.

"The water's been cut off now. Everything's going to close up and no one is going to come in here until spring," said Teresa Gervais.

Gervais, a cook, is hoping to return next year after her first season with the Wildcat.

"It was a lot of fun. It's really a good feeling when you like the food that you're serving. When you really take pride in it, it's a good feeling," she said.

According to Gervais, it was a busy season at the Old Town restaurant. "We didn't have too many slow days that's for sure," she said.

This season, employees played the Forrest Gump soundtrack endlessly, with the exception of the occasional break to play Sonny and Cher's 'I Got You Babe.'

As a way to symbolize the closing, Gervais took great pleasure in destroying the audio tape during the clean up, which is expected to take three or four days. Chef Pierre LePage had been running the Wildcat this past summer.

A familiar face in Yellowknife, LePage owns Le Frolic, L'Heritage, Le Stock Pot and a catering business.

He said the season went really well and saw a lot of local business, but said he is not too sad to be closing up now that the cold weather is arriving.

"Well I'm glad it's done because all the summer students are gone and it's cold anyway. It slowed right down after it got cold," said LePage.

He is also very busy with his other companies.

"Right now downtown is very busy."

According to LePage, with the start of school, downtown is bustling with customers, as Old Town has died down.

LePage said Yellowknifers can most likely expect him to be running the Wildcat again next season.

"I have an option for a second year and I think I'll take it,' he said.