Home page

Text size

E-mail this page

SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
The Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce teamed up with Blachford Lake Lodge on Thursday to host a one-of-a-kind business after-hours event.

Blachford Lake Lodge owner Mike Freeland took business after-hours to a new level as he welcomed close to 70 members of the Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce to his wilderness paradise Thursday. - Sara Wilson/NNSL photo

The sold-out trip welcomed close to 70 Yellowknife business leaders to the world-class lodge where owner and manager Mike Freeland and his wife hosted a buffet-style dinner of whitefish, homemade campfire beans and salads.

"Thank you all for coming out tonight," Freeland said. "We'd like to thank Air Tindi - our partner for the past 30 years - and the Chamber of Commerce for making this event a success."

Blachford Lake Lodge gained international attention last year when the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William and his wife Catherine, spent one night there as part of their royal tour of Canada.

The authentic log-cabin style lodge, with Northern stylings including a full-length muskox hide hanging from the railing, could not have achieved its international success without the help of its many volunteers, Freeland said.

The lodge welcomes international volunteers on a six-week rotation to get a uniquely Northern Canadian experience.

Air Tindi ran four flights from its downtown hub in Old Town to the lodge's private dock. The 25-minute flight showcased the scenery east of Yellowknife near Great Slave Lake.

The chamber's after-hour events are an effort to connect Yellowknife's business community and give business owners a chance to make contacts and raise issues.

"I had a wait list of 25 people or more," said Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce secretary AnnMarie Houghton.

This is the first business after-hours event for the chamber this summer.

The next one is scheduled for Cavo, a company associated with the new Niven Lake condominium development, in the former Flowers by Manuela location at 5004-50 Ave. on July 18.

A long tradition for the chamber, the corporate social after-hours events have regained popularity this year - a trend that is part of the chamber's mandate for its 65th anniversary.

"Part of our mandate for the 65th anniversary is to increase activity for our members to create more activity so the members could mingle more," Larry Jacquard, president of the Chamber of Commerce, told Yellowknifer June 19. "The business after-hours event is a member-to-member event so it allows our members to invite other members to come and discover their new product, or new business, or new location, and a lot more members are using the service because they see the value in it. It's a great way to network business-to-business."

- with filesfrom Thandiwe Vela

We welcome your opinions. Click here to e-mail a letter to the editor.