Jessica Klinkenberg
Northern News Services
Published Wednesday, December 5, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - Enter any store or business and you'll see garland, flashing lights, red, green and white colours, and pictures of Santa Claus decorating the walls.

It should be obvious that Christmas is coming.

The Coast Fraser Towers are decorating for the holidays and getting ready to enter the City of Yellowknife's Christmas decorations contest. Pictured are Cindy Rowe, left, and Catherine Travis, the general manager. - Jessica Klinkenberg/NNSL photo

And though the decorations look lovely, there's a lot of work that goes into it, not all of it pleasant.

" The garland is (the least favourite)," said Melissa Rowe, from the law firm Peterson, Stang and Malakoe.

" You kind of do it once and then you never do it again."

This doesn't come as a surprise considering garland goes down the office's stairs and across the front desk.

For some businesses, and home owners as well, it's about decorating to compete.

The Diavik Diamond Mines office on Franklin features a Christmas display in the front window every year.

Cindy Gilday started the display, and said recently the company has used more computer technology for the timing of toy trains and lights.

Come Dec. 6, city hall and the legislative assembly will be participating in the capital light-up.

Capital cities across Canada all turn on Christmas lights on a day that is picked in Ottawa, said Rachel Verhaeghe, special events co-ordinator for the city.

" It's just something to bring in the new Christmas cheer," she said.

" I'm always excited to see the children's faces when the lights come on."

It all starts with the city lighting up a huge Christmas tree placed at the base of the city hall steps.

People are then invited to walk over to the legislative assembly for cookies and hot chocolate.

Catherine Travis, general manager at the Coast Fraser Towers, said this year a couple of their housekeeping staff have put in 80 to 120 hours getting their display together.

" It puts everyone in the festive mood," she said.