Friday, August 28, 1998
Shouldering aside the oversized competition, Yellowknifers are getting ready to take their place on the national stage.
Residents of the nation's smallest capital are showing the rest of the country that when it comes to the talent pool, Yellowknifers swim in the deep end.
Firstly, there is Nicole Gagnon, who was recently crowned Miss Teen Canada International.
Meanwhile, Jeremy Jaud, swimming the race of his life at a meet in Ontario, earned a place on the national swim team.
Back at home, triathletes Dave Unger and Melody Falconer biked, ran and swam their way onto contingent of overachievers that will represent Canada at the World Triathlon Championship in Lausanne, Switzerland.
If you find this whirlwind of activity overwhelming, you can go the movies. This week Yellowknifer Tobias Mehler is in the cast of Disturbing Behavior, currently being screened in town.
And speaking of the arts, author Diane Brookes has sold the rights to her children's book to a Hollywood producer for a price that most us will only dream about.
What does all this mean?
The current crop of Yellowknifers who are putting themselves, and the city, on the map are demonstrating once again that our greatest natural resource is the people who live here.
The price of gold comes and goes, the value of oil and gas rises and falls and the full impact of the diamond business has yet to be determined. Through all the fluctuations of the natural resource market, one resource in Yellowknife remains constant -- the human one.
There are many reasons to move to Yellowknife and many reasons to stay. Many of this city's assets don't show up on the balance sheet. Most of us living here know what they are.
Now if only we could convince the members of the Diamond Club that there's more to life than cheap tickets to Edmonton.
Efforts by several local groups to equip seniors with a modern
alarm system for emergencies amounts to a very valuable community service.
Seniors, unable to make it to the telephone, will be able to request an
ambulance simply by pushing a button on a pendant.
It's all thanks to the Yellowknife Association of Concerned
Citizens for Seniors, the Elk's Lodge, the fire department and the
hospital. The Seniors Emergency Alerting System (SEAS) will not only
allow seniors who live independently more freedom, but will also help to
save lives.
Sometimes good business and good works go together. That was the
case when two office supply companies recently merged to become Creative
Basics.
Stuck with an excess of inventory, Creative Basics Manager Bridgette
Larocque called up the schools to see if they could use some extra office
supplies.
The schools responded with enthusiasm. One vice-principal left with
15 to 20 shopping carts full which tells us the give away was substantial.
Certainly Creative Basics made themselves some new friends and friends make
good customers.
We hope the rest of the business community takes note of Larocque's
initiative. Unwanted inventory can sometimes be put to good use.