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Yellowknife seniors welcome visitors at the airport

Tim Edwards
Northern News Services
Published Friday, April 3, 2009

SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - The Arctic Ambassadors have reached the one-year mark of their program and are still helping travellers discover the North.

"A while ago there were three people that were supposed to go in further north but their flight was cancelled," said Ajjie Shaw, one of the ambassadors, "and I told them there was an excellent restaurant at the museum and they could walk around, look around until lunchtime, and my friend and co-worker here was going home sick and drove them there."

The ambassadors are a group of Yellowknife seniors who volunteer to don green vests or jackets and run an information booth at the airport.

"We approach them if it's the first time they're in Yellowknife and they need help," said Shaw.

This help could be telling visitors where to find hotels, restaurants or entertainment, offering them newspapers to read while they wait for their flight - or sometimes it could just be a friendly face.

"We're there to give them a smile, say 'hi' or 'good morning,'" said Mildred Wilke, another ambassador. "I think it's a helpful thing."

"They're a great bunch of people, they really are," said Yvonne Quick, the group's organizer and an ambassador.

The ambassadors are at the airport in the mornings from 9 a.m. until noon, but are looking to extend their service.

"We do the morning flights, and we're starting in the second week of April to do the afternoon flights and in May we'll be doing some of the evening flights," said Quick.

"We're looking for 10 more volunteers," said Quick. "You just have to be old and want to volunteer."