Mike W. Bryant
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Aug 09/00) - Overlooked by most Canadians, Gov. Gen. Adrienne Clarkson hailed the Northwest Territories as an important part of this country.

Clarkson spent her earlier days in Yellowknife as a young journalist

"For a Canadian, personal knowledge of the North ... is indispensable," Clarkson said in her address to the legislative assembly on Saturday. "To be ignorant of the North ... is to be ignorant of the greater portion of our country."

Yellowknife was the first stop for the vice-regal couple on their week-long official visit to the NWT.

Their whirlwind trip -- which includes eight other NWT communities -- concludes in Inuvik on Aug. 11.

The couple left Yellowknife for Tulita on Monday.

Besides her views on the NWT's symbolic importance to the rest of Canada, Clarkson spoke of the challenges facing the North in providing adequate housing, education, health care and coping with social problems such as substance abuse and crime. She also emphasized the need to protect the NWT's cultural diversity and maintaining its rich aboriginal traditions.

"These traditions have been an important part of life in this land for thousands of years," Clarkson said in her address.

"And I know that one of the greatest challenges facing you today is how to find a balance between safeguarding this inheritance and protecting the traditional ways of life in the North with the demands and expectations of today's world."

While in Yellowknife, the Governor General and her husband kept an expectedly busy schedule. After meeting Premier Stephen Kakfwi and addressing the legislative assembly, Clarkson unveiled a commemorative plaque honouring NWT recipients of the Order of Canada.

Later, Clarkson and Saul met with Fibbie Tattie, the NWT Official Languages Commissioner, and others to discuss native language issues.

The couple's first day in Yellowknife ended with a dinner hosted by NWT Commissioner Glenna Hansen at the Explorer Hotel.

Sunday morning, Canada's royal couple were at the Ceremonial Circle by Frame Lake unveiling a plaque to officially declare it open.

In her address to the public at the Ceremonial Circle -- with several MLAs, Western Arctic MP Ethel Blondin-Andrew and Mayor Dave Lovell in attendance -- Clarkson continued on her theme from her earlier address to the legislative assembly, adding anecdotal comments about her earlier days spent in Yellowknife as a young journalist, including the odd visit to Yellowknife's infamous Gold Range bar.

Clarkson also presented five Exemplary Service medals to Yellowknife corrections officers and the Caring Canadian Award to Jan Stirling, a long-time Yellowknifer and retired nurse-in-charge at the Yellowknife Public Health Centre.

As expected, residents were excited to finally meet Canada's Head of State. About 50 well-wishers braved the blustery weather Sunday to attend the plaque unveiling to catch a glimpse and possibly speak with Clarkson.

"I thought it was really neat to meet the Governor General because she's Canada's Chief Scout," said Courtney Woodward, a member of Yellowknife First Scouts who met Clarkson for the second time -- the first time was in Ottawa.

"She's very nice, I gave her the necker (a scout tie) that we designed ourselves."