Jennifer Obleman
Northern News Services
Published Wednesday, September 19, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - Let's see, 2,700 pounds of coffee beans, 90,000 eggs ... Yellowknife chef Pierre LePage is compiling a mammoth shopping list in preparation for the 2008 Arctic Winter Games, to be held in the city March 9-15.

Chef Pierre LePage is catering the 2008 Arctic Winter Games in March. Over the next few months, he will prepare a list of supplies needed for the job, including 2,700 pounds of coffee beans and 90,000 eggs. - Jennifer Obleman/NNSL photo

"We figure we're going to have four semi-trailers of food coming up," said LePage, whose company Le Frolic Catering will provide cafeteria-style meals and snacks to more than 2,000 athletes, coaches and officials every day during the Games.

Aside from ordering enough eggs to stretch 5.4 km - that's all the way from the Multiplex to the far end of Ndilo if you lined them up end to end - LePage also has several other tasks to accomplish before the event begins.

A major building renovation is in the works and he's buying a pile of new equipment, including an 80-gallon steam kettle, a 60-gallon hydraulic skillet, and several new ovens.

Construction began last week on the basement of the 51st Avenue building that now houses Le Frolic Catering, having previously been home to Le Stock Pot.

The basement, which is gaining 1,200 square feet, will be used for baking and pastry.

Another 1,200 square feet will be added to the main floor, which will house offices in the front and hot and cold production in the back.

A 2,200-square-foot top floor will also be added, which will include four staff housing suites.

The project will cost LePage about $400,000.

The company is poised to grow as well. LePage currently has 59 people on staff at his four businesses, most of whom will help with the Arctic Winter Games, and he hopes to hire another 20, including student apprentices from the cooking programs at St. Patrick and Sir John high schools.

The food for the Games will be cooked in LePage's newly renovated kitchen, then transported to schools, where meals will be served.

But LePage will be catering to the Arctic Winter Games beyond just serving the food - during the event, he will close L'Heritage and donate its use as a VIP room with couches and Internet access.

Le Frolic will stay open, however, and special passes will be available to regular customers to ensure they can get in.

"If there's room for the tourists, great, but we've got to make sure our regular clientele still have a place to go," he said.

Le Stock Pot will also stay open. With at least 3,000 people, including athletes, officials and spectators, in town for the Arctic Winter Games, there's plenty of room for Yellowknife businesses to profit, said Dave Hurley, general manager for the 2008 games.

"I think there's definitely potential for the whole community to benefit," he said.

"People will be booking hotels, buying food. I think there's going to be a spin-off to the retail sector, too, with people buying souvenirs and whatnot."

An economic impact study of the 2000 Arctic Winter Games in Whitehorse found there was a more than $6.2 million boost to the city's economy.

When the games were held in Yellowknife in 1998, 79 per cent of businesses reported an increase in sales.